New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-17

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exceptionally >lD~ pupils. tiah 1" i.'h Ilv rui H.
eiadts and shorten II iof ne ~, in.r ch,tir.m
Is - much greater cfucat mai iilu-u'c V''' "".s
Ing the Incapable. Tie programme ,iouid D. 80 I,
stiucted give ali possible chances "a 800 '-,
the greater evil Without altering the hoI'i,a, w.
Of the programme In years, graf Sl3iiellns "a ,e
BY permitting the capable ones Ia d" TWO Year. M1'
In one. heard grammar,choll m,,'' t,a MY
one quarter of the pupils In his school (WHICH %
.hou $50 cbldrenl were successfully accOmpli hing
this double task. such a statement opens a 'hccIui
vista for one VINO deiies 10 the grdnlti'I-cOVI
| cour,e both shortened and enriched.
reducil On, in the volume and variety Of the present
| studies The first rrcat reduction should. | believe,
be made in arithmetic. find that IL Is very c2mni3n
from one eighth TO oncsxth If the whole school Time
cor nine or ten years: In many own a,H Mi
| one Of pcrhap. 100 pages followed by larger mo
Of two or three hundred pages Now t!e small po S
needs TO know; indeed much more tian most oi rs
ever usaD Before body Of experts Ike tn, " were
superfuOus to enlarge III this pnoposton ON grounds
OF utility geometry and physics have stronger claim,
than any part of arithmetic beyond tle cement, ui"
! By the contraction Of arithmetic rom Is made ior
| secondly, language studies, including reading writ
ing spelling grammar and literature, occupy from on
third to twohs Of most grades programmes ne, ngrG
is ample here for the Introduction OF te opoha
study Of foreign language; ancient or II. uern d,
the fourth nfth grade. Here 1t IS 10 be Observed
that nothing Will be lost English by the Introduction
| Of foreign language
Thirdly, geography is now taught chiefly rs mem.
DRY study from books and fiat aliases and much time Is
given TO committing to memory masses OF iic,, wrlcn
Cannot he retained and which are Of little value II
| retained BY grouping physical geography WIN
natural history and political geography Win history
and By providing proper Mace ior msd M much
new and interesting geographical instruction fTIity
~ 'i sa Isv o II the Which in many towns
and cities is found in the last grade ms subject Is
doubtless included IN the grammar sonGo ysr hnt
believe It to be the most useless subject IN the ennre
programme for the that the bookkeeping taught
| Is a kind of bookkeeping never found In any rrai
| business establishment. .o. en-,
| reducf:ons which NAV he conveniently made in some
Of the present subjects in order to effect shorehhs
| of the present grammarschOOl programme Ny heNI
topic is dver,ifyng and enIiching it, The most con, ,o
plete statement Of the subjects proposed for tc
As,ociaton Of COLLEGES in New Ensand at their meet
ing at Brosn University last November. Ihit aa'o-
Ccrtain cSanrns in the grammar school programme
| which il recommended for gradual adoption. Tic
duCtion OF elementary natural history into the earlier
years of the programme. TO be taught by dem2i,,L"
lions and practical exercises rather than nom bo'AN
The second recommendation Is the Introduction VI
elementary Plyc, into 90 the later yTalS G l nnG
| 10 include exact weighing and measuring DS "'c
1The thiTd and fourth recommendations cover The
| Introduction OF algebra and geometry at TIE age III
The ffth is the Offering Of opportunity g study
French German or Latin, or any Two oil "'-'c al"
guage; from and aer the age Of len Cor shortening and
enr1chins tho granmarsciiooi couieo. want t. use
the rest of the time allotted to me ior DISCUSSING '''
| The first objection take up IS ne OBJECTION 10 a
reduction in the time devoted to atilli@IH MN ~,
teachers shocked at the bare dca OF Iciu'4ir ,
time given to arithmetic because ticy Mlct . tu.'
arithmetic affords peculiarly VALUABLE t'n,mg , a,d
| accuracy Of work. The fact l. however uhdt Hi'h
NAUTICAL reasoning is peculiar form Of logic which mas
vcry little application To life, and ne applct-
| ton al all in those great fields OF human ".hNiE
where perfect demonstration is not to be ohWncl "
| "A
make u'c Il mathematical reasoning. uis'ncr' -
far a. mathematical reasoning is it~ concerei variety
of subject IS very useful 10 the pupils me ,ub,u,u
ton Of algebra and geometry y part u me- anime
s , GieaF 3 gain to ie Pap g 20 lar a.
The second objection is that there are children 900
the grammar schools who are Incapable O., pa. -"iis
| these subjects. Assuming that ms acE4iIp' j.
true Of children. have 10 remark fr~i. NAT We
shall not know Till we have tined "ht pf'po'tul o'
children are ncapab. Of pursuing algebra, er'"r,T'
, physics and some foreign language bl the mc ,''
| are iourtncn years 4 age. II ], 'ur''- J." l"
we Americans habitually underestimate the 'il"cr Il
pupils at almost every stage Of enca a., i ine
Of attainment for the american cm6 or h lor SS
stnds Zen the mEa o%gr 'an the m
objection only 60 to show that Il wa be nee ''s
rigid sysemsome selection or choice Of s'udcr instead
of uniform requirement To discriminate tei1 ic4
suitable Instruction. and 10 advance each pupl WIN
appropriate rap dy will ultimately become, lclcve,
ministrator-tose functions in which he She will be
most servlceabe 70 families and To- the stat o,oo
,sndsrcw ' The dcm3cratIc th",ry-it is sald imple
equality among the children, uniformity # programme.
uniform tests for promotion, ana u" diNHoh' ~ IN
ned not ,y 30 this audience that thcc conceptions q
true democracy In school. are faiiaG1lN ana i1h a.
lace of by asserting that all children arr equal
in capacity or that all children are 1k" ani ,h'nh
well as Of the individual that every individual ,hld
| peculiar gifts and powers should be dcv'lpicd ana
trained to the highest degree Iicrcc. IN The public
schools Of a democracy the aim should BE- g. give the
utmost possible amount of individual instruction. -
II teachers and their Strength and ,Ai viii permit AID
10 promote pupils, not by battalion. bat ia the mot
Irregular and individual way possible. - IA f. 30
the changes proposed being Of ar.socaiir tendency,
they are really essential to truly democratic school
system; for they must be adopted and carried l.'
effect before the children Of the poor can obtain g'i
access with the children Of The rich 10 the bet cdu'
ton they are capable o. wnacvcr the Iadc 81 lh'
education may be- The Amciiean s,aH,maI -c .,i
programme now actually prevents an Intelligent cind
| right age. We all know that uat age j, y'rr carl,.
rom beginning the study Of algebra ard geometry a.
the right age; IT mltc' II imp's'ib" i)f iim - ct
| II boy is - the high school. hc lO.e- TINT
chance forever under our present system. If he 3,
In much TOO late The poor boy In The rntod state
| should have good chance a the child Of a rich
ciaiacter and powers fit him TO receive. Sci t!c
existing grammar school programme actually prevents
the poor boy from getting that chance. The rich man
obtain for his children suitably varied courN"
OF rr,a or Followed we'd, .d i bn te mmcml 5ny
| American children are confined t. the limited.
uniform. machine programme Of tn. graded grammar
,chO0l. democratic society mi-l-d
| us own interest than supposng such proelHmm" so
lie for the Interest Of the MISSES The grades
to fifteen are an obstruction to the rise through
cratic society Of the children Who ought 20 r.'. Uni
| formity f. the curse of American schools That any
| school college has uniform product should be
caIdod ~ demonstIa ion of nferonty-oi incapacity
TO meet the legitimate demand, Of social OIdc who's.
fundamental principle IS Ihat every career hpuI BE-
Open TO talent selection Of studies for the individual
instruction addressed to the individual Irregular pro
| motion. grading by natural capacity and Iapdity Of
attainment diversity Of product regards ana
acquisitions must come to characterize the American
| public school If II Is to answer the purp0,., ~
| democratic society. II is further alleged MAT the
changes proposed chiefly for the advantage of the
| well TODD children, whose education j. to J." CARED
| hevond the grammar school TO the high stool and
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