Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-02-28
MACHINE" SCHOOL METHODS.
How individuality of Character May
Sometimes BE Destroyed.

lNhlCagT lines
The people Of England are apparently
becoming dissatisfied with the graded sys-
lem in schools. which appears 10 have
been imported into that country from
Germany and the ulted States. Mr..
Mundella. who is at the head Of the de
partment of public instruction. IS the
fuglish Horace Mann. lie believes IN the
MACHINE method of manu- 'acturing schOl-
,rs some of the |, cal inspectors have
the honesty and boidieSs 10 crlticise his
methods aid down for the government Of
teachers NJ kicks. inspector of schools
under the London board. recently pre-
,cnfrd hi, report. which is very interest
ing and suggestive document IN IL Tue
GLOWING paragraph occurs.
~firsty. an attempt is made to carry
all children al, n AT the same rate Of prog
ress. whatever their physical or mental
powers Hence the teaching power Is not
fairly appOrliOned. The dull, the back
ward the Irregular the deliCate-all those
children who. from whatever cause. are
unable TO keep lace with their fortunate
school fellUwS-reCeive more than thelr
fair share of attention, while the more
highly gifted those who can pass the
forthcoming examination without trout
ling the teaCher-rcccive less than the
ust share to which they are entitled, and
toward the close Of the school
wear. are sometimes neglected
met with a curious illustration OF this
some two nths ago. In class of sixty
scholars | found ten or twelve sitting
silent, with folded arms, while their class
mates were either at work or play.
/ Naturally. | wanted TO know why these
lads were being punished. for punishment
it certainly was These boys. said the
assistant are quite ready for the eXamin-
alton they nave nothing more to do. and
go | give my time to prepare the others.
This is an extreme case, but IN large
number OF schools the tendency Is To
leave scholars rs they become perfect Tor
the examination. pretty much to them
selves and to concentrate all attention on
the remainder.
/ Gne of the Effects of the graded system
in schools is to destroy all individuality Of
character in both teacher and pupil Zach
teacher is expected to ad. anCe all the
pupils iu a room to higher one in the
course Of a sci OOl year. She is also eX-
pccted 10 be exactly one year about it, II
/ She does it sooner the great educational
machine is thrown out of gear. II she Is
/ longer about it, the machine will not run
smoothly 4 certain number of pages in
/ each text book are designated as con-
/ stituting the work of the given grade To
these are added a certain number of
ms to be lea ned. a certain number of
. PICTURES TO lie copied. and certain maxims
. 10 be Ic, Gated. These are counted or
measured of by the teacher aud admin
/ istcrcd like doses of medicine at given
hours
/ The intellectual rations are dealt out
/ like oats IL horses in street railway
| stable. What one child learns readily,
| another acquires with great difficulty.
while third gans little comprehension
/ of it Fart of the pupils are idle half the
| time. for they are "up to grade and are
not allowed to pass beyond it They are
waiting for the slower ones TO catch up.
| though it is manifest that many of them
will never lie able to do it Near the
/ close If the Year the class Is examined. and
/ those who are not able to record fixed
standard are condemned to be put
/ through the grade again