The herald., 1894-11-11
M1CHINE EDTC4TION.

Il Il
There have been some notable utter
ances lately against machine methods
of educstion-that is, the relentless and
remorseless system OF grading now in
vogue through the country. In the pri-
mary classes or grades it is not easily
seen how this herding and classifying
can be avoided, but the extension OF 1t is
something that should be fought against.
Mr.. Warner, in Harper's Editors
Study, tells how the educa tional
machine has been drawing many old
private schools and academies Unto it's
revolving and olatter," attempting to
finished product with hardly break"
and to deliver the result with dispatch.
pasted and folded for circulation in
society,"" From the same article we
further quote: Many old schools re-
ferred to above, have been absorbed in
to the machine and made the finish
ing shops of the graded system. Many
OF them were old foundations with tra-
ditions, having a distinctive character
and a permanent fund. In these old
academies were educated many of the
men and women who have been most
distinguished in our day in letters. law,
politics and theology. They had GER
tain independent, stimulating life. They
did not demand so much, or rather, not
30 many things, but they had a high
| NJ nd
education they gave was q training for
life for which those who experienced it
always look back with gratitude. They
had individuality, which to lose is to
lose something very valuable in expeT-
fence and memory" There were poor
teachers in these old schools many
times and very small provisions for
technical education in the way OF appar-
atus; but poor teachers were not
long tolerated, whils gifts from
friends came to help on the school
equipment. In the main the teachers
in these old schools had themselves
been largely educated in them. and
thus knew the field and all its needs and
opportunities. They were the insprers
of ambitions OF the young men and
young women who came under their
care. There never were before such
teaching and such learning as were
found in the old country academy of
half century ago. And today score
OF them can be recalled as having been
the centers OF intellectual life such as is
! ohn nol toI la 70 ho
graded high school.
Harper's Magazine, in several articles,
has been urging a renaissance OF the
old fashioned school as "a development
founded OF experience and Huited to the
capacities and positions OF the great va.
riety OF scholars-an open door into q
life where talent and character can be
sure of influence. Teachers who hesi-
tate to enter in may reflect that there is
not an academy or school OF the first
! class which has notable man or woman
| at the head OF it that is not besieged
/ with applicants for admission"
As there never were in early days any
schools at all comparable with the fine
old academies, cay of New England and
the Atlantic bordering states, so there
never will be again such schoolsf outside
OF the spirit of policy which created
them. The "high school" - az the
upper grade of the machine system is
called-has never, in any community, :,
quite answered the demand made upon
it. There lie no sure wav to secure good
tao AD1,
can have, while the blight OF
machine methods, inevitable and in
herept in the whole system, is
upon them. This is not said without
the sncereat sense of what the saying
of it involves. Unsatisfactory in the
beginning the higher grade of the COM
J mon schools has not only not answered
the claims and expectations, but it has
not improved. The curse of the polit-
ical clutch is on it, as it's fret Danger,
and in every way it cutters from man
agement" that is wholly inconsistent
with getting the beat results in finish
ing education or in fitting students for
the college. The cost, too, OF this grade
OF schools is tremendous, when one
takes into account the small percentage
OF scholars who graduate from it. No
one doubts that the grammar school
grades should be literally provided for
every child. and most of us would urge
compulsory attendance in these; for the
beneti: is universal, and it ia the very
best provision that can be made for the
masses OF younger children. But when
We pass beyond this grade into what is
known as the high school grade we find
different state OF things. Only small