The sun., 1888-06-17
REFORM YHE SCHOOLS.


To The EDITOR OF The SUN--,Sir: Tho
time Ia ripe Tor reform. There Il not n teacher
or thinking parent who has not some gricv-
anco against our school System. Crowd and
cram those horrd cankots. are sRpping tho
lives OF generation. Who cun look at the sea
OF anemtc and scrofuIous faces. tho product OF
the tcnoment and school house. without siud-
drring| Eloquent lins have pictured these hor-
rors, and the slumhcrng conscience OF tho
community is awakening
In last Sundays issue OF Tnr SrS three col.
unns wcro devoted to Il cons ldrra,ou Of the
crnmmiug methods IN vogue Permit nc TO
say tGe root "' the evil has not been struck
Cram s but the iruit OF Crowd. How can We
nurSu" raiuiaI methods with unnatural cor-
oltlohst Many oi these teachers are graduates
o' The Normal College. where at least correct
principles of education have been taught
Vie suisriutendcuts do not approve of roto
"viR. Not Tho greatest teachers could proper-
y cducatc seventy or eighty human beings
packed into crUdc!y ventilated rooms
Can We, strictly sYeahiug. educate oven forty
young children ut tho same timc-forty indi-
vidual3, no two having similar fcaturos. CON-
pioNions, bCalinGy Are their minds alike Oar
euuchtiphal ~ steu seems t. say. Yes. 1t du.rs
OUT go many fuses ui arithmetic. geography,
ana slrnlrE. ~ tho same prescribed moments,
lIhc NE Guack doctor giving the same piiis and
b"WdrLS TO the "sthmatic, tho rhrumatir, tho
u'7i"Du1 No arcInnl Is taken OF tho Infinite
S@finly an. "omp"Ni'v Wf tho mind. The
lrAht, the sensitive tuo dull, tho laggard all
reeve tEC sam" treatment. The dan los, tho
y,,olet1, ANA tn" common grass IRE le,elled 10y
tlG Erea' moving machine
Whom this process, has continued for several
years lie ".a'u jurns its miuro cliion iippn
ile toWnumlr Has he acquired that which
l. 30 essential in tie daily iutrrcru rulsc will his
isNo" men. Tho mower Of expressing the SIM
spu&o0. Till can never Gs ;nGght naIiI We va
cenp siyr mIrH time 70 indivtGual moods. Nhy
SHbilll riNuIrn 10 the ,Uruayi ot wholesale
"f'raiuing dogs and horses rir II individually?
ia, Mot the przo .l.;lltec !s ind ldual trItnerl
j. u not "a-i"r 10 tran. brains than fists?
Two uuuIand years OF rruGross hi,v" swept
by. and GOOD n,.tured Aloli,nna hay accepted
4 one-SiI"a Sysiun. tll&' ragHn Gr"cks would
have scprn"I. Docs it not seem prepostcrous
!" pIead for the oodr IA this nineteenth. cen.
good aniuals is tho first condition Of national
prosperity.
The most crying necd. therefore, is for new
IuiIiIhGs and Il reduction in the size Of classes.
unlroy"ment in the methods Of teaching will
then follow naturally. Many schools are in tho
hhd, S'Shch"S DIG 'her fatal work. This evil
imn.,I he r,mGdEsd lea. y co5perai9n with the
neN parks might be located around or near tho
schools. rrs"Nn- Il small enclosure for play
ground nha tynlnaaiunl. he iatter tohr opened
to tFo puhli" attor school hours. The 're
community would thus hs directly benefited.
New schools should have grounds reserved
around ,lsm, The question, Where can boSs
TITO Central l'ark /, not within thu reach ol the
mal"rit.. nj docs not serv" the purpose Of
seA'ntarX. n" d th" stimulus OF or"n..ttr nx-
errn,<S syn nor%, Sewing and cookjng, are not
sHiUcirnl To make tn" future mOtHUrs pIUur re-
pVrnilc strnnt "hd a"i@-D"dicI women.
These REFORMS viii necessarily entail in
cr"a expenditure: and economy L. one OF
Germany and France. h"sieS supporting
schools, museums and 'ucrtrcs. are Mil
ing To Gi," millions oi .iriiars Tor ne mpiuten-
hI.ltIn-, \ tl,