New-York tribune., 1907-12-27

YORK DAILY TRIBUNE,
difference Is it improbable that early training
in a school that could be nowise escaped py
the growing boy had something to do with II!
It has been seen that yet. to use an
Hibernicism, the English system OF elementary
education is notably unsystematic- Beslues
purely private schools sometimes receiving
Government aid and some old pubic schoois,
having endowments running back for century i5
and also receiving Government ala
there are provided Schools, l. e. councii
schools. or. in American parlance, common
schools; and non provided schools, that ~
voluntary schools, largely under cEurch coIiliol'
The two classes last named had accomIno-
dation in 1906 for about three and half million
scholars each Both receive aid from local
taxation and also from the State. They had
between them average attendance last year
of i've and quarter millions or over 90 per
Of elementary education thus distributed, ASIDE
from other resources there We're PUBLIC grants
of nearly eleven and half million pouhos-
say nfty-seven million dollars.
To Indicate the nature of instruction thus
given we may take the London "provided
schools" as favorable examples. The curricu-
Ium as first fixed by the Board in 1870. lnclud-
ed instruction in morality and religion readlng'
writing, arithmetic, geography Enghsh gram gram
mar. English history, elementary phSSical
science, elementary social economy. oraWlns'
singing. mensuration for boys, needIe-Worh ior
girls, and physica! exercises, besides rev US US
cretionary subjects. By 1902 the latter nad
been aterialIy enlarged, and the head teacheF
now had the liberty Of selecting according 10
the capacity and desire of the PUPILS from al
zebra geometry mechanics, animal physiology,
botany, chemistry, hygiene, book keeping. short
hand Latin. French and German Nearly an
upper class boys also attend special centres ior
manual training. and upper class girls Tor 40
meStic economy.
FRILLS, ESSENTIALS AND DISCIPLINE.
American critics of tendencies in their own
schools sometimes object to the "fads and frllls
which, they say, keep the children from learn
s1h. Il he
the London elementary schools likewise PROVIDE
for a good many so-called ''frills." But II must
be noted that these are not permlttea 10 tahe
the place of the essentials Whatever else Lon
don child may learn at a provided schooi, ne
must and does learn TO read, write and clpner.
Two out of the three at least he generally learns
remarkably well. Nothing is apt to strike 3n
American more, when he comes to know the
product of English elementary schools, than
their thoroughnesS in these essentials. nave
rarely seen domestic servant who did not nave
a fairly good handwriting, spell with more ac-
curacy than some of our own misguided CoHege
Professors, and compose clear letter, well-ex-
pressed in civil phrases not offensive py an
unwarranted familiarity wanton assurance in
demanding the time of stranger not Yerbose
or slangy; in fact likely, by its appearance and
manner at least, to create a good impression
Would that could say much for all the
graduates of Colleges.
In most of the London schools there are three
departments, those for boys, girls and infants.
An average number for the three would be about
1000 There are also schools in which the sexes
are not separated About half the teachers in
1853 were women and girls. by 1900 they had be-
come three-foUrthS. Certified masters OF SchooiS
paid about { 129 per annum. say s640; and
certified mstresses about two-thirds as much.
Pupil teachers are put in training, on applica-
ifon and favorable reports, at IA years of age
and after q year. study only half the day. teach
the other half and are paid a graded salary
which at the end of three years more, rises to
80 for boys and G24 for girls. Women are
eligible for Educational Committees, and their
service seems to be popular.
The general limit for compulsory attendance
at elementary schools was thirteen years but
the local authorities have the power to
raise 1t TO fourteen. and the prevailing tendency
Is towards an exercise of this power The
penalty on parents for neglect is Il with costs.
The pupils graded by various standards,
known as standard l. the lowest. and so on up
TO standards . and .. which represent the high
est elementary work, and standard Z. which
denotes the distinct extension OF the work into
the secondary field.
Discipline in the schools is generally very
we'll maintained; pupils OF both early
taught obedience courtesy and respect-some-
times even yet in the old way Persuasion and
kindness first tried: the effort is TO lead the
pupil by rewards rather than by punishments.
But the hard-headed local authorities have
generally not the remotest intention of spelling
the child in order to spare the rod. and the
traditional cane is still served out to the head
masters and the head nistresses along with the
other school supplies. 1t is not often used and
never without care and some thought of pos
sible legal reprsals. but 1t Is there and IT is
used If needs must Perhaps the lads opinion
or Archbishop Temple. at Rugby, may be taken
the ordinary schoolboy's general notion
about this application of discipline. when 1t
does come: He's beast. but just beast"
There is a marked tendency in most of the
elementary schools to freshen the work. ;ake
i: away from the old routine methods and
make it real process of drawing out the laten,
capacities OF the child and encouraging IL 10
think to feel its way and TO learn for
itself. There many illustrations and ex-
periments, occasional excursions and object
lessons. Efforts made to the successes
of pupils abiding stimulus for the schools
and the permanent tablet on the wall serving
as an honor board is a frequent feature
The local authorities sometimes offer valu-
able picture a prize TO a class or a school
that in way distinguishes itself and with
a thrift almost Yankee in its subtlety gain by
what they give, since the picture remains as
the permanent adornment of the schoelhouse!
ENGLISH SECONDARY EDUCATTOy.
In 1861 Matthew Arnold, after inspecting for
eign school systems. returned to report TO the
Royal Commission on Endowed Schools which
had sent him out, with the appeal: Organize
your secondary and your superior education"
Ten years later Professor Huxley, in the first
London School Board urged arrangement by
which passage could be secured for children of
superior ability from the elementary schools to
schools in which they could obtain higher in
struction. No educational system, he said.-in a
notable speech. now familiar. I think, to most
American educa tors-no such system would be
worthy the name of National system. unless
1t established a great educational ladder the
bottom of which should be in the gutter and
the top in the University, on which every child
who had the strength to climb might, by using
that strength. reach the place for which nature
intended him."
But in 1907 the appeal of Matthew Arnold Is
not yet fully answered. the dream of Professor
Huxley not yet fully realized Unsystematic as
the primary education has been found, secondary
education Is stili more so There are IN London
Higher Grade Schools" organized Science
Schools" and Higher Elementary Schools
Some of these are merely the highest class of
elementary schools. reaching up into subjects
proper to the first years in secondary education;
some others represent rather confused effort
10 secondary technical