The Monitor-register., 1896-02-07
LETTER BOX.
Some Hints I'm tn 9 Line OF Public Edu
cation,

LETTER BOX.
some Hints I'm tn Line OF Public Edu.
cation.
| MR. EDITOR R:-School-teaching forty years
ago was altogether different from what it is
| now. The qualifications required for q
| schoolmaster were few in those days as COM
pared to what the teacher of the present day
| has to pass through, under the present enact
| ment OF the public school law. All that was
| required in the old-time schoolmaster was
| that he should possess fair education and
| disp ositlon to rule, this latter quality be-
ing considered the main essential. And then
to get school. His success in this line de-
| pended almost altogether on his being q
relative of one of The trustees, or otherwise
being closely connected with one or more
of the school board, and he was sure to get
the position of teacher.
| In those old times, and the practice is still
| in vogue at the present day with some teach
| ers, though not near so much now as then
the pupils were required to speak pieces, as
| it was called. and at the close of the school
| an entertainment was given, known as
| school exhibition, consisting of recitations
| dialogues, etc. These entertainments were
very popular at the time, and were largely
| attended. 1t is of this school exhibition that
we wish to speak in this communication and
| show what it really amounts to and the
| actual benefit derived, both morally and
| intellectually, together with the advantages
| or disadvantages that may result to the
| school. To start with, the object of this drill
or exercise of the scholars to so prepare him,
by relieving him of that embarrassment that
| usually occurs in speaking in public, that in
t0f
| public gathering and discuss the matter be-
fore the meeting, the same as he would in
| ordinary conversation. This we assume to
| be the main object. These exercises are
attended, of course, to some extent, by
amusements.
Oratory is the main object in view, and
now let us look at the matter further and see
what this object, Oratory, really is. AS de-
fined by Webster, it con sists of four essen
tials, the main one being invention. Now,
is there anything in a pupil committing to
memory selection, and reciting 1t either to
an audience of persons or to the waves of the
sea, that creates one iota of invention9 Is
IL not all matter OF memorizing, and could
not this memorizing be employed to better
nseP Could not q knowledge of the other
essentials of Oratory-pronunciation d1spo.
slt1on and elocution-be obtained without
| recourse to the task of memorizingP The
writer fails to see that this exercise brings
out anything in the pupil except memoriz-
Ing, as the other qualities could be obtained
more easily in an entirely practical manner
When it comes to embarrassment If there is
no invention, an entire absence of embar-
Fassment avails nothing. In other words,
II you arise to speak and do not know any
thing to say, your efforts are an entire fall
ure. "A person must have knowledge him
self before he can impart it to others. To
sum the matter up. when we consider the
time spent in preparing for school exhibit
tion and the interference to the regular
studies-tor, in spite of all precaution to the
contrary, the most of the interest is centered
In this one object-the odds are fearfully
against encouraging anything of the kind in
our public schools. For it is the writer's
experience as q teacher, nearly forty years
ago, that on two occasions, at least, during
the time of preparing for the entertainments,
the school was sadly interfered with in spite
OF every effort to avoid it, and this same
result has been noticed in other instances
by other teachers.
And now, concerning the matter of being
able to express our views in public. The
writer feels justified in saying that it is one
OF the most important matters to-day of a
common school education, and one so essen
tlaF at the present time when there is so
much political corruption! oh if we could
get up before our fellow-men, and tell how
we feel, in an Intelligent manner. about
these terrible wrongs The question will be
asked, What will cultivate this most desira-
Bile attainment, if the matter referred to does
pot accomplish it? just here must criticise
1Nnh in cnJrn
knows of no exercise or study Taught in our
common schools that has a particle of bear
ing on this matter. What is wanted, it would
seem, Is no more nor less than debate Let
the pupil take the most simple subjects at
first, and be required to advance some argu-
ment or reason, either for or against, how
ever simple it may be at first, on some
particular question, and then let some other
pupil in the class offer some opposite rea-
sons. Of course it would be very difficult at
first but, once started, it would not only be
the most pleasurable exercise for the pupil
in the whole line of studies, but 1t would be
the most useful
We will conclude our article by looking at
the whole matter from moral point of view.
including in the specification, School Exhf-
bition, Sunday-school exhibitions as well
The Sunday-school exhibition of forty years
ago is indeed a thing of the pass. Such an
entertainment now would not indeed draw
an audience of fifty people outside of those
directly engaged. at this time and day an
entertainments of this kind, employing home
talent, has to be carried to the opera house
and placed on regular stage in front OF the
feotligkts amid the glare and Hash of stage
scenery, SO that all the stage machinery can
be made available. Add to this stage COS
tunes, and we have what the average public
require at the present period in school
entertainments. And this is right, so far as
the public is concerned. 1t is simply prog
ress.
The writer wishes to state that no one
appreciates the stage and opera more shan
he, nor so much laments the deterioration of
the stage. Who is TO take the place of a
Booth or Forrest, men who have done so
much in this particular line of enlighten-
ment and intellectuality2
But, while this respect is due the stage is
it right fs 1t the correct thing, morally
speaking, to take young and susceptible
children at a tender age onto the stage of an
opera, amid all the glare of stage parapher-
MALTA (Which 10 perfectly right, If understood)
there to be made an exhibit and show? Is 1t
the correct thinge CITIZEN.