Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-06-25
THE CORVALLIS GAZETTE.
TUESDAY, JUNE 25. 1901.
ATTEMPTING TOO MUCH.

1he teachers 1lStltute neld III
Corvallis last week was well at
tended, and as such meetings go
was gratifying success. Yet the
trend of the instruction given
and the discussions had suggest
to a dispassionate observer that
the schools are attempting too
much; that they are not working
in their own proper sphere, and
that consequently the results OF
their work are not satisfactory.
These defects have been charg-
ed to the public schools in Ore
gon as we'll as elsewhere not
by their enemies but by their
earnest and devoted friends.
They are recognized by the most
experienced and intelligent super
intendents, principals and teach
ers and vaguely seen by many
others. 1t is in no fault finding,
hyper-critical spirit the GAZETTE
refers to these charges but rather
that all just cause for them may
be removed.
The time which the greater
number of children can attend
school is far too limited to at
tempt more than a rudimentary
knowledge of a few fundamental
and necessary subjects It is de-
sirable child should be taught
to read correctly and fuently, bit
not necessary that he should be-
come a skillful elocutionist. He
should write legibly and rapidly
but need not become an ornamental
penman; he should be taught to
compose correctly to the end that
he may write letters of business,
friendship, ETC., but he need not
become a thorough rhetorician;
he should be we'll grounded in
the fundamental processes of
arithmetic and their ordinary ap-
plication but no attempt should
be made to instruct him in extra
ordinary and fanciful applications
of it; he should be instructed tc
speak and to write dramatically
but need not acquire nice, crit.
ical knowledge of the language.
The time is too short, if there
were no other forbidding condi
tions. After a lifelong pursuit,
exhaustive knowledge on any
subject is attained by few and OF
a multitude of subjects by none
The greater number of child
rem in our public schools are des-
tined to become farmers, me
chanics OF tradesmen and tn
wives of these. They will Ell,
gage in the ordinary occupation
of life. Their lives will be givel
to the struggle for subsistence
and to winning a competency 70
themselves and families. It i
the province Of the schools t
inpart such training and knowl-
edge as shall be of practical valu,
to our children when they hav'
grown up and entered upon tn
activities of life.
The state, too, is interested il
that she desires her future citi
zens to be intelligent, industriou
and virtuous that they may b
ft1y qualified to assume the dutie
pertaining to American citizen
ship. She does not contemp1at
training the youth to become doc
tors and lawyers, but to becom
good citizens. When the school
attempt more than these thing
they wrong both the individua
and the state and go beyond thei
proper sphere.
The number and variety Q
subjects taught OF attempted t
be taught and the multiplicity O
textbooks used in the school
testify all too clearly that th
schools have undertaken to
much and by this means hav
been carried beyond their ow,
right lines Of educational en-
deavor.
A contemplation of the worl
undertaken, the ltra-philosophi
cal methods of instruction at
tempted and the elaborate an
expensive machinery employee
leaves little room for wondermen
that the youthful mind is cloye
rather than developed, and tn
average teacher confused and dis
couraged.
Results cannot be otherwis
than most unsatisfactory. VIII
should be satisfied? Not the bo
or girl whose time has been wast
ed in acquiring a mere useles
smattering of knowledge; not th
teacher who has labored faith
fully and arduously on lines pre-
scribed to her, let US say, by til
school machine, y not the parer
and taxpayer who, after Ions