JULY, 1856.

EDITORIAL POSTSCRIPT.

Prof. Crosby having been appointed by the Board of Education temporarily to supply the vacancy in the Westfield Normal School, occasioned by the resignation of Mr. Wells, and thereby prevented from giving his immediate attention to the "Teacher," the Editorial charge of this number, by vote of the Board of Directors of the Mass. Teachers' Association, has devolved on the undersigned. The suspension of Prof. Crosby's good offices in behalf of the "Teacher," eyen for a short time, will be deeply regretted by its readers, and by none more than by those whose unpleasant duty it is to attempt to supply Prof. C.'s place.

The late issue of the July number is owing to this change. We are happy to state that Prof. C. will probably resume his charge as soon as circumstances will permit, and that he will, in the mean time, contribute what aid he can bestow in making up the numbers.

We take this opportunity to thank those who have rendered the "Teacher" valuable aid, both of literary and pecuniary contribution. The number of subscribers has increased somewhat, but not enough to compensate for the enlargement of the work. Will you not do all in your power, fellow teachers, to sustain it on its present basis? To encourage Prof. Crosby in his gratuitous labors, for he has cheerfully devoted his time for our benefit, without any remuneration, we should increase the subscription list to three thousand; this could be easily done if each subscriber would resolve to do something towards accomplishing the object. We ask our readers to excuse the unusual lateness of the issue.

CHAS. J. CAPEN.

JOHN KNEELand.

THE

MASSACHUSETTS TEACHER,

AND

JOURNAL OF HOME AND SCHOOL EDUCATION.

AUGUST, 1856.

THE SCOTTISH TRAINING SCHOOL.

THE readers of the Teacher, who have perused the series of articles on the Parish Schools of Scotland, may have thought the account given of these schools too favorable in its character. But the description was intended to be general, not particular, in its application. Undoubtedly, there always were many among the parish schools of Scotland, which would have served to exhibit the defects of the system, rather than its excellences. There were not a few which would have shown, to the conviction of the most partial even of Scotchmen, the great need of the application of our American "grading" system, or some other effective expedient for reducing the number of classes and of lessons in schools in which everything was taught daily, from the alphabet to Virgil, inclusive.

The royal commission, accordingly, which was appointed, some years ago, to investigate the character and condition of schools and other places of education, reported, in very unfavorable terms, on the Scottish parochial schools, as greatly deficient, in regard to the purposes of education and the business of instruction, at the present day; and extensive im

provements have since been introduced in these, as well as in all other classes of seminaries, in Scotland.

But the most efficient system of measures adopted for the reformation of schools in that country, owes its origin to an individual, Mr. David Stow, now "honorary secretary to the Glasgow Normal Seminary." Actuated by benevolent feeling, and guided by no ordinary share of the practical talent and shrewd judgment of his nation, he went to work as an amateur teacher of the children of the poor, the neglected, and the vicious, of a district of the city of Glasgow, notorious for its moral degradation. With the sturdy and resolute perseverance of a genuine Scot of the olden time, he pursued his labor of love, from year to year, on the sterile and stubborn soil which he had chosen for his field of operation. He plainly saw, from the first, that, if his endeavors were to be crowned with success, the time-worn routine of school instruction would never serve his purpose. He must strike out, at once, a new path for himself. These dirty, neglected, stupid, vicious, profane, juvenile outcasts, must have a new system of measures applied to them. Cleanliness, health, decency, intelligence, and morality, must be infused into their nature by means hitherto untried.

With the strong faith of his countrymen in the sacred Scriptures, and in the power of religious principle, he placed his entire dependence on a mode of education founded and built up on the intelligent, personal reception of divine truth, through the medium of the Bible. To this great end all his procedure was adapted. For this purpose intellect and conscience were to be awakened, the heart was to be touched, the character to be softened and moulded, knowledge was to be communicated, health and comfort and genial feeling were to be secured as conditions of mental and moral susceptibility. Over all the gentle spirit of humanity and love was to preside. The teacher was to become the companion and personal friend of the child, the conscious and recognized guardian of his happiness.

After many partial failures, and under much discouragement and opposition, Mr. Stow pursued his unwearied course of Christian philanthropy, till the tide of circumstance and of opinion set strongly in his favor, and his system of measures for the Christian nurture of childhood was universally recognized as thoroughly effective, in all the prominent mental and moral features of its plan. Such has been the success of Mr. Stow's generous labors, that schools modelled on his methods have been established extensively throughout the British empire; and he has now the satisfaction of seeing a Model Normal School established, on a liberal and ample scale, for the train

ing of teachers, with a view to the yet wider introduction of his system in various parts of the world.

The prominent feature of Mr. Stow's system, which assigns so large a space to Scripture exercises, is peculiarly Scottish. Yet its other characteristics are unquestionably such as would subserve the best interests of general education, in the schools of our own country. Under this conviction, I shall be happy to transfer to the pages of the Massachusetts Teacher some account of this new form and aspect of education in Scotland.

The source from which we derive our information, to best advantage, on this subject, is a volume entitled, The Training System, Moral Training School, and Normal Seminary. By David Stow, Esq., Honorary Secretary to the Glasgow Normal Seminary. Tenth Edition. London: Longman & Co. 1856. 12mo. pp. 528.

The following extract from the Preface will serve to give a preliminary outline of the "training system."

66

Although the primary object of working out this system, was to provide an antidote to the exposed condition of youth, and the demoralizing influence of large towns and rural villages, yet, in arranging its details, other important points in general education were developed, which are suited to all ranks and conditions of society.

"It is difficult, in one sentence, to present an intelligible view of a system which is simple in its parts, and yet comprehensive, as a whole, for the intellectual, physical, and moral training of children. But we may state that it assumes the following fundamental principles: - First, That TEACHING is not TRAINING, whilst the former is included in the latter; and, Second, That THE SYMPATHY OF NUMBERS, which has been so much overlooked or neglected in education, forms an important element in the whole process.

"We may notice one peculiarity of this system, which was a desideratum in education: -the mode of communication that, from the age of three up to manhood, children may be taught and trained on one principle, and without change of system. Also, that the same amount of intellectual instruction is communicated to children who can not read, from the day they enter school, as to those who can read, by means of the ORAL TRAINING LESSONS. This is a very important point for the consideration of missionaries, Scripture readers, and sabbath school teachers, as well as school trainers.

"Sections I and II show the necessity for an increase of the quantity, and an improvement in the quality of education, intellectually; also the necessity for Moral Training in School,

as

by adding practice to principles. The object of this combined machine being to train not merely the head or intellect of the child, but the whole man, according to Scripture precept, ‘in the way he should go,' he walketh by the way, as he sitteth down, and as he riseth up.' The Moral Training School, therefore, must include the cultivation of correct intellectual and physical, as well as moral habits, all based on the only unalterable standard of morals, the Word of God, -just as we would have our secular lessons in astronomy or mechanics based on a Newton or a James Watt, and our physical exercises on the principle of military obedience, promptitude, and precision.

"Sections III and IV present the peculiar or distinguishing features of the system; Section V describes the normal seminary for the training of teachers; and Section VI presents examples of the practical working of the system, together with lists of Bible and scientific subjects for oral training les

sons.

"The Training System must be taken and judged of as a whole, and not in disjointed parts. Some of its practical points may, indeed, be successfully pursued apart, but only as one entire machine for training the child can it be responsible for results.

"Twenty odd years ago, when we first published the principles of the Training System, after having eleven years' experience of its effects in three schools, we fearlessly asserted that moral Training Schools were the great desiderata for the cultivation of youth, especially in large towns and villages, both as an addition to family training, where that exists, and as a substitute for it, where neglected. Our subsequent experience, and the testimony of all who have faithfully and fully pursued its natural and Scriptural principles, go to prove that we were correct; and its success as a method of communication and of moral training, may now be stated as a matter of history. The written testimony of above two thousand parents, and the critical ordeal of more than two thousand normal students, ranking from the village schoolmaster to the ordained clergyman, who have passed a course of training in this Institution, may, we hope, be warrant sufficient for our making this statement."

In subsequent numbers of the Teacher, we shall be happyto lay before our readers the principal features of the system embodied in Mr. Stow's work, together with some of the details exhibiting its practical working.

W. R.