Morning journal and courier., 1884-01-22
Tuesday, January 22, 1884.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.


 Rev. M. J. Savage has in the current num- ber of the North American Review an arti- ole relating to the public school system of this country which is both vigorous and sen- sible. He points out that instead of being common school system, devoting the com mon funds to securing the greatest good for the greatest number, it has developed into an institution essentially aristocratic. The best buildings, the best appliances. the best and most highly paid teachers are devoted to the service of g few. And the service it is rendering this very few is in teaching them not those branches of study which are essen- tial to good citizenship, and that so come within the limits of the public interest, but mainly such courses of instruction as fall within the limits of private culture and are pursued chiefly for personal ends. In illus tration of the truth of the statement that the system is sristocratic he gives the follow ing: In the month of February, 1883, there were in all the public schools of one of our cities 54, 723 pupils. Only about one-half of these, or 2S AGO, had gone through the pri- mary schools and entered the grammar; while only about two and three fourths per
 
 mar schools and entered the high. Of this small remnant, only 32O reached the third year; and but 49 of these were in the fourth or advanced class.
 The common school system of this city is not very aristocrstic, but it is more or less open to some criticisms made by Mir. Savage, the substance of which is as follows: It does not give children the best instruction and training for the real life which they must lead. Besides this, it does not even give them a satisfactory education in what are confessed to be the simplest fundamen- tals. There is almost no education of the hand-the one instrument the most of them must use more than any other. Few are good penmen; few can read well; few can write good letter, in good English, cor rectly spelled; few learn the first principles of business, or are capable of keeping accounts. The present system, while it fails to fit the great mass for real life, actually trains large numbers into 8 positive distaste for what must be their real life work. On this point Mir. Savage says: Since the State cannot, if it would, provide all it's children with ideal careers, it should at least not unfit them for their actual ones. I could multiply in stances how this is actually done. Witness the crowds of working girls in the great cities, not willing to fill position of honorable service in any body's family; not willing even to marry an honest man and make home for him, unless he can keep her in idleness and furnish her with servants; choosing rather to jostle one another for place behind counter, though on starvation wages which must be eked out even at the price of womanhood and honor. Witness the crowds of young men surrender ing the home that might be earned by the ''labor" they think themselves educated 'above, and in it's place taking garret; and amusements of which they had better be ig- norant.
 There is great deal in what Mir. Savage says, and it is a good thing that he has called attention so forcibly to some of the defects oi the public schools of this country. His ideas concerning this matter coincide with the ideas of most of those who have paid much attention to it.