New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-22
three millions now unemployed and the MIL
ions more whose wages have been redueeu
that the Wilson BILL whatever its percentages
may he means destruction for them
rTIr ERUOEITN SCHOOLS.

SUPERINTENDENT Maxwclls letter to the school
principals. and through them 10 tile whole corps
az school teachers Of Brooklyn. gave rude
and startling shock To the people of that cry
who have supposed their system of public edu-
cotion to he one of the best in the land
test II appears was recently made Of the pro-
ficrncy Of pupils in the first. second ana thi'i
grammar grades The subject of the examina-
ton was geometry. attention also being pald 10
the usc of language made in the written papers.
Probably no subjects could have been chosen
that would more thoroughly and justly reveal
The worth Of the instruction the pupils were
receiving than these. geometry and grammar
But the result of the examination Is one rs
Mr. Maxwell SAYS. upon which the schools can
not be congratulated
The examination papers came from Ia
classes OF these the papers Of only four were
found very good" twcntysiX good, ana Tor
tv-six fair" while fifty-f were ''poo", SIX
teen very poor" and twenty-five failures
A majority of the pupils apparently did not
know what an ObtuSc angle. or an i'osc""S III
angle. was: their methods Of demonstration
were clumsy and Indirect: they evidently Do
pended more upon parrotlikc memory than upon
their reasoning powers: and their use OF the
English language was inaccurate. slovenly anu
incohcrcnt to Il dcplorablc degree. These factS
indicate Enthusiastically that both in quantity ana
In quality the instruction given Is seriously al
fault. The children ore not taught many things
which they should be- taught, and they are
taught few if any things in the right manner
Unless Mr. Maxwell has grossly misreprrselited
the case, it is impossible to come TO any other
conclusion than this
The people Of Brooklyn are paying about
So. 600 900 a year for the education of about
100000 children in the public schools, or 500 n
year for each child If that is not enough, they
are willing 10 pay more. But whether they pay
more or less, they have right to require better
returns for their money than are Indicated IN
Superintendent Maxwcll's letter. They do not
ask that their children shall be taught all the
"isms' and "ologics" OF expanding science. or
that under careful coaching. they shall be able
10 turn out maps and drawings and essays that
will win admiration on some educational dress
parade They know. too. that the falthfu
school teacher IS one Of the harleSt-worked ana
most poorly paid members Of the community
But they have n right to demand that. so FAR rs
the teaching goes II shall be accurate ara
thorough: aud that, above all else. the children
shall be- taught Ia observe carefully. 10 reason
logically. and 10 express the results of their
mental processes in correct verbal form. If The
schools fail In these respects. they altogether
fail The brooklyn Board of Education will do
well To- take the subject of Mr.. MaXwclrs letter
seriously in hand for nothing. in the cduca-
tional affairs Of the city, could be more grave
and more urgent than the condition II reveals.