The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1912-02-08
A Need of the Schools.

There is always talk OF changes in
the schools, OF doing this thing or that
for their improvement. New ideas
and new views are constantly being
advanced New ways of teaching
pupils, making the courses more prac-
tlcal, eliminating certain branc h e s.
putting more stress on others, adding
new branches, nature study, manual
training, etc, etc. are suggestions
offered and urged by those interested
in education.
There is always room for improve
ment in everything and it is good that
80 many people are interested in the
improvement Of the schools, because
the growth, progress and welfare of a
nation depends on the quality Of its
schools.
No nation has ever been so lavish in
the expenditure of money on its
schools as the United States and no
nation has ever grown in every way as
rapidly as the United States.
We believe that our public school
system is excellent and heartily com
mend the efforts TO improve IL and
have no doubt but that many OF the
suggestions advanced will better che
service.
We believe, however, that the great.
est fault of our schools is in the man
ner Of teaching how TO speak and write
the English language. This subject
is the most important and the most
neglected This is TO be deplored,
still IL is natural thing TO happen.
1t is hard TO get the pupils TO study
their own language, because they
think they already know IL OF course
in the courses OF study Of all our
schools, English Grammar, Rhetoric
and English Literature will be found
TO have conspicuous places. But how
many children give any real study to
these subjects ? Ask them II they
nave their grammar or rhetoric lesson
and they will probably answer, yes,
even If they have not looked at 1t.
And you older people, just call to mind
81 you can how much study you really
gave so these subjects IL was very
little, now wasn't 1t ? AS children,
we, all of us, think we know how to
speak the English language and some
OF us never awaken TO the fact that we
don't, while Others continually regret
in later years their neglect Of this
Important subject while in school,
Anyone, who continual y makes
grammatical and rhetorical blunders
is facing life handicapped. Also any
one, who talks we'll and correctly has
a great asset. These statements are
so true that no arguments are needed
90 prove them.
How often we have condemned our.
selves for neglecting to give the study
and attention we should to grammar
and rhetoric while in school. This is
one OF the great regrets Of our school
life. Neither is our case an exception
al one, it comes nearer being the
universal rule,
Surely some remedy for this defect
In our school system can be discovered,
some way be found whereby the child
reD can be made to sac the necessity
TOr learning TO speak and write their
own language correctly. At least
more time can be given the work by
the teachers and more thorough
drilling In principles given the pupils.
When you can hear high school
pupils and graduates say, "have saw"
Il seen," have did," 81 done it,
between you and l., and you was" 4"
and you can hear them every day, 1t
is time that more stress was placed on
teaching how to speak and write the
English language.
In this article we are not referring
particularly 10 the Hillsboro schools,
but to the schools Of the United States
generally We beliVe that the local
schools are above the average, but
think that their greatest fault is In
coaching this subject.