The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-26
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To THE EDITOR OF THE suN-Sir. In THE Sun
Of a week ago. "A Veteran Teacher" takes ex.
ception to some changes that have been made in
the course of study in our public schools. He
divides all the studies Of the course into essen
tials and non-essentials; the essentials being
reading, writing, gramma and composition,
arithmetic. geography, and history; but just
what the non-essentials are he does not tell us
explicitly. His emphatic remarks" arc dt.
rected toward two OF the non-essentials. oc-
cupying one-fourth OF the pupils time" One,
the teaching of French and German. the other,
manual training. of which he makes ridiculc.
AS to tho first OF these he is right; as to the
second, he is about as far wrong as 1t is possible
for any one to DO. 1t is true that the time spent
in our upper grammar grades in teaching
French and German is utterly wasted, and It
might DO added that 1t is sometimes worse than
wasted. i have never yet heard OF the class
that liked its lesson In French or German. The
subjects are always regarded az bores. The plea
Is sometimes made that by studying these
languages We learn to know our own better.
This may be true under some circumstances
but l am sure 1t is not SO in our grammn
schools. Again, 1t Is said that we want to pre-.
pare our boys to DO a nation OF traders, and par
ticularly in our own city. where the commercial
ihtS olV ~ IL IluCu Onptu
in this, first, because tho instruction given
amounts to nothing in tho way OF helping one to
speak or write the language huently; and, sec
ond. because of the facility with which q mer-
chant can hire q man able to speak and write
half a dozen languages. Then, too, if any Amer
lean finds urgent reason for learning another
language than his own, he Is always equal to
the task. He buckles right down to 1t and
learns 1t, and he will learn al much in one week
as q Grammar school boy will in four years. We
have a very good language of our own. and the
way to its correct usage beins narrow. few there
be that find 1t. And We owe 1t to our boys to
entrance, teach them patiently how to 20 in
thereat. and how to walk its course when they
have once set their feet upon 1t.
two so:called "non.essentiala" But what is
meant BY "essentialsf'. At the renaissance in
everything in human affairs took q now start,
the leaders in education were called humanists.
languages was the essential thing In education.
Then their own Language was added. Later on
training was SO strong that only the language OF
the subjects was studied. The language of
astronomy was studied while the sun. moon. and
thought to be essential. But the example OF the
humanists was SO powerful that the only sub
and tho words which named the relation Of these
tn Mn Today II is supposed that we have put
is possible the Object Itself is BROUGHT INTO the
classroom, 10 be studied and used for illustra-
ton, Not only is it SO studied and used. but the
with their own senses. We have gone one step
further at the present time in requiring. or rather
in permitting. tho pupils TO make the objects or
things. or to make q picture OF them. and this is
manual training. They make cubes from oak
tag and then study them and draw them; they |
make miniature continents out of paper pulp or
clay: they reproduce in, clay. the wonders of
nature from q study of the thing itself. or hap
PLY employ themselves in making u representa-
ton OF these objects. and very much more. but
NATURALIZATION.
The best demonstration Of the advantages of
the training that can be afforded is to be obtained
der the direction of an intelligent and enthusias.
tic teacher. The work is a high pleasure 70 the |
pupils. The interest they feel shows itself in !
every possible way. And we feel. or some of us
at least feel. that we are doing them good ser. !
vice in training not only the mind. but tho |
senses: through which the mind is best reached
All children have a natural desire TO do some.
thing; They want to use their hands as well az
their heads, and they like to do this under di. !
too. Their zeal and earnestness are not
lessencd by the fact that they are ali making !
me same thing. On the contrary. a spirit Of
healthy emulation is cultivated. and each one is
this opportunity as no other study can. because
OF the interest the pupils taks in their work.
AS TO its taking time from other studies. which
really are essential. careful statisticians find
that pupils make surer and more rapid progress
by having manual training. When
in mental culture arithmetic and history are
OF manual work. there is more, certain and
more rapid progress than would be possible
il: Manual training is not a mere
stay. This we should recognize. and If we nut
half as much intelligence and earncstness in
2 II tea.hing OF manual work as we give TO
will be the better for it. A RECRUIT.
NEW YORK. Feb. 81.