The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1903-04-04
Education and School Discipline

Education and School Discipline.
Prof. Ira Remsen, of the Johns Hopkins
University, on Friday afternoon of last week
delivered lecture on Education" at the
Arundel Club, Baltimore, in which he COM
mented on some difference between the edu-
cational training of today and that OF an
earlier generation, and in conclusion sug-
gested some of the changes that may be made
in collegiate work within the next few years.
Too much coddling, unnecessarily long vaca-
tions and the great completely of the courses
at present, he said, are responsible for some
of the unsatisfactory results that characterize
the general education at present.
Parents were too prone, he said, to protest
that their children were being overworked,
and neither in school nor out of it, he de-
clared was the discipline vigorous enough to
develop the strength of character needed in
actual life.
The modern system of education, DR.. Rem
sen said further, fails to give skill in the use
of the mother tongue-a defect which he
characterized as one of the most fragrant in
the whole system.
In conclusion DR.. Remsen summarized the
modern changes in requiem ents in collegiate
work, saying that the present time was one OF
transition. He predicted either shortening
or modification of the collegiate course 10
permit entrance upon professional or other
life at an earlier period in the life of a man
or woman than is possible under present con-
ditions.
1t is TO be regretted that the Baltimore
press did not give Prof Remsens lecture in
FULL as the subject of education is one of great
Importance and Prof Remsen has given utter |
ances, so far as can be judged by the short 1
notices of his lecture, that must meet with /
responsive sentiment with all heads offamilies /
who were educated thirty to forty years ago. /
The public schools then had not driven acad- /
emies and private schools out of business.
Some of the academies were competent to 4
give as thorough an education the best col /
leges now are, and in much shorter time, and 4
the discipline was most excellent A student /
was given a thorough course in English, |
taught to spell words, pronounce the syliables /
and give the definitions. Spelling is part |
of the studies in the public schools today, but /
the pupil repeats the letters without reference |
TO syllables and is not required TO give the |
meaning, as no definitions are given in the /
books. The completely Of the courses, the |
division into numerous grades and the new /
tangled grammars. biographies and arithme-
tics are all calculated to appal and discourage /
students No child ought TO GO 10 school /
regularly before eight years Of age. To grad /
uate at d high school requires about ten years
for the student of average capacity Then /
four years more are required to complete
college course, and If profession Is desired /
three years, at least. are required. bringing /
the student up TO twenty FIVE years, when all /
the courses should be completed q, the age Of
q or %
Forty years ago most students had acquired /
a good education at the age Of seventeen or |
eighteen and the education included higher |
mathematics, Latin aud Greek and sometimes I
German, as well As covering English and in
termediate studies Then schools closed the /
last Friday in july and reopened the first /
Monday in SEPTEMBER vacation OF sbout 4
five weeks-and there was about week holt /
day at Christmas. Now schools and colleges /
are open less than eight months. Frequent /
holidays during the school year tend to make /
discipline lax, and the long summer vacation 4
is apt to make small children forget much 1
they had learned the preceding school year. 4
Prof Remsen thinks that earlier methods /
OF education had some advantages over the I
methods of today. In this most heads OF 1
families will agree with him. In the long
past children were Taught nov teachers are
mostly bearers Of lessons-paFents usually
have to do the teaching This II due in
many cases because Of having too many
pupils in a school The school books OF /
forty years ago were comparatively easy
for children 10 understand Many in use to-
day seem especially designed to mysiiiy the /
student This is particularly true Of grammar,
arithmetic and geography. In the latter study |
the United States Is divided into eight or ten
divisions by the scientific and hair split
ting authors of Biographies. We no longer
have the plain Mississippi river, but the Mis-
souri, Mississippi. In grammar the division of /
nouns, pronouns and verbs is appalling to the /
student, and in arithmetic foolish and i'm
practicable examples are given TO puzzle, /
annoy and discourage children.
The alleged advance in educational methods /
we regard as a step backward. Il would seem
useless to teach child to spell words unless /
the definition be required also. A large part /
of the frst book in geography could be well |
omitted, as children are required TO learn OF |
insignificant rivers, capes, &c. About one |
half of the English grammars ought to be cut /
out, or the more simple and just as efficient |
books of the past Substituted; and the asi,h |
meries are too complicated and mystifying
Colleges, as noted above, are not open |
more than eight months in q year, and the |
minds of students are diverted BY society |
meetings, society entertainments, football. |
baseball, basket ball, athletic games, concerts
and frequent excursions away from schools TO
play and witness games. All these diversions, |
together with society badges, class colou, |
photographs, &C., require moneys and make !
the cost to parents largely in excess OF what
was expected.
A change of books and methods in the
public schools is certainly needed, and col |
lege that would keep open ten months in a
year, and have less diversions, would be
largely patronized. When student leaves |
school he has simply laid the foundation for
an education. The balance is obtained by
reading and observation and contact with the
world, but if one is kept at text books until
long after arriving at maturity, and required
to work for a living, there will be little time
for reading.