Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-01-10
POPULAR EDUCATION.

Paper Read by Prof. r. II. Cngo, Ref re ,
the Wheeling Teachers Associa ton, Yes
terday.
The books tell Us that problem is |
Question 10 be solved" There are a |
great many such questions before the /
public to-day. Some are solved or near !
ly 50, while others, though years have |
passed since they were first presented, |
are not Yet solved. One of these is the |
problem OF popular education. Is this |
still a problem? i possible that dur |
ing all these years the question has not !
been solved? Let US look at IL and |
weigh IT,. Early in the formation of I
our government; yes, even before its
formation. during colonial times, it be- !
came apparent 10 the leaders OF the 1
colonies, and also more particularly TO |
the leaders of our country after We be-
came u nation, that in order for a re- |
publican government 10 become sue !
cess every way, IL was an absolute ne |
ceSSty for the masses 10 become edu-
Gated. We must have an Intelligent
constituency or the body polite Will
soon become cOrrupt-then farewell to
our boosted liberty.
That our schools have done great
work in making us what We are rs
nation no one will deny. They are
justly our pride, and we would not dream
for a moment of dispensing with them.
They are necessity. They are yearly
sending out from their walls men and
women who are doing much and will in
the future do more in shaping the ends
OF this great government. But that they
are not doing all they should do is APP
parent TO even casual observer, from
the following facts:
ID In many of our schools there is
nothing taught but the dull routine OF
the textbook Too many teachers teach
merely 10 hear rccitatIOnS. Their pu-
pills can. on examination day, answer
the questions carefully prepared from
the book in the very words of the book, Z
and many OF them rarely fall below 100 !
per cent, but they leave school with no !
knowledge or scarcely any preparation
Of the great work OF life before them.
-. Our schools can never accomplish !
what they are intended 10 accomplish |
until all the boys and girls of school age
are in our schools; this is not the case |
now. do not mean To say that every |
parent should be forced to send his chill
dren TO the public school, but | do say |
he should be forced to give them a fair
English education at least.
CD The course OF study in our public |
schools should be such that its very |
natural tendency, il carried out, would |
tend % make men and women Of our |
boys and girls. Ii it is not such, then ii |
should be- 80 modified rs to teach the re-
suits aimed at.
The remedy is as follows:
a. / would have the teaching such |
that the pupil would not only learn the |
subject matter OF the text book, but he |
would also be taught its relations to the
life he IS TO lead.
CD. | would have some means en-
ploycd to bring every boy and girl into
our schools. Ii this can be done in no
.o.her way would form a compulsory |
school law, law that would take the
boys and girls from the streets, II the
uareut il not able 10 send them 10
school, and place them in our schools,
aud cause them thus 10 get NJ least some
preparation for life.
3D. | would have our course OF study |
so modified aud so rearranged, that It's
every tendency would be to develop the
entire being Of the child, mentally NOR
ally, phySically-the head, the heart |
mud the hand. We do educate the head, /
at least We cram il full. and too often |
with many things that will never be of /
any use to it in the world. We unduly /
stimulate the memory; ~ least We try /
To do il. But by the process employed |
We ruin il. We attempt to teach too
much. and thus our pupils 90 from our |
schools with Smattering of nearly I
everything but with knowledge OF
nothing.
Boys and girls reach the grammar
room. and same pass through II, who |
do not know the multiplication table |
properly. Boys aud girls study gram |
mar-cau answer questions glibly, but /
when il comes TO applying the most |
common principles in the way of exam |
plies they are at sea. And when they |
come to use il i'm conversation, they sim |
ply murder the Kings English. Now, |
am not blaming you, teacher, and
more. / contend il is not your fault. |
Your very environments keep you from |
giving what you know TO be better things !
than what you do give. 1t may not be-
come US To say what would be better !
course of study in our schools or to sug- |
geSt change Of the present course in
any manner whatever, but | will offer a
few thoughts that have occurred as
studied the subject.
We ought to have High School Of
al least a three years conrSe. Con ]
nreted with this High School should be |
a normal training course OF at least a
vear-two would be still betteF-and
every young young lady who expects 10
teach i'm our schools should be required
To take this course.
1 vonld a.So have manual training
course in connection with the Hish
school. | have not time to fully state
I'm what it should consist, but the great
object nj the course would be TO educate
the hand along with the bead and the !
heart. We need trained heads, trained !
hearts and trained hands TO make the
perfect man. | honestly believe though |
that i'm the near future all the principal
high schools in the land will have con-
ncctcd with them a manual training
school, and propheSy that the number
passing through the High schools Will
then be increased at least 100 per cent.
Finally would have no one on the
Board of Education who is not friendly
10 our public school system. More than
this, | would have every member an
earnest advocate and devoted friend OF
popular education, and one who would
do an in hts power. first last and all the