New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-06
CRITTCISlYG GRAMMAR SCHOOLS.
PRESIDENT ELIOT RETURNS TO THE ATTACK-
FAULTS IN THE BOOKS USED.


BOSTON. April ) (speciaD.-A few months ago Presi-
dent Eliot OF Harvard delivered address at Wor
ccs-er I'm which he sharply criticised the methods In
vogue I'm Massachusetts grammar schools. lie found
foult with the time devoted 20 certain phases 81
geography reading and mathematics. He started OF
in a way that led people to suppose he had visited
certain school in Cambridge ard had taken this
fair sample Of the others. Yesterday Master John d.
Billings, of the Webster Grammar School, Of Cam
bridge. spoke before the classical and high school
teachers in criticism OF President Elots remarks.
President Eliot in the afternoon made temperate reply
TO Master Billings. liz asked his audience 10 reinem.
Der that his speech Mt Worcester was entirely extern
poraneous. He said the school he referred to was
purely anonymous. Iii never had made any slus.on
to It's locality. He still believes 1t to be impossible
TO ascertain exactly what the work OF the average
grammar school was in Massachusetts, or elsewhere
President Eliot said IN part:
0since / spoke at Worcester have paid some moro
attention 10 the Readers used In our pubic SCHOOLS
throughout the country. have read An enormous
Quantity Of them, and can express tie conviction
that il would be for the advantage Of the whole public
school system of the United states II every Reader wers
hereafter TO be absolutely excluded from the schools.
daughter and applarse) / object to them that they
are not real literature they mere scraps OF liter
aturc, even when the single lessons or materials Of
which they are composed are taken from literature
But there are great many readers that seem 70
have been composed expressly for the ue
Of children. They not made up OF selections
from recognized literature, and as rule TINS cas- Oh
Readers are simply neTable trash. They are not nj
material to put before childish mind even at seven,
eight, nine, ten years Of age They are
utterly unfit material 10 in the training OF orr
children read very welknown Reader, intended
for children from eight TO nine years Of age, and
found in IL not single hero heroine Of the human
race Newfoundland one The heroes and heroines
of that Reader were all animals cats, kittens, dogs,
and horse or two. (Laughter) Now. the oDIees
Of reading with children is 10 convey to them inc
ideals OF the human Just as soon as you can
And our Readers do not do that and are thoroughly
untitled to do it. / believe that we shoalu SUD
sttute I'm all orr schools real literature for Readers,
and lately at the West, have observed that the
Western schools have got great deal ahead Of OF US
In that respect -.
What are the purposes of democratic society
with regard to its children? That Is too large
question Here is necessary purpose OF grammar
school I'm a democratic sOciety-that through IL inc
children Of the poor should obtain equal access with
the children OF the rich the higher educaion' that
education which he is nit to receive. Isn't that ir
chance as the child of rich man 20 obtain the nsnes'
education which he is fit to recevelsn't that d la,r
statement Of what democratic society may iai'p s'A
~ its grammar schoolsq Now the American grammar
school as at present organized docs not answer tas
creat Fundamental principle. What is the reason.
simply because it an age from esh'' we VIZ
or 70 fourtaen am afraid 1t really goes on laer'
40 sfteen but il certainly pretty well the age
from eight to fourteen, and within those limits lts
course Is practically uniform for all boys ana girls
whatever their individual capacity, the course iad ous
NV tha pubc authorities is practically UNIFORM anu
that Uniform course prevents the possibility Oh CHM
doing what the child must DO VINO
no mt on a level with the rich mans Doy
nv Girl that goes to private school, and tehce l" On
ocod,,pv college or university. We all KNOW Tor
xomnle that the right age for beginning the study oil
r,odern language is nine ten at the lowest anu
Tho same NAV be true Of the ancient languages Now
orr Grammar school method in this country posluVey
,vents u child from beginning the study Of foreign
tongue at the right age. l say that as ions 40
does that il is obstruction 10 the rise 'h'"us" 49,
cratic society of the children that ought to rise. 'us'
60 as TO the study Of natural science rch man
can nut his child in private school, where nc nAa
the opportunity study botany, chemistry OK p"S
geometry in its elements, long before he LUuIsTsa
oont oy ace and 10 study them with instruments
With models with photographs, with all the pest oo S
triyapces for the observation and stuuy vi Ieso
iects Is there a grammar school IN our oVstn,
where that can be done? II there Is Ha'o h''S'
At present the grammar school stands as an aos. ~.
Iue barrier-it prevents the child from taxing up W
RICH; subject at the right age. Ihroughout an mn
education, until within inc iI1 uMT Of pro
gramme The keeping back OF the brighter ehl9Issni
Everything tending to machine work. THIS ev eAs Vs.,
IN The mil in the American college. 1t IS NOT Gun
stic OF the lower grades BY any mean, Anr-tcsn edu
cation during the last twenty nve year. .sor ~
introduction Of principles OF selection, o aS noes
INSTRUMENTATION of instruction. IhoSc Prh''P4s' ~
10 penetrate our grammar schools