Public School Education
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PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION.
The discussion in the Board of Education on Tuesday evening, brief and fragmentary as it appears to have been, is nevertheless worthy of remark, from the interest and importance of the subject involved. The Book Committee, it appears, reported, with a degree of brevity equally rare and commendable, in favor of limiting the studies of the children to the following: Spelling Cards, Primers, Readers, Arithmetics, Geography, History, Astronomy, Algebra, Geometry, Composition, Grammar, Drawing, Chemistry, Zoology, Dictionaries, Moral Science, Philosophy, Book Keeping, Writing, Etymology, Physiology, and Elocution. The occasion of their report was a resolution offered at a previous meeting by Mr. Whiting, in favor of excluding from the list of studies Astronomy, Zoology, Algebra, Geometry and Physiology.
In the debate which ensued, it does not appear that any member of the Board proposed to add to the list; and, in all conscience, it seems quite comprehensive enough for youthful faculties to master. In the absence, therefore, of any plea for the enlargement of the list, it remained to be considered, whether the five studies objected to by Mr. Whiting, or any of them, should be dispensed with. The vote appears to have been in favor of retaining every study recommended by the Committee except Astronomy and Zoology.
So far at least as Zoology is concerned, we think the Board arrived at the proper conclusion; in fact their whole celection admits of very little cavil. At first sight, we were disposed to approve Mr. Whiting's resolution, and now after reflection we see many reasons for sympathising with his feelings on the subject. As we understand it, his object is to give rudimentary studies their due importance, and not suffer them to be overwhelmed with a superficial smattering of abstruse and recondite information. As he himself sates, he has known children pass a creditable examination in Algebra who were deficient in writing and spelling. He has rendered good service to the schools by his motion, if its effect shall be to correct the unconscious tendency which all teachers of the young naturally are prone to—of cramming the children with a view to show off their smartness and precocity, rather than to ground them well in the more useful but unobtrusive elementary studies.
It does not clearly appear from the records of the Board's proceedings, how far its action is compulsory on the City Superintendent and Principals, or how much discretion and latitude is allowed to them in directing the studies authorised by the Board. Our own opinion is that the Superintendent and Principals should be left free to inculcate so many of these studies, and to precisely such extent, as under the circumstances of each school and class they deem advisable. They are necessarily best qualified to judge how much time a pupil can afford to spend in acquiring the 'ologies, without danger of forgetting rudiments. In the present day, however, when knowledge, even of technical kinds, is so widely diffused, it is difficult to say that any study may be dispensed with, or to select any which does not more or less enter into an education of the more elementary description. Astronomy has been stricken from the list, but even this study must to a certain extent be taught, or the pupil will not acquire more than a parrot-like knowledge of Geography and kindred subjects. In fact the truths of one science are so associated and linked with those of another, that to entirely eliminate one from the list is to interfere with the study of another. The true solution we take to be, that without tying the teachers down to text-books, they should be encourage to teach the children orally the fundamental truths of all the science and studies which bear on the practical duties and habits of life. Zoology and all other amateur studies may be safely and totally ignored; but after well grounding the pupils in spelling, reading, writing and arithmetic, the tutor should teach them, not by rote but intelligently (orally as much as possible) the facts of Chemistry, Physiology, and kindred sciences, without learning which no one can be truly wise, and having a knowledge of which pupil cannot be called a fool. There is a medium, which every skilfulskilful teacher can practically discover, but which neither the resolutions of the Board, nor the comments of the press, can exhibit to an incompetent teacher—there is a medium between cramming a child with "learning," while neglecting to prepare him to earn his living, and debarring him from progressing beyond the simple primary studies. Some studies are useful, some ornamental, and others curious. The last may be safely dispensed with altogether; the second are desirable for the child to acquire; but the first are indispensable. The Superintendent, and most, at any rate, of the Principals, understand this distinction and can act accordingly; and if they take advantage of the weekly meetings of teachers at the Normal School to instruct the latter in the true art of teaching, we have no doubt that the system of tuition will soon become as perfect in its nature and as satisfactory in its results as the most earnest friend of popular education can desire.