The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1902-01-16
Frank Taylor.

graduate from a grammar school next
year. She is young woman of aver
age intelligence, and yet she does not
seem to have the least idea of the con-
jugation OF q verb. She hasn't the
least idea OF what is meant hy the in
dicative mood, the subiunctive mood,
the present tense, the perfect tense, the
future tense, etc. l have given her q
passage to read out of the great English
classic (the Bible) and she can not pro-
nounce Antioch, and she utterly fails
after repeated effort to pronounce the
word accusation" She does not
know the word.
A short time ago a youth II years uf
age, who had graduated at city gram
mar school, asked me to recommend
him for a situation. l asked him to
write an ordinary letter, which he did,
making two mistakes in grammar and
four in spelling. And yet he is a youth
of unusual intelligence.
l have recently examined school
girl between Is and 10, who will also
graduate next year, aud while she is
fairly acquainted with the history of
America, she has not the slightest idea
who Cicero was, or the Duke of Vel
lington or Lord Macaulay. She assur-
ed me that she had never heard of them.
She had heard of Julius Caesar, hut
when | asked her if lie had heen an
emperor in Asia or king of England,
she said she had not the least idea ho
he was. She had heard of William, the
Conqueror, but she had no idea why he
vas so called.
In reply TO the question AZ tn what
she read in school she said she Ind
read Longfellow's "Evangeline" three
times. But she had never read any
1 history except that Of the United States.
Ard yet this girl in of much more thsn
average intelligence.
l quite recently asked 10, If 10
who had graduated at grammar school
last summer, to read about twenty
words out of an ordinary book and 10
made three mistakes in reading. q
knew absolutely nothing Of the grogra
ply of the world except that of Amrri.
ca, and he seemed quite proud Of the
fact that he knew all about his own
country and absolutely nothing about
any other.
The canse Of this condition of things
is not very far to seek. The classes in
our grammar schools are enormously
large. Usually teacher has to instruct
class Of fifty children. And In addj.
ton to this there seems to be no thu
ough system OF inspection.
have Ieen frequently asked TO coM
pare the public school system Of this
country with the school board ~ stem
of England and the grant-in aid system
of India. But they do not admit 81
/ comparison. In Great Britain the pc, =
pie are taxed for the education If the
1 poor, and no BlitiSher who can afford
= TO send his child TO some other sclta
than that of the "school board" vi
, ever think of educating them at III.
I public expense. In this c0untr, il a.
: altogether different. Our public sch, 81,
: are not CHARITY schools" They AZ,
4 what their name implies, schools kel
! up by taxation Of the public for childrt
Of the citizens of the country. Aud il
/ seems to me that the mistake which Is
A made in our grammar school system u
education is that they attempt t.
/ much. There should be a general uu,
thorough instruction in reading, wit
u ing and arithmetic as we'll as in the -,
| ography aud history Of the whole Wuial
+ Then in the high school only such lu,
8 and girls should be admitted hoe
: pass favorable examination.
V what is the use of attempting to give
It higher education to child ho ha, Il,
t the mental capacity, to Say nothing q
u the ambition" necessary TO nnkc al
O educated man or woman?
!, Gee DIR Miles NERVE PIAsTERg tor 81 INA!
u WEAKNESS Al druggIsts sell tm Tor ss,S