The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-05-27
Public School Teaching.

the children n1 In" pnhlIt
Il schools bv reason of present
day rurrrulums. fabs ana
methods forced on teachers and pupils,
continues to he n burning topic of dis
vuSsinn in all sections OF this land
We find the st Louis Star saying
that "thC complaint that the public
schools are not fulfilling their lunc-
ticns is growing in volume every year
and IL docs seem tha, school boards
and professors would better take heed
of the warnings and set themselves to
work to reform matters" adding that
the schools attempt too much and as Il
consequence teach nothing thoroughly.
our st. Louis contemporary refers to
the address of Edmund Clarence Sted
man to a society of New York teach
crs. from which we have already
quoted. when it was delivered two or
three weeks ago. The Gist of what he
said is we'll worth giving again, in the
stars abstract of it this time. Its alb
stract is prefaced by the reminder to
its readers that Mr.. Stedman is both
poet and business man, and therefore
knows whereof he speaks, He has
employed many boys and was glad to
say that many of them had become
successful busincA men, but that that
did no, alter the fact that nearly all
of them were de'ijient in knowledge of
their own tongue when they entered
his employ. They were fairly quick at
figures. as "A rule. but hardly one had
n clearly formed handwriting and few
were even tolerable spoilers"
From Mr.. Stedman's standpoint the
star goes on to Say-We quoted his
language fully at the time--thc boys
10 waste their time on arts and
'ulogies," to the neglect of the very
foundation OF an education in their
own mother tongue. 1t then quotes his
. remark, which our readers will recall,
that If he had direction of the schools
he would pay extreme respect to the
three RS"
Adds our st. Louis contemporary on
its own account, and most truly. "the
hoy or girl who emerges from the COM
mon schools with thorough knowl-
edge of reading, writing, arithmetic,
grammar and geography has an edu-
cation that will fit each and either of
them to tackle every problem of life
even To tho requirement of every
branch of higher education either at
home. in the high school or any of the
colleges or universities of the world"
Eut the thorough knowledge ot
crammar' will &ave to come from
different methods of instruction than
the menurlHinS-as examination
iimo--uf text book paragraphs and
rules. If grammar were taught prac-
tically, scnsibly. the ear would not be
continually panied by hearing schoo
graduates remark; Between YOU anc
IT, for between YOU and me-; He gave
II To she and l." for gave it to her anC
me; and similarly constructed sen
fences, as is tho case every day.
Neither will good spoilers be founc
by MI Stedman or any other busineS.
man while the present fad for tcachinl
reading without the aid OF the spellinG
book continues The commercial col
lcGes in teaching stenography anc
INNeNrltlng DO not undertake To max,
mp the spelling deficiency in pupils VIII,
com9,to them, and the numbers of mis-
spelled words in large proportion %
the tpeWritten letters sent out from
offires and counting rooms, when tn,
professional or business man has no
himself revised his assistants" worl
is a sad commentary on the neglect o
"the. .three RS" They ought, as Mr.
Stedman SAYS, to have the "eXtrem
respect shown them which is now $,
decidedly neglected.
BN,the way, let us add once more /
Is not the teachers--who are under ar
bitrary rule themselves to carry on
all the fads and try to teach the "art
and 'ologies'-who are to blame. 1t /
not they who stuff curriculums.
: ---
ToSaS will soon feel qualified NJ