The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-11-02
CLERGY IND SCHOOLS.

An Interesting Address by Dr. Henry
 Barnard Before the Theological Semi
 nary. II.
 Dr. Henry Barnard delivered an in- formal address in Hosmer hall, Hart ford, Saturday morning, based on his early experiences in educational work. In addition to the students of the Theo- logical seminary, the audience com prised many of the seminary faculty, number of school teachers of the city, and friends. Dr. Barnard held the close attention of his hearers, who, In spite of his low voice, spared no pains to catch every word.
 "The Relation of the Clergy to the Public Schools" was the theme chosen by Dr. Barnard, although he said he should be unable to treat it as fully as he had intended. The school, he said, is not the gift of the state to the peo- pie, but has been the handmaid of the church from the beginning. In all ages the clergyman has been the adviser in educational matter for the community. The free public school finds its origin In the free endowed grammar schools or England. In Connecticut, while the state helped to support the schools from the beginning, yet in the early days the parents were always expected to con tribute to the endowment. This habit, pr. Barnard thought, should have been maintained. The sum required from each naraDt r,iobt wall ha yarvr e,,,o II
 perhaps not more than a dollar a year, and yet if the parents were obliged to contribute something directly to the schools it would increase the interest
 of the community in education and im-
 prove the work carried on by the
 schools. In the early days of Connec-
 ticut it was the clergyman who ex-
 amined teachers, visited schools, and
 largely composed the boards of school
 visitors.
 Even in these early days the ele-
 ments of our present educational sys-
 tenn, said Dr. Barnard, were in exist
 ence. Industrial preceded intellectual
 training and no child was allowed to
 grow up without a training for some employment or occupation. Religious
 instruction was also given, and by 1865 it had been provided that all children
 should be instrutced in some orthodox
 catechism. Instruction in the elemen-
 tary branches was given to each child
 and every one was able to read the
 Bible and write his name. Provision
 was also made for higher education
 and until Yale university was founded
 contributions were collected in differ
 ent towns to enable children to attend
 Harvard. Even professional training
 was provided for before 1865 The Hooker and Stone families were the first theological seminares of the state, and the leading physicians and lawyers instructed those who desired to follow those professions. In all these elements the clergyman was the directing force. At first the schools were connected directly with the towns, but as these enlarged the state became divided into districts, in each of which was an eccle- siastical society and a school society.
 Later, these school districts became in- dependent of either church or town, and
 this resulted in diminishing the ef- ficiency of the schools.
 Another step in the deterioration of
 the schools grew out of the settlement
 of the west land claims of the state
 at the close of the last century. A
 school fund of $2,000, 900 was secured,
 the income of which was used, not to take the place of the regular school tax, but to supplement it. As a result, at the beginning of this century the schools were very efficient. But soon the districts began to be enlarged and
 the taxes diminished until finally the schools had to depend almost entirely
 upon the income of the school fund for their support. The result was al- most disastrous. Many of the most efficient teachers left the state and the best people" took their children out of the public schools and placed them in private academies. In 1858 there | were in the public schools but three or l four children from the families of clergymen, lawyers, and physicians. l About this time Dr. Barnard and Dr. Gallaudet went from Hartford to an | educational meeting in Brooklyn, vis- | iting on the way as many of the
 schools as possible. Not one school did | they find which was properly ventilat- | ed. All were heated with the close box | stove. There were at that time only l h lew pIOpelIy Sdulppcu SCllOUl | in the state.
 | In closing, Dr. Barnard spoke of five
 elements necesasry in a good educa- | tional system. These are: Good educa- tional laws, which provide sufficient
 money to secure efficient teachers good | buildings; laws to secure the regular
 and continuous attendance of the | scholars for sufficient length of time; the grading of the school system, all leading up to the high school; and
 lastly, requisite provisions for the training of teachers. Under the fourth head Dr. Barnard said that in 1888 l there were but three public high schools in the country, while to-day ! hardly a single city is without school of high grade. Many of his auditors
 he said, will be on boards of education | These should give attention to the his torical study of education. Most of the audience were to enter the ministry ano they should all comprehend the relation | of clergymen to the schools.
 | SENAOR HAWLEY'S SECRETARY