Sword and shield. (Clinton, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1885-05-09
EDJGATIONAL.
The Course of Arithmetic.

In previous paper something
was said of the Course of Mathe-
matics in general, and it was init
mated that the several branches
might afterwards be considered sep
arately.
A fundamental error in arithmet-
icai instruction is the dissertation,
to great extent, of the so-called
mental properly, oraD arithmetic
from written, while in tact they
should be combined, so as to cOnsti-
tute only different exercises Of the
same subject. Following the error
mentioned, the science Of arithmetic
has been practically divided into two,
so diverse in their methods, that
pupil may be quite expert in mental,
and utterly deficient in written arlth
metic. Thus has arisen an unneces-
sary multiplicity of textbooks, some
series comprising as many as two
books in mental and7three in written
arithmetic.
Another mistake is that OF cum
bering the text book intended for
the elementary schools with so many
subjects utterly useless to ninety
nine -hundredths of the pupils. No
branch of business requires knowl-
edge of Greatest Common Divisor,
Least Common Multiple, Circulating
Decimals, or DuOdecimals. 1t is,
indeed, important for pupil to know
how to reduce fraction to its low
est terms but 10 ordinary case re-
quires a knowledge of the process
for finding the &. G. d., nor are pu-
pills accustomed to use it. For the
process itself there is no use until
we reach the higher algebra, and
the demonstration Of the process is
quite too intricate for the average
pupil in elementary or practical
arithmetic. Again, no one in busi-
ness uses the processes OF Alllga-
ton Alternate; and but few indeed
of the great mass of our school child
rem can comprehend the conditions
which give rise to much of our busl-
ness arithmetic. 1t is not intimated
that such problems as those which
arise in Stocks, Arbitration of Ex
change, General Average, etc,
should have no place in an arithmet-
ical course, but only that they do
not belong in the course for the
masses. There are other topics,
more elementary and more generally
useful, to which the time of the ordi-
nary pupil should be devoted. In
! many of our textbooks on arithme-
tic, examples are found Of which the
following is a specimen
eff Is oxen Craze and keep fat on
Is acres Of grass for three weeks,
how many acres Of fresh pasture
will be required to keep fat L oxen
for 20 weeks, the growth being sup
posed uniform, and each acre IN both
cases having originally upon it the
same amount of grass Z!
of what conceivable use is such
an example? Most pupils, and many
teachers make mince-meat OF the
oxen in its solution. But 1t is sale
by some that these things are neces
sary as mental gymnastics. How
ever true it may be that the mine
needs gymnastics, the demands o
actual life are amply adequate t
supply the necessary discipline
without requiring our pupils to un
ravel such manufactured puzzles
The time would more profitably b
given to other branches of science
which deal with the active and useful
instead of wasting strength and en-
ergy on the purely fictitious. I'm
doubtedly, the demands Of science
and business-life furnish abundan
material, but the more abstrus
problems do not fall within the do
main of an elementary course, no
come within the demands which ac
tual life makes upon the great ma
iority of persons. There are grea
number and variety Of intricat
questions which dc actually arise j
discounting negotiated paper, as wei
as in the abstruse problems of In
surance and Annuities but it is nc
the aim of an elementary or pract
cal course to train pupils for sue
; specialties; but when in a properl
} arranged curriculum Of the Hig
School or College such topics al
: reached, their solution will the
5 come in the regular line of the az
plication of general principles, an
E the student will have acquired sue
/ maturity of mind as will enable hi
e to comprehend the relations giyin
:. rise to such problems.
u As intimated above, there shoul
t be thorough uni6cation of the pr