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learner, instead of being lost, as now, in a mist of indefinite antiquity.

A defect similar to the last mentioned, is occasioned by the omission of geographical references. A battle, for instance,which decided the fate of empires, is recorded as having been fought at a particular place. The student is permitted to pass on barely mentioning the name of the place, instead of entering into a close and minute investigation of its geography. A well written passage in a modern novel, will leave on the mind a much deeper impression of reality, than the most interesting passage of history, read or studied in the common way.

A neglect of the same kind, takes place with regard to biogra phy. An individual whose history is interwoven with that of his country, is introduced in the course of the narrative. The common mode of instruction is satisfied with the bare mention of his name; and the minds of the young are never incited to follow the individual into the retirement of his education, and of his domestic life; there to develope the sources of personal greatness, and trace the incipient formation of those stupendous plans which when accomplished, have ruined or saved a nation, and immortalised with infamy or with glory, the statesman and the hero.

In the same manner are passed over the richly instructive stories of mythology and antiquities. Allusion is made in the pages of ancient history, to the actions of a god, or to the celebration of a festival ;-but what meaning can thus be conveyed to a mind which knows nothing of the religion, or of the customs of the ancient world?

To render a knowledge of history complete, to render it practical and useful, all the branches which have been mentioned, must be interwoven with it; and without these it can never become more than a meagre and uninteresting outline. The method of teaching which has been suggested in this branch, not only enriches the science, and makes it more interesting and instructive; but by alternately exciting and gratifying the principle of curiosity, it habituates the pupil to trace every department of useful knowledge to its source, gives precision and accuracy to his thoughts, trains him to thorough research, and forms one of the best preventives which can be employed, in guarding the minds of youth against those loose and superficial habits of thinking, into which they are so apt to run.-Suggestions on Education.

SCHOOL DISCIPLINE.

The fear of violence is the most degrading motive that can be held up to a human being; and whatever is done under its influence, debases the disposition and corrupts the character. It is at war with all voluntary self-government, with all that renders school virtues the spontaneous growth of the mind and heart, and with all, consequently, that is valuable or estimable in the traits of subsequent life.

A high tone of moral refinement in the instructer, will always lead to a refined discipline, to an habitual preference for the milder and happier expedients of government, as those which are most in harmony with the situation of one whose benevolent office it is to impart the elements of intellectual and moral character to minds placed in dependence on his own. The measures adopted by a kind and considerate teacher will always be regulated by a regard to their prospective influence on future character, more than by a short-sighted eagerness to check a present evil. It is very easy to plan out a system of rules for the government of a school, and to follow up every violation of them with chastisement or rebuke; and by this method of management, a death-like stillness and a perfect decorum may be produced. Fear and constraint are easily called into operation, even on the most untractable minds; but the great end of discipline, the power of self-government by the use of reason, can never be attained in this way. The compliance which has been yielded to restraint and to intimidation, will, in all probability, give way when these shackles are removed; or if this should not be the case, the habit of yielding to an arbitrary motive will have been acquired; and a readiness to relinquish the mind to the guidance of others, will have taken the place of an enlightened and manly exercise of the will acquiescing in the laws of truth.

Where parental government has been arbitrary and capricious, where it has been harsh in its expedients, or where it has been lax and feeble, the disposition of a scholar may have been so injured; or under the ill-regulated discipline of an injudicious instructer, a whole school may have been so corrupted, that in the first attempts of a teacher who is desirous of using the better class of motives, there may be many difficulties to be encountered. The minds of the young inay have been rendered so habitually callous, as to be inaccessible to the happier principles of action. In such

cases lies the real difficulty of governing; and it is not a mind of ordinary character that can surmount such obstructions. It is here that the teacher feels the need of the widest possible range of thought, the utmost efficiency in action, a power over himself and over the minds of his charge, which human discipline can hardly give. How to extricate himself from the embarrassments of such a situation, is for individual judgment and experience to decide. The result may be the temporary evil of inflicting physical pain, or the more lasting evil of obduracy and vice remaining unsubdued and unreformed. But the earnest endeavor of a good teacher in this, as in every point of his management, will be to restore the ingenuousness and the innocence which have been lost, and to elevate his pupils by the action of bigh and generous motives, In some cases a teacher may be called to assume the charge of a school previously regulated by corporeal inflictions. He will not probably find it safe to attempt an entire change of motives in a day; as this would imply an equally sudden revolution of character on the part of his pupils. Still, his aim will be to work his way upward to a moral elevation of feeling in his school, to a standard of obedience which will render recourse to chastisement unnecessary.

The progress of human opinion on this subject so important to character and to happiness, is a circumstance for congratulation to parents, and to all who would see the habits of the young early put under the guidance of reason and love. The prevailing spirit, in almost all our schools, is that of a mild and genial influence on character; and this species of discipline is constantly gaining ground; nor will either the few instances in which it is suffered to degenerate into feebleness, nor the few on the other hand, in which there is a determined and scornful adherence to mere severity, affect, to any extent, the state of the public mind. Moral refinement in this, as in all its other departments, is fast assuming its legitimate ascendancy over general opinion, and associating every expedient for juvenile improvement with a more liberal allowance of present happiness.—Journal of Education.

MUTUAL DUTIES OF PARENTS AND TEACHERS. The following hints to parents are extracted from "Observations on Schools," published at Edinburgh.

"Sometimes meddling and impatient parents breed much

mischief themselves, by improper notions which they inculcate; particularly young parents, whose unreasonable ambition to see their children out-do others, induces them to harrass the teacher, and to urge their children forward, frequently at the expense of their health, without considering whether their time or ability warrant them or not. These often sow the seeds of disaffection betwixt the scholar and the master, which seldom fail to produce bad effects, without answering any good purpose, especially when the teacher is known to be qualified, and conscientious in doing his duty. To say nothing else of such conduct, it is bad policy; and were parents to study their own interest properly, they would be at much pains to cultivate a good understanding betwixt the children and their teachers, by avoiding disrepectful observations upon their conduct or character,and to second at home the injunctions laid upon them in school; while the teacher, on the other hand, should be candid in giving his opinion of the children, when asked by the parents, and labor to impress upon their minds the greatest reverence for them, and obedience to their authority.

It would be well, too, in cases of any imprudence on the part of the teacher, were the parents to act the part of friends, and, instead of exposing him, to let him know the public opinion of his conduct, that he might be more upon his guard against the recurrence of the same error. By a reciprocal attention, in this way, to the feelings and reputation of each other, a friendship might be, and generally is formed and cultivated, which conduces to the comfort of all parties and makes the children feel themselves necessitated to be both diligent and respectful at home and in school. Indeed, without the existence of such an understanding, no harmony can be expected, and the improvement of the children will be much slower than it would otherwise be." The following remarks are added, in a review of the "Observations" in the Journal of Education.

Nothing can have a happier influence on the mind of a child, than to perceive a unity of object and of effort, and a common interest relative to his improvement, existing between his teacher and his parents. It lays the foundation of that indispensable requisite of happiness, a generous confidence in others, as he sees both parties sacrificing their individual interest to his, and teaching him the great lesson of self-denial. But if he finds the

efforts of his teacher prompted by one motive, and those of his parents by another, he will very soon regulate his own by the selfish desire of personal gratification.

A more liberal confidence in the judgment of teachers, would usually have a favorable effect on the education of children. Parents cannot too often remember that report, even from the mouths of their own children, is a very unsafe ground of opinion, and that misrepresentation may take place through ignorance or inadvertency, where there is no disposition to deceive. It would be well, we think, were a more free and open intercourse maintained between teachers and parents. Every school should be accessible to the observation of parents; and those who value the improvement of their children, should go personally to the school-room, and become acquainted with the exertions there made by the instructer, so as to do every thing possible in aid of them. Were a better feeling prevalent on this point, parents would never be unwelcome visitants at school. Their presence, indeed, would be a source of pleasure, both to the pupils and the teacher; and a little attention to necessary accommodation in the school-room, would avoid any hindrance from this arrangement.

Some teachers, we know, are averse to the attendance of parents or friends during the exercises of the school. This feeling arises either from an undue tenderness of the instructer's professional reputation, from a nervous anxiety about good appearances, or from an apprehension of having the attention of the scholars distracted from their lessons. The first two of these hindrances to the influence arising from the presence of parents, are founded on misconception. It would be vastly better for the teacher's estimation, and for a true representation of his school, if parents and guardians could witness his daily toil and his hourly difficulties. The arduous task which he has to perform, would be better understood. Parents could judge better of the real progress of their children. Periodical exhibibitions, those incentives to vanity in children, those fruitful sources of vexation to teachers, and of delusion to parents, would be superseded. Anxiety and disappointment would be avoided on all hands; and the truth, in all particulars, would have its natural and proper place. The fear of distraction on the part of the pupils is also ill-founded. The presence of parents becoming a daily, or, at least, a familiar thing, would not disturb and excite

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