The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-07-03
THR PUBLTO SOHOOLs.


| New York Sun: The summer yaca-
ton being near at hand, the public
schools are giving closing exhibitions
and awarding prizes for scholsrship
These are always very interesting occa-
sions, and no one who assists at them
can fan 70 be impressed with the readI.
meas and aptness of the pupils, and c.
pecially with their AppareDt drill and
discipline.
II the school commissioners wish 10
get praises for our school system and
compliments for themselves, they have
only to invite people 70 witness these
ceremonies. Everything runs smoothly
and with admirable order, and the boys
and girls make very creditable appear
ance.
The observer, however. is likely 10
be surprised to find the graduating class
no larger. though the total number Of
pupils in the school Is 80 great. he
learns, on inquiry, that the classes d.
minish In size as the course advances,
and that only q small part of those who
enter the primary school 90 through TO
the end. The mass of the scholars new
er get the fancy polish which is dis
played by the graduates at these closing
exercises. They have had to content
themselves with less instruction, and
have departed from school TO earn their
living long before the course Was COM
pleted.
The great demsnd Is for primary in
structiOn. Besides, much that IL done
10 the superior schools is for show and
Embellishments merely. and for such
ornsmeDtatiOn the run If children, OF
course, have no tune. All they want is
substantial foundation. And thOs e
who remain - receive the fancy touches
often get the polish only at the expense
of solid training
The truth Is that what shows best on
exhibition day and excItes the most ap-
plause is likely TO be just that which Is
merely superficial and cannot last.
So far as their life work is
concerned, Il Is of little or NO value
TO the pupils, and may do them positive
damage because OF their overesIimate OF
its importance and desirability. They
may really have been better prepared
for their career whCn they left the pr.
mary school knowing few things well
then they are now with ali the fancy &C
accomplishments by which they have been
taught TO set 30 much store. They may
have sacrificed thOrUughuess and habits
of thorough work TO get the polish and
smaTtnCss which makes 50 attractive g
show before the crowd.
Now, as q plain matter of fact, do EN-
plOycIs count It very much in a boys
favor that he has completed the course
OF the public grammar school? Do
they expect to find him more valuable
because of the training than one who
has not been Sd long in q public school
1t ID more prob Ible that they would pre-
fer the lad for whose instruction the
city has paid less. Experience haG
taught them that boys force may have
been weakened by the distractions of q
multiplicity of tasks during his lAttel
years OF school life.
Ali this comes from the successful at.
tempts Of educational experimenicrs
and hobby riders to introduce novelties
which destroy the original simplicity o.
the public school course, and from the
present necessity of making the gram
mar schools nurseries for the colleges
which weigh so heavily on the whole
educational system.