The morning call., 1892-06-13
SCHOOL REFORM.

The department in our municipal govern
ment in which there is the greatest need OF
radical change is the School Department.
In respect 10 personnel there is little tauit
to fnd A good deal Of the money allowed
the School Department is foolishly though
honestly expended. The bulk Of ii IS swal-
lowed up in salaries to teachers and janitors,
WHO. in the main, are honest, efficient and
intelligent There are fewer sinecures in
the School Department than in any other,
and fewer salaries paid that are not fairly
earned. The radical faultof the system lies
in a mistaken course of study. The schools
attempt TO cover too much ground. The
Directors seem to forget that great ma
jority Of the pupils have but few years TO
devote to school. The course of study is
designed On the assumption that the pupil
is preparing for university education. a
New York contemporary, in discussing tine
departure of the schools of that city from
the original design Of the founders, says:
Every merchant, banker, editor or other per-
son who employs boys in his business knows
fIOm experience that the boys who come 10 him
from the public schools bring very little 10 Ills
service beyond more or less Timber legs with
such natural shrewdness as they may chance TO
possess. Their" education" bas not fitted them
IL h
read well or write we'll or SPEAK correctly None
| Of fhe results which school work should aim at
! has been attained.
The school course in this city, including
! primary and grammar grades, is nine years.
| The reports of the Superintendent show
/ that but small proportion of all enrolled
| complete the course. They generally go
! through the primary grades and fall out in
ret a
! grades. The reason often given by parents
| for taking their children from school is that
| the course Of study about that time be-
comes too diffuse. The average parent
wants his child 10 read well. write good
hand and figure" correctly. II parents see
| progress in these branches of study they
will make sacrifices TO keep their children
| at school But if they find that little time
| is devoted TO these fundamental studies
/ they become Indifferent as to whether their
/ children continue in school OF not IL the
! children have their living to earn, without
much help from family connections, it IS
deemed better TO put them where they can
learn something that viii help them in the
| business and industrial world. The journal
from which we have quoted says:
The KEY TO all knowledge is the ability to read
the pupils the first care OF The schools should be
to teach that arr and It's handmade, wiring, as
thoroughly as POSSIBLE IN The bTielest time, so
that if the pupils school course is cut short be
VIII al least carry away with him the instiu-
menis for seltedUcali0n. Yet as a matter Of
observed fact neither reading nor writing is well
taught iu the lower grades OF our schools, and
indeed both ale often very impeueetly taught
even 10 the higher grades IN order 10 learn 10
req d and np 10
much. The pupils IN our schools read nothing
but fixed lessons Of brief extent. he greater part
OF the tine being given 10 other things. As re-
suit they read badly in the lower grades, and
often even when they graduate. They have almost
no practice 10 eXtempOTaneous reading, though
in life that is The only reading that is generally
to be done.
1t cannot of course be expected that a
child whose school life is limited 10 four or
FIVE years viii be proficient in either read
ing, writing or spelling. But when The full
grammar course is taken the child should
not only be equipped in these branches.
! but have q fair knowledge of arithmetic,
/ English grammar, geography and history.
| As we have before said, a larger proportion
/ OF our public school pupils would continue
| through the grammar grades if these grades
continued TO make plain branches the pTin-
| cipal object Of study. But early in the
| grammar grades the ground is laid for the
/ higher education which but one child in a
! hundred ever receives. The insane idea Of
| establishing q line Of connections from the
primary school 10 the university is r5spOn-
| sible for this provision of the public school
! course. The many are sacrificed 10 the few.
/ More consideration is given to pupils who
/ can give ten or fifteen years to school than
! pupils who at the age Of i OF theTeabOuts
| have to grapple with the serious problems Of
! life