New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-06

II + wise conclusion that has been voiced
by the women school-teachcrs Of this city In
their communication To the Board or Education
declaring that the requirements Of the prescribed
courses are such that they cannot le inelgeniy
and thoroughly met by the children In the al
loltcd time and asserting that under the bur
"drn of attempting the impossible positive In
"inry Is done To both pupils and teachers. This
letter calls attention 10 "A bcsettlng sin OF Amer
can education In general The Newiork public
schools only exhibit the defects common In
greater or less measure 10 public schools else
where. and no, entirely unknown to secondary
schools and colleges The prevailing ambition
81 institutions TO pose for something other than
they are often leads the academy TO Introduce
into It's curriculum studies properly belonging
to the college which are studied only super
Aciay. and are mainly Of use to give the cata
loyue fictitious dignity. Small colleges with
advanced university courses which are mere
travesty Of serious post graduate work and with
lectures which nomnally cover whole depart
ments OF knowledge, but really give not even
smattering OF the subject. are known TO every
body at all acquainted with educational affairs.
The spirit Of prctence and the equally dangerous
craze to know a little something about every
thing have reached the primary schools and re-
suited In the condition against which the New
York teachers protest
II has for years been growing evil, and.
though 1t has not passed unnoticcd and without
effort TO check the tendency. no adequate reac-
ton has taken place. 1t is time that the true
function Of primary public schools should be
understood That Is 10 give every child thor
ough grounding in the few simple rudiments OF
knowledge on which his own comfortable exist
cnce and his usefulness to the state largely de-
pend. We do not need to enter into the ques-
ton Of the propriety OF higher education at STATE
expense. The simple fact must be faced that the
majority Of children cannot obtain anything
more than common school training. They are
entitled to receive that thoroughly. They should
learn 10 read write and spell, to have an lntclli-
gent conception Of geography and prnctlca!
knowledge Of arithmetic That Is the prime
necessity II In addition they can get some hints
Of science well and good; but such study should
not interfere with the teaching OF the simpler
branches, nor II undertaken, should 1t consist
NJ snatches Of different sciences, the basic prin-
cIples OF no one OF which are lastngy and intel
lIgently acquired II the pupil Is taught to read
and write and cipher" and taught In the thor
ouch and reasonably leIsurely way which gives
him mental discipline and trains him to think,
he will easily acquire knowledge Of other sub
jccts which either his tastes or his necessities
may lead him to desire. II he goes spshod
over the primary lessons. or IL compelled to
"cram" them unlntelligently or to lumber his
mind with undigestcd Information on many top
ics he Is left without an adequate common
school training and with a mind weakened for
pursuing higher studies.
The results Of such forcing are seen In every
college class. A census OF the number Of boys
who are deep In Greek and psychology and who
cannot write a correct English paragraph or
readily 20 through a simple mathematical proc
ess would amaze one who was not familiar with
the collegan's cruditles. 1t Is not his fault. The
trouble lies with the system Of his early teach
Ing He was bright Instead OF studying com
mon branches he was encouraged to learn a
little astronomy, bit OF chemistry, how to
hammer out fossils from the rocks, and hun