Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1897-10-13
Whole Number, 800.
THE SCHOOL QUESTION.
Heufarmer ReC1teS More Facts
Concerning the System.

Some weeks ago L threw down the
gauntlet on the school question. Has
the system in vogue in Atlantic County
no champion brave enough to accept
the challenge? Only one response was
heard. and that ringing call for re-
formation. Why no Others o ye
parents, teachers and trustees, are: ye
absolutely STEPPED in apathy Ii SO
the Henfarmer will shake you till you
wake.
| acknowledge Mr. Johnson's correc-
ton. In this case memory was at fault,
but in the main | stated only facts. The
general impression seemed to be that |
was rejecting upon the salutatorian.
Far from it. The fact that a student so
bright and SO determined as she. re-
quired five years in which to do the
graduating work, reflects the highest
honor both upon her and upon my
successor, and shows that Smithviile
has not yet reached the level to which
other schools have sunk.
Did | say much before? / will say
more now. This County is full of
graduates who can spell but few of the
words in common use, who can scarcely
write a good English sentence, who
cannot use decimals-the basis of per-
centage-who can not read a litei ary
selection or grasp the sense of news
paper article, who cannot keep country
store account, and who worst of e.
know nothing of the grandeur Off
national history. They know not-W-
should they know? Upon our district
schools is inflicted a system that only al
apathetic or falsely enthused eannsnunity
would tolerate. In our sixth and
eoron+b rooro (,nJ oiohtb u-hon tWn
years are taken for advanced work. we
are doing ninth, tenth, eleventh and
twelfth year work, as practiced in
schools under intelligent direction.
As | intimated before, children of nine
or ten years should be ready to begin .
third grade work, but third, second and
first grade work, as now given, should
occupy no less than five years, and
advanced course work should be left out
of district schools. The present course
eaters only to the phenomally bright
pupils, while the average pupil, who
constitutes the vast mej jority, and from
whose ranks the teacher, lawyer, doctor
or business man must come, is deprived
of his education. AS for the dullard,
well, he can only stay at home and saw
wood.
But graduates, like taxes, must be
levied and collected. Some conscientious
teachers, who cannot bear to MAIN for
life an intelligent, studious child, select
poor "SIowkins' for the sacrifice, shove
him through the examination and give
him his diploma, in which he feels not
the slightest interest-perbaps he drops
it into the rag bag, thence to be sold
this beautiful, expensive parchment, at
half a cent a pound.
Excuse me if my facts are not ar
ranged in logical order. | am very busy,
am writing untar extrn-salv -hio-h -Dres-
sure, and haven't trmo--
range my facts, but facts they are, To-
all that, and facts, | fear, they will
remain, unless our friends, the people,
rouse from their Rip Van Wrinkle sleep.
l wanted to say that the average
pupil can not be educated in grammar
school or high school work, because
| under our vicious system he can not be
properly taught in primary work. The
Henfarmer gloried in the epithet OF
"Iufant class teacher" All good spell
lers and readers are made so during the
primary years. The habits OF attention
and careful, correct studying, if not
| formed then, are never formed. The
child who does not then attain Fdpidity
accuracy and neatnesS In hgures, never
learns arithmetic. The child who is not
then taught the simple laws Of hygiene,
forms slovenly, misunderstanding habits
that cling to him through life. Ii his
observation is not then directed to the
simple facts of natural science that con-
stantly occur about him, he never
learns them at all. Yea, this is the
period in which to direct the mind into
the beautiful by-ways of literature, and
| to teach to the coming citizen glowing
lessons of patriotism.
have before me the Bergen County
course. Like ours it provides for about
| eight years, but it begins at the bottoI3
and builds upward. The last three year
| comprise about half the work outlined.
by our omnivorous course. All our
| advanced work and part of our gradu
| ate work are omitted. Those who rea
| pedagogical literature, know that thii
| Bergen County course, has a putation
| not limited by the bounds ofNew JeTsiy
Truly we have builded our hor
Jersey sands and put foundation
roof should be. BERIAH HENFdR
Leeds PoiAf, NJ