The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-04

What Woman with Half a Century of Ex-
perience Thinks of the Public Schools.


perience Thinks of the Public Schools.
Interview with Miss Whitney in New York CONNER
cial Advertiser.
"a wealthy lady with one little daughter
moved In the neighborhood of my Use forty
five years ago, and one day said tol i never
thought for moment of my child going to a
public school, but as yours is the only one north
of Tenth street. what am to doP She had an
idea that her daughter would be in bad company
and learn bad manners, but l soon discovered
that she was the worst child in the school. The
objections to public schools soon disappeared,
and now. as is we'll known, the children of
all classes attend them. So far as they go.
they are more thorough than any
other schools, and had rather see child
brought up in public school than In any other.
There, every child, rich Or poor, is put where he
belongs, and his advancement depends solely on
his merit. The Boston schools are more literally
patroniZed than any others in this country. The
rudimentary education is given, and the accom-
plishments, If desired, are acquired elsewhere.
Edward Everett and Charles Francis Adams
were trained in the public school"
Are children more capable OF being taught
now than they were fifty years agoP
II can't say they have any more capacity, but
they generally know more when they begin their
schooling We never expect children to be
taught by their parents and our method is to
explain everything as though it were entirely
new to them. They may have heard it before
from their parents, but they didn't hear it our
way. Children receive great deal of knowledge
without perceiving it. They know things with
them. have known who Benjamin Franklin
was and what he did all my life, and yet /
never knew whore l learned SO much
about him when | was toddling child. But
there are many children who have to be told
absolutely everything they know; they never
seem to acquire anything of their own accord,
and yet have seen many of that kind grow to
be wonderfully brilliant men and women. Their
minds seem to be lying fallow for years and then
they take>a sudden leap towards learning, like a
thirsty man to drink"
"At what age should child be sent to
SCHOOL,"
''Ir teaching children there are other things
to be considered besides intellectual advance
ment In the case Of the poor we must consider
the mothers who compelled to earn their own
and their childrens living. The public school IS
the best place for them. Wealthy persons can
afford to Keep their children at home and care
for and arause them. When it can be avoided
should say that they ought not to go to regular
school before they are seven or eight years old
Children are never injured by what they have to
study but by confinement for long hours in the
schoolroom They should be sent to school for,
say half day, until they are five years old
that is, poor children who have no home atten-
ton. The kindergarten is an excellent institu-
ton, and cannot be too highly recommended"
1T is said that schools for females gener-
ally more thorough than those for boysp
"As far as they go they are believe. How
is it accounted fort I hardly know. A man
who can keep 500 or 1000 boys in order is fitted
for any position, from President of the United
States down. A woman has only a few occupa-
tons open to her, however successful she may
be at school-keeping. Women teachers are
probably more interested in their pupils, and
less interested in themselves than men,"
Are boys brighter than girls!'
"Gir1s are, without doubt more precocious.
They understand thing quicker than boys, but
in the end do not see through it as deeply or
clearly In the reports of the public schools it is
shown that the girls invariably pass better ex-
aminations. The physical education of boys is
of great advantage to them as they grow older.
Girls, after school is out, go home to help their
mothers sew or sit in the house and study; boys
stop in the streets to play. The factthat women
cannot compete successfully with men in the
ordinary pursuits of life is evidence that they do
not profit as much by their education as men do.
Rubbing with the world has much to do with
mems success"
The golden anniversary of the day when Miss
Whitney first began to teach in the old brick
school house, will be celebrated in June by her
friends, most of whom have been her pupils
within the last fifty years. They are scattered
from Maine to California.