The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-02
THE QUESTION OF TINE SCHOOLS.
Merits and Deficiencies OF our System
OF Public school ETiucn tlOn.


To TUE EDITOR OF THE SrN,Sir: One OIL
your correspondents asks II pupils from the
psrochial schools are better than those from
the public schools. and in what way? | chr
answer that as to boys they 0rc better In pen
manship, arithmetic and spelling. among the
common branches.
He quotes young Catholic friends observa-
ton that morally those from parochial schools
are worse. Now. l have been Interested
In this question for fifteen years back and
my observations and investigations are that
the young men Of to-day. the parochlal school
boys, of thirty to twenty years ago are not
worse than those from the public schools, II
we except those almost incorrigibles who were
turned from The public schools and accepted
by the paroQhnl schools to try to do some
thing with them.
vi the present day boys whom ! have found
noticeable for good demeanor. | hay" always
been informed, on questioning that they came
have noticed positive evidence of serious
moral" superiority in them because OF ths
par9chal school teachings Of politeness and
obedience. Going to mass on Sundays. con-
fession and communion three or four times
year make them more honest. chaste. respect
ful toward superiors and lawful authority -
virtues which seem to he passing away among
our school children of the present day, who are
not incidentally instructed In their duty
toward God and man, and hence are only 700
ready to insist on rights and privileges and to
forget all about duties. with the consequences
of the strikes and lynchings of the day;
NEW YORK. July ~ OBSERVER
To THE EDITOR OF The SrrN--Sir: A good
many of your correspondents seem to incline
to the belief that Sunday schools are sufficient
for religious training I am Catholic My
two boys are going to the public schools. and
for their religious training they attend Sunday
school. There is one great objection TO Sun
day schools-the Incompetence OF the teach
ers. At times there are no teachers at all.
and when they are present they are OF such
calibre that it is almost useless to send to them
children for instruction. In my estimation,
religious training should not cease with the
simple rafting Of a catechism or prayers. and
OF course. most of our Sunday school teachers
knowledge OF religion ends there.
| am opposed TO private schools Of any kind;
but what are we to do? My Oldest boy has
Just graduated from public school, and ~ Is
profession. If | send him to high school
naturally his religious training Will cease. and
am not satisfied that tbs should De 80: , A.
BROOKLYN TO Sixteenth street in New York, 30
as TO give him all the benefits of our rel gion::
Fitted out with that. he can later on l S out
have done my duty
But this is all wrong. pay my taxes and In
arranging our schools we should make some
of his expenditures. l went TO school ia Ger
many. and our schools we're secular. We were.
Jews and gentiles, all alike But two hours or
the week were devoted to religion. The
Catholics went to one class room or rooms.
the .Protestants TO another and so on: The
various denominations would send their min
listers or priests TO give the proper instruction;
and we were all happy. If parent objected
TO his child's religious education he could 90
SO. and the child would be excused The
Government pays the ministers, &c. Tor their
services. In that way we could have secular
schools. and at the same time everybody could
have them to his own liking
Would il not he possible 10 remodel our
public schools after that fashion? | could
never see any objections to this system; Ana
II it can be done should go further. Let the
public schools be free from politics: appoint
teachers on merit only and abolish every pri-
vate school in existence good many nri-
waite schools are detriment to the education
Of the unfortunate children who are sent there
by well-meaning parents on account Of their
Incompetence and the Government should
prohibit them, one and all. ANABAsIS'
BnooKLYN, July %
To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: am very
thankful that can say that the Constitution
Of the United States reco gnizes no religion.
consequently any education given In schools
supported by the State must be secular.
II any religion wishes to tea oh its doctrine
10 the rising generation let the teaching be In
other places than the public schools.
The public school is supported rs 1t should
religious affiliations. If Catholics or Prot
estants desire % teach their children the Chris
tian religion, there is only one way to do it
let them build their own schools.
religion would it be2 In the United States
there are Roman Catholics and many varieties
Of protestantts. besides Christian SCIENTISTS
Quakers and the Salvation. Army. Should the
Salvation Army be taxed for the education of
children in the Roman Catholic religion?
Would not the Roman Catholics be up in arms
II II was proposed to tax them for education
by the Salvation Army?
In my opinion: every pssrocThial school is an
sttutions the public school. Such schools
are. erected on the Pharissse principle; II anu
hoier than thou" y. MCCARTHY.
NEW YoRK, July IS
To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: The neg
lect of the useful branches in our schools In
favor of the bean-in-a-pot style Of education
spoken of by one of your correspondents is
illustrated in my own experience. Two boys,
of 10 and II years OF age. respectively, act as
office boys. The former is constantly asking
Neither of the lads could make an interest
On lculation: each explained that he had been
TO a high school and hadn't had" arithmetic
for four years. How thoroughly must they
Neither one Of the youths can speak the
language clearly. and correctly. Both say
when replying TO an inquiry or command OF
n superior in the Office; yet they are bright,
wcll-ntentioned Young fellows But how
badly taught They may know how beans
sproIt and what Il fy's eye looks like under
strong microscope. but that doesn't count for
much in active competition for living. Let
the schools turn out pupils with some idea Of
accuracy ard earnest work, and the world will
do the rest for them in any line of life.
NEW YORK, July rs. BROKER.
To TIE EDITOR OF THE SuN-~Sir: Mr. John
F. Farley insinuates in 4 recent number Of
THE SvN that the success Of the large per-
centage of pupils from the Catholic schools
was in spite Of the system, leaving us to
draw the inference that the success of the
small number of pupils from thcpubic schools
was in consequence of the system.
OF course. any really educated man with
"unimpeachable integrity Of mind" knows the
value Of a sweeping assertion without scra;
of proof attached. But placing the question
on purely business basis II Is per cent. of tho
Catholic school children succeeded in spite
of the system" and only Is per cent. Of the
public school children succeeded in consc-
aurnCe Of the system, would II not be n profit |
able investment for the citys taxpayers to !
Increase The number of Catholic schOOls1
MIR Farley might do well to ponder over |
l., q, k-t,, IL 10