The times., 1897-05-26

much more satisfactory. tits veryApt to
be the case that the brightest pupils in the
1 public schools do not amount to anything,
while the quiet, dull scholar, or the little
monkey who is always i'll mischief, makes
his mark in the world. Are we to suppose
that education doesn't educate, or that en-
tirely different attributes are developed
III later life?
In a room OF fifty pupils, all of the same
age, the grade must be laid out FOR either
the bright, the slow, or the average pupil
In the firsf case the slower scholars are
dragged over more work than they can
understand, and become discourased;iu iu the
second instance tie bright pupils don'thave
half enough work, and become indolent; in
the third, both the other evils are included
You cannot put fifty children in cue room,
and give each one all the work he can do
and no more without favontisrn So there
is loss of the pupils time, and a strain ON
the teachers nerves in maintaining diiscip-
,
things all around.
Under the annual promotion system each
childis judged not by the average OF work
done during the year, but by proficiency in
examinations, and anybody who has ever
been in school knows that examination
cramming often takes the place of whole
terms work. Mr.. Shearer would substi-
tute for the examination system, prone
tion by the monthly average, which pro-
instead uf nervous strain at the end OF
the year. This he says, lis a careful
diagnosis at frequent intervals in order
TO apply the proper remedies The other is
d laundering post-nlortem TO learn the
cause Of death"
MIR SheareT's second original suggestion
is that i'll essential studies. the pupils or
all grades be divided into several small
classes, OF from eight to twenty, thus max
ing it possible to reach individual pupils
In less essential studies ali the pupils in
each room may he cIassed together 1t
might be said that the subdivision plan
increases the number of recitations which
the teacher is obliged to hear. But, on
theot hand, it is much easier and takes
much less time TO teach lesson TO half a
dozen children who are ready for it than
it does to teach the same lesson to twenty
five, two-thirtls Of whom are not ready
for it. The teachers who have tried this
new method say that they are no longer
forced to be pupil-drivers, but can be
teachers in every sense or the word The
new plan OF grading solves the problem
ofthe misclievous boy, by giving him some
thing to do; accompiishes the same work
in much less time SO far as bright pupils
are concerned, in no longer time for the
average pupil, while the stupid one. who,
under the old system was obliged to take
two years tc complete one years work,
moves at the rate of a year and half for
the same work, and undersia ads 1t as lie
goes along.
Whatever advantage can lie gained from
numbers is stin retained. but there is no
advantage in large classes in any study
which requires inueh explanation OF iginal
work Explanations can never be made
to fit large class, and the teacher has
no time to study the individual or 10
direct individual work. In short, the
methods outlined in Mr.. Sheare1's article
are calculated to make men and women,
ana not machines; and, as Providence 1
and women, and 10 think for themselves,
he may be considered as assisting Provi-
dence, which is more than can toe said
for some other educational leaders