Year: 1861

past think there has be9n much more
change than Improvement in our public
schools, and that some important changes
are now needed. Our scholars, especially
the younger ones, are over taxed, not only
in the hours they have 10 study at school but
they have so many studies on hand at once
that they are frequently obliged to study
two or three hours at home besides, and
their extra efforts to get all their lessons COM
pel them 70 hurry from one to another with
out giving any one lesson as thorough atten-
ton as they should do or if they succeed in
getting them all, it is by excessive mental
effort which, sooner or later, generally leaves
them with less than their usual vigor to pur-
sue their studies, or their business after they
leave school.


Would it not be thought an unwise and
cruel system for promoting the physical
strength of the rising generation, to compel
them to carry, six hours or more, of the day,
burdens composed of as many different ar
ticles as they could possibly grasp in their
arms, and the aggregate weight of which
should be AL they could well stand up under?
Yet this is just about what is being done for
promoting their mental strength in our pub l.
lie schools, and though many may be able
to endure it without serious or permanent
injury, very many are not. But even if
they were, it is not the best plan for conduct.
ing schools. On this subject will quote an
excellent article from the Scientific Ameri-
osn, the correctness of which my own ex-
perience as a teacher fully confirms.


A GREAT REFoRM CoNMENoED.-We are
pleased to ind that the practice Of having
the scholars learn all their lessons during
school hours, has been adopted in a portion
of our public schools, and it will, doubtless,
be extended to them all. We hope that this
step is but the beginning of & great reform,
and that the whole practice of stufhng the
mind with q mass Of undigested matter will
be abandoned. An eager desire TO make
make a great show for the time, or for the
money expended, is the most pernicious
vice Of our educational system it leads to
hasty slurring over the lessons half under
stood, and begets habit of being satisfied
with vague ideas, which is very apt to con
tinue through life. The most rapid mote of
LGdCulllk 10 h4hb IC4AlEGs ever AGs1Nu
to be thoroughly mastered and comprehend
Ell before it is passed by. A scholar with
this habit of study will soon overtake an
other who is far in advance with crude and
superficial notians of his studies. If parents
or teachers are very anxious that a child
should learn rapidly, let them insist that the
lessons shall be few ami short no more than
the child can learn both thoroughly and
easily.


There is the true secret of success in teach
ing, especially yo,alg sekolars. When they
find they have thoroughly mastered one lesson,
they will commence the next with am bition,
but set them at several at once, and they be-
come confused and discouraged by excessive
study and the extent of their tasks, or be-
come 50 before beginning them.


But the scholars are not the only ones un-
necessarily taxed. During the last forr
years have sent three scholars, and part of
the time four, and IN thst time l have nerni=
mulated lot of school books, now out of
use, large enough to make a respectable
70 Book Auction, Z" some of which were hardly
used long enough to soil them, before they
were laia aside for others, little or no better,
and in some cases not as good as the discard
ed ones. On the whole think the changes
have been much more beneficial to book
publishers and sellers than to the schools,
and the expense has borne heavily on those
whose wsges have been their principal or
only resources for supporting their families.


would add some remarks on the quality
of some of the school books in use, but for
the fact that they wsuld make my article
longer than intended it to be, and will con-
clude by reference to a single item.


In one of the various Arithmetics in use
in the intermediate departments of the
schools is the following question, and solu-
ton of it, which to young scholars must look
very much like ' confusion worse confound-
ed, - and hardly anything else to many old
er ones.


How many times 2-5 is 3-42


solution.-1 is contained in s-4, "a
times; and, if l is contained in 3-4 8 4times,
1-s is contained in "a times "a times,
which are I5-4 times, and 2-5 is contained
IL Of I5-4 times, which is 1873 times"


The whole of the above is just about as in
telligible to young scholars as the Chinese
characters on the sides of tea chests, and
win be of just about as much practical use
to them in afser life. By time, study and
explanations, they may be made to under
stand either, but I think the time and efforts
might be much more proftably employed
on other studies. A gentleman to whom
spoke in reference to that question, said that
it and similar questions were probably in
tended for mental discipline rather than
practical use. I think scholars can be fur
nished with sufficient mental discipline IL
solving questions which may probably be q
practical use, at present or in the future but
SO far as that is concerned, studying thai
and similar questions is worth just about al
much as studying to ascertain the cOmpO