Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-31
WISE MEN WHO ARE ONLY BoREs.
Too Much Grandiloquence and Too Little
Practical Thought.
WRONGS IN TIE AMERICAN SYSTEM
WRITTEN ron THE pIsrArcn.l

tuc OIdUe IOE taxing IN Tile uEy lectures dnC
sermons of the wise men, who find in thest
meetings their opportunity to spread them
selves and air their pet ideas, clothed in fine
phrases and big words.
Most Of this great annual output Of wis
dom goes to waste for some of the most
learned men are, to say it softly, tremen'
dous bores, and the teachers yawn over theil
note books and wish in their inmost souls
that such speakers had sense enough tc
Keep their mouths shut or else would speak
their pieces in good plain English and moi
convey the idea that they had been sitting
up O. nights to show themselves off as prodi-
gies of learning. II the girls were not re-
strained by fear of the superintendent they
would leave the hall as vacant as was the
Senate chamber when Blair drowsed away
every day on his interminable educational
bill.
WHAT'S IN A NAME.
Education should be very interesting
subject to teachers, but, oh, what "a fearful
thing it is when some long-winded men get
hold of it and prose over it to an audience
that knows more practically about schools
than the speakers. City teachers know all
about the old, old story of ''the institoot;"
but they know it is part of the business, aud
they may as we'll accept it cheerfully. But
the growing goes on nevertheless. By the
way, why not call it a convention, or an as
sembly, or something the teachers have
learned how to pronounce correctly. To
call it ''the institoot," as the majority do
not as joke, either-is somewhat sug-
gestive OF the Western wilds, or at least, the
provinces.
Another word the speakers use is the
word they pronounce ''litterachoor" with q
twang that would make the very stones cry
out In Boston. These little matters should
be noted by school superinten1ents, as well
as the terrible slips in grammar as fire.
quently heard. Richard Grant White says
somewhere that there is no worse English,
In some respects, than that which is spoken
and written by those who learn their Ian
guage in American public schools" That
there is large percentage of truth in this
remark can be very easily proven by visit
ing the schools and hearing the magnates
talk at the teachers meeting.
EFFECT OF POLITICS.
But what better could be expected when
so many of the schools are in the hands of
teachers who know little of what good
English is themselves, and do not find that
Its daily murder inter eres with their OBJ
tanning position to teach where their
political friends have sinfooence." In
school in Pittsburg a teacher was heard to
say to a small boy, "Look a-here, YOU
Johnnie Smith, 1 saw you a-pushing him.
Now you sit right down there on that there
bench till have time to give you settler"
Then she proceeded TO read "po-um," be-
ginning a ter this style: "Blaze with your
surry-ed col-yums," etc.
Such teachers are not so rare as they should
be. Good English cannot be taught by
hose whose grade of culture is so mani estly
low, and who form laughing stock to some
of their own pupils. That such persons find
places in the schools is a measure of the
brains of their school directors. Ignorant,
uneducated men are ten elevated by the
votes OF their fellow citizens to the position
u school director, but certainly to the dis
credit o himself and his district. Superin-
,endents have no authority to remove an in
competent teacher, and stubborn boss OF a
ward can keep such an incompetent person
IA place.
THE INSTRUCTION GIVEN.
A puzzle to plain people is how such teach.
,rs, or even the host OF better ones, are to be
instructed and entertained by being told BY
,ne of the leaders of the profession that
Every normal activity OF the soul leaves as
is abiding result an Increased power to act
n like manner, and tendency to act again.
Power and tendency are the resultants OF all
human activity. Mani cd is the resultant
If the past experiences of the soul. Hence,
whatever power and skill manhood most i'm
,eratively demands must be secured by right
s,v,t IL
youth, and this may be reasonably asked of
he public schools. The central, guiding,
aim of the school must be man
hood, and this is the one product that may
De demanded OF the public schools"
Now this is very fine and very true, but
loes it go to the souls of the girls who are
.oing to teach re ,ding, writing and arith-
netc and good English only until they get
Another man writing as to what
hould be done in the schools said: "It needs
10 argument to prove the necessity of teach
ng the principles Of ciyfcs in the schools.
t can easily be imagined how some OF 'the
iris" will be wondering what next is to be
et down as of the first importance, and as
N essential to the education OF every boy
md girl. It might as well be stated here in
rider to ease his mind that the principles of
ivics are taught in the public schools of
oittsburg.
A REIGN OF HOBBIES.
The amount of cant-educational can't
hat gets an airing at these institutes is
amazing. It would seem as II
very man had an educational hobby of
ONE sort, and be must have an opportunity
o trot it out and impress the girls with the
mount of "stuff' they know. If the lat
ruon hor
you'd stand it with much less patience
han they do. But as long as they consent
o be bored. they will have to endure such
nfiction. Being in the majority, thev could
rery easily take the matter into their own
lands. But not having burning desire to
pread themselves upon the stage, they stoic-
Llly submit rather than take the trouble to
protect themselves.
One important matter that gets little at
ention at the institutes is over-working the
,upils. Men are moving to secure shorter
lours for themselves, so as to have more
ime for leisure and recreation, but it would
eem to be the desire OF educators to pile
more and more toll upon the children. Six
iours and more in the schoolroom, and then
york to do at home to fill up the remainder
4 the time seems to be the order In the
Much complaint is being made
Ipon this subject in European countries,
in Germany, where the long
Iours of study are said to be dwarfng and
nd stunting the children very pereeptibly,
nd in addition are running the eyesight OF
'ery many.
A CRYING EVIL.
The same result will follow here il the
,ressure is not in some way removed. But
o this practical point the teachers do not
ddress themselves. Another evil OF this
yer pressure is that the teachers are so
riven with work that their evenings must
e given to the examining and marking OF
They have little or no chance
o keep up with new books or inform lhem-
elves on what belongs to their profession,
M schoal uaxk ahaarhs thai aYeninn haura j