Las Vegas optic., 1914-11-21

or the English language should
be the language or the schools,
was bitterly fought out upon the
political field. After very un-
fortunate campaign, the Legislative
body elected felt the need Of removing
the educational question entirely from
politics. Therefore, it appointed a
non-partisan commission which unani-
mously recommended that in Dutch
speaking settlements, Dutch should be
used during the first three or four
years of the school as the language
in which the child should be taught.
But Immediately, upon entering school,
the teacher gives oral lessons in Eng
lish, sometimes only two lessons per
week. The number is increased as ra-
pidly as conditions permit In the
fourth year they begin the use of
English. Doctor Viljoen, director Of
education, Orange Free State, asserts
that those pupils who are mot origin
ally taught in their own language new
er come to know either the Dutch or
the English effectively.
Doctor A. II. Mackay, superintend-
ent of education, in Nova Scotia, says,
in speaking Of the schools of Nova
Scotia and New Brunswick. For a
number of years we endeayored to
give them qNrench-speaking children)
at least in the common school grades,
bi-linguaI readers, with instruction
from the beginning in English" The
result was unsatisfactory. Therefore,
a commission was appointed, and its
accepted by the gov
1t recommended: "That the
education of the F'rench-speaking child
should commence and be continued
during the first four years in the
mother tongue" French readers were
provided for the schools. During this
time English was taught colloquially.
So that after the fourth year, instruc-
tion could go on in English continu-
ously. Doctor Mackay reports: "The
children in this way learn English
more easily"
Doctor G. w. Parmelee, secretary of
the department of public instruction,
Quebec, says; I'm the first place, we
are quite agreed that it is impossible
to expect to educate children in both
languages at the same time, beginning
when they first go to school. There
is absolutely no doubt about that psy-
and our experience abun-
dantly proves that we must at fir
give instruction in the mother
tongue"
Throughout Ontario, bi-lingual
schools were established, but Doctor
Parmelee reports: ut was shown in
these schools that the plan Of using
both languages as media of instruction
from an early age, was not satisfac-
tory"
AS a result, the educational system |
was changed. The system was reor-
ganized, and the policy of the depart
nent is now expressed by Doctor Par
melee as follows: "To sum up: In
he first place, we consider that the
instruction must be In the first in
stance in the mother tongue; change
70 a second language comes at later
time"
Mr.. owen Edwards, chief inspector
If schools for Wales, speaking of the
problem of teaching English to Welsh
speaking children, says: 1--WE thought
hat the best way OF teaching English
o the welsh child would be to make
he language and the atmosphere Of
he school entirely English, and to use
Welsh, if at all, for the purpose of
necessary explanation"
This system has been failure. He
luotes with approval the report Of
small committee Of teachers Of great
lbility and long experience, as fol
ows;
He reads words with which he as
iociates no meaning, and is denied
Lccess to the written word which would
i once call up ideas and stimulate
lis intelligence. Thus, when he has
attained the age of six OF seven, his
,ook tells him nothing. >The language
le reads he cannot understand, and
he language he understands, he cam
lot read. The same report might
'e made for New Mexico.
He concludes from Welsh expert
nee that: In the first place, an in
ant Ia child) can only be taught
through the medium Of his home Ian
uage; and secondly, no infant can be
aught to read and write two Ian
nages at the same time"