The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-06-07

Tuesday Is VISITORS day at the High School,
and fine display of the work of the manual
training class will be made, consisting of
woodwork and ironwork. Speaking of this
exhibit led DIR. Lane to express himself quite
freely upon several phases of the public school
system. He said ''The work of the BOYS in
the third year class of manual training would
do credit to pupils in any regular school
of technology or mechanics. The manual
training schools are now well on their feet.
They have been tested and the methods per-
sued are calculated to develop the individu-
ality of the boys 1 have nothing to say
against the many private schools of this city,
for know there are some that are superior,
but have this to say of the public school
system. The charge so often made that the
public school treats children as all of the same
stamp and to be moulded in the same way
is not true. Up to certain age,
say twelve or fourteen years, the beginning of
things, or the foundation of all education, has
to be pretty uniform, else there cannot be de-
velopment further on but in the eighth, or
grammar grade, the teacher has abundant op-
portunity to see diversity of gifts, and to en-
courage this or that little bias this or that lit
tie talent, each in its way, without upsetting
or disturbing the discipline of the school, and
by the time the High Schools is entered boy or
girl is prepared to select an elective course of
study that will develop individuality or Sc
cure his progress into profession. A. z.
Clark, the architect, was one of our BOYS.
His drawing, designing, and lettering, long
before he was through his course. attracted
the attention of his teachers who helped direct
i'm inf OH
reaping the benefit now. If I had time I
could give you1nany names Of those once our
boys who were helped on toward profess
sional career. AS a rule, the parents do not
help us all they might. They often, through
indifference, leave it all to u.s. We
sometimes see boy who needs in
instruction in physics and the labratory; or
another may seem to us OF unusual aptitude
for literature, and we direct him TO Ian
guages and literary studies. From the super
intendents of the schools to the lowest grade
of teachers there is this feeling, that the child
has an individuality to be developed, and
we graduate as many well developed
minds as the private schools do. We know
that our school system is not perfect, but
while we are all striving to make it better, we
have the satisfaction of knowing, from the
testimony of leading educators throughout the
country, that the school system of the District of
Columbia looses nothing by comparison with
the long established systems of the cities of
the New England and Northern States.
Reasons that exist in New York or Chicago
for sending American youth to private rather
than the public schools do not prevail here,
for here every class, from the official circle to
that of the simplest citizen, patronizes them.
Nor do we have an ignorant or vicious popu-
lation to vindicate our schools to any extent.
Our colored schools are just as good as the
white schools, and some of the young men
and women graduates do themselves and the
school system honor in their chosen pro-
fessions''