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ADDRESS 
 
 BY 
 
 ■R. m 
 
 1 
 J 
 
 m 
 
 ■^ I 
 
 i. 
 
 DELn^ERED BEFORE THE 
 
 TEACHERS' CONVENTION, 
 
 IX THE 
 
 & 
 
 ere 
 
 -A^ugust 30tli, 1873. 
 
 
 Peiktkd by W. T. Sawle, "Sachem" Opfick, 
 
 CALEDONIA, ONT, 
 
The EDITH and LORNE PIERCE 
 COLLECTION of CANADI ANA 
 
 ^eefis University at Kingston 
 
ADDRESS 
 
 BT 
 
 R, HlRCOllRT, M.i 
 
 DBLiyBRBO BE70RB THB 
 
 TEACHERS' CONVENTION, 
 
 IN THB 
 
 |isk |tboI l^^^m mm, WW* 
 
 Auffust 30th, 1873. 
 
 PKIITTED BY W. T. SaWLE, "SACHEM" OFriCB, 
 CAL£IX)I«IA, 0>X. 
 
i./^ 
 
 rsoi^ m^ Nxs 
 
 7 
 
 '«n*K »! laHimana M^t4' |s«odafion, 
 
 ir-orTned August 30tli, 1S73. 
 
 Pvcsldent: E. Hakcourt, M. A. 
 
 Vice-Presidents : W. Youno, M. A., 
 
 J. Kingston, M. A., 
 Mrs. M. McFerran, 
 Miss C. Grant. 
 
 Committee: s. C. Williams, 
 
 A. W. MoFarlanb, 
 J. E. Elliott, 
 Miss L. B. Mitohbll, 
 Miss M. Henry, 
 Miss E. Lawrence. 
 
 Treasurer: l. G. Morgan, M. A. 
 
 Secretary: A. MoDbrmid. 
 
 It 
 
TEACHERS' CONVENTION. 
 
 I 
 
 -:0: 
 
 I 
 
 < 
 
 ** Have wn Prof/ressed ov Iletrogvaded uliiee ]S71.^ 
 
 In giving a short address upon the subject allotted to mo on tho 
 programme, i do not intend to weary you with statistics of attendance 
 or of classes, comparing tliu figures of to-day with those appertaining 
 to the 8ch^ols of 1871. There is somehow a striking inania for 
 statistics the world wide over, and perhnps I cannot enter satisfactorily 
 into my subject without reverting to them. Still I will spare you an 
 much as I can, asking you to till in the canvas by referring to the 
 annual departmental reports. Ere I rush into the midst of ray 
 subject, lest I forget it altogether, I must express my satisfaction 
 that we have such a number present; that there are before mo 
 unmistakeable evidences of a warm interest centering in school 
 topics ; that I have during the past two antl a quarter years un- 
 failingly experienced genuine kindness at the hands of school officials 
 throughout the county ; that so far as I know, I can count upon each 
 of the 130 teechers I have met with in that time as a personal friend ; 
 that in a word every encouragement has been extended to me which 
 I could reasonably expect. True, I have had good reason to com- 
 plain of the apathetic indifference of Trustees on some odd occasions; 
 true, I have visited schools whose teachers have seemed by far too 
 unappreciative of their highest of privileges; but these occasions 
 have been few and those teachers scarce 10 per cent, of the total 
 number. 
 
 Some one has remarked that the Germans do the thinking for 
 Europe. The compliment embodied in tho remark was genuine, for 
 in every department of science or literature we recognize the impress 
 of their genius. To them certainly belongs the proud distinction of 
 having first systematised public instruction under the administration 
 of the civil power. In this respect all the other nations of Europe 
 must be allotted second.ary places. With them, too, education first 
 became a science, and training schools for teachers had in their midst, 
 
 > 
 
 l7^04(^oH- 
 
T 
 1 
 
 their first beginning. IIow sound were Luther's views; how wise his 
 nets iki etlucationiil matters ! 'i'hus early in the history of emancipat- 
 ed tli«)ught and speech did he see the grand .significance of an 
 ednr,a,t«'d pcojihi. How jtci'.^<;vering, Iod, have tlio (Jermans been in 
 improving and pei'i'ei;ling thiii- isystcins of j-chool and college training. 
 80 gratefid wen* they to I'estalo/.zi, who was /I^c/Vt' 7»////r'yye the greatest 
 of scIkk)! reformers, that on th(? 12th of .liiiniai , JSlO, 1,000 .sehools 
 and 50,000 teachers publicly celebrated thu anniversary of lus 
 centennial birthday. In some portions of (Germany in jjarticular 
 there is manifested unremittingly that warm interest in educational 
 matters which cannot fail to prove of greatest value to the welfare 
 of the people. Perchance the oft-quoted sentence, " the Prussian 
 Common School won the battle of Sadowa," will, when thoroughly 
 dissected, stand the fiercest light of criticism. The public school is 
 but a development of the parochical school, an institution of the 
 (Jhristian Church. As early as the fourth century the planting of 
 a Christian Church and the establishment of a school for children- 
 went hand-in-hand. The great obstacles to school work of those 
 days are now nonexistent. The art of printing, the use of the 
 vernacul'-.r language with a score of other causes, have paved the way 
 for improvements scarce even dreamed of then. 
 
 For holding the ojiinion that our schools have been progressing 
 certainly and safely, 1 find abundant reasons in the following oircu'4|« ; 
 stances : There is in the first place a greater uniformity in the work 
 done, as well as a more strict adherence than usual to k fuller pro- 
 gramme. I think that after the experience I have had (and I do not 
 forget how limited it is) I can speak with tolerable accuracy of what 
 is being done in the schools of Haldimand. Two years ago, eave in 
 the village schools and in a few of the larger rural schools, the 
 want that struck me most was the utter disregard of dictation 
 exercises. The importance of this branch in its bearings on vriiing, 
 spelling and composition can scarcely be overrated. That in this way 
 with occasional variations, spelling can be taught more thoroughly 
 tlian in any other, is, I think, a generally athnitted fact. Those 
 who are conversant with some of the other languages, can 
 testify practically to the utility of this method as a xneaiMi 
 of acquiring both the spelling and pronunciation of foreign 
 words. Had greater attention been paid to this subject, the written 
 examination for candidates about to enter High schools would 6<tem 
 far lighter than it does. The plan of so providing, that the scholars 
 in junior classes shall each day write on a slate, a part or all of the 
 day's reading lesson is a very good one. Such a method, in addition 
 to the positive good results has negative ones, such as keeping the 
 children busily engaged, to recommend it. So much importance is 
 attached to this plan in some of the schools of the American cities^ 
 that the junior scholars not only write their reading lessons, but 
 dispense with the books altogether and read their lessons from the 
 slates. 
 
 Two years ago 90 per cent, of the scholars in our fourth Headers, 
 in this county, wrote with very great difficulty the simplest of 
 f-entences to dictation. Now, owing to some degree of attention 
 
I 
 
 can 
 
 but 
 
 having boen paid to it, scliolars in most of tho schools in the seooxd 
 reader writo similar sentences witli ease. That our programme, 
 wliile based on a sound principle is ill suited in many rosp<>ct.■^ 
 to the vast majority of our sclioois is plain to every i)raetical 
 teacher. The idea of uniformity is carrie<l too far, for cleurly 
 a programme which id adapted to a, graded school in a town or 
 village, will be quite out of place when applied to some of the 
 rural schools. Only in a very few schools, in my opinion, can some of 
 the FIFTH form subjects, such as Chemistry, Fkysiolf^tfy, Cioil Govern' 
 meat or A(jri(mUvre, be taught with even a chance of advantage. Aa 
 it is best to read but a few books and read them carefully and often, 
 so it is wise to teach a narrow range of subjects, giving to each ckf 
 them ample and thorough scrutiny. That a desire for uniformity 
 has led to mistakes in other directions, is evident from a 
 glance at the regulation which makes it necessary for 
 each High iSchool Board to employ %n Assistant Teacher. 
 Now, certainly, there are High Schools, where, owing to the small 
 attendance no assistant is needed ; and to pay that assistant is a 
 financial load calculated in some casea to suspend operations 
 completely. 
 
 perhaps no accomplishment is rarer than that of reading in s 
 pleasing and intelligible style. To be compelled to listen to the 
 drawling monotone of one pupil, and for a change to the harsh, rapid, 
 and high-pitched accents of another, and then to the stammering 
 f)tyle of a third, who will pause just when the sense forbids, who, 
 knowing nothing of a rising or falling inflection, always sinks the 
 voice into a whisper at the end of each sentence, is surely three-fold 
 torture. May we not justly attribute much of this faultiness of style 
 to imperfect teaching? I can safely say that in the matter of reading, 
 there has been marvellous improvement in the schools of Haldimand. 
 In most of them appreciative attention is carefully paid to pauses, 
 attempts are being made to inflect the voice and cultivate an easy 
 and natural style. As teachers, we should not forget the 
 plain utility of some simple rules of elocution, that 
 there are ''pauses," and important ones too, which the printers' 
 art does not reveal to us, that unless we attend to the 
 one emphatic word of every sentence we fail to bring out its full 
 meaning; that the simplest interrogatory sentence admits of half a 
 dozen shades of meaning according to the changes of emphasis and 
 intonation. Much of the dithculty is due to a want of attention to 
 beginners. If well taught at flrst, progress will be sure and swift, 
 whereas if the early teaching be careless and defective, the task of 
 substituting a good method for a bad one, will be doubly difficult. 
 
 Connected with the question of progress in certain branches of 
 study, in relation I might say of cause and effect, are the two items 
 of examination of teachers and school accommodation. The 
 provisions now in force for the examination of teachers, are 
 such that if wisely carried out, the standard of the profession must 
 be raised, and along with it the status of our schools. A council of 
 instruction may pass regulations wine and equitable, school officials 
 
6 
 
 mny enmostly sfrivo <o mvrv llioiia into oi\\-ct, yot nil will lio "llat, 
 titalo ami iiii])i'(>litiil)h)" uiiloss our tencliyi's aro botli <)Uiililio'l for 
 tljoir work .-iikI consfif-ntioii^ in tli(> disolnr'^i^ of their cvory 
 <l"ity. Tlio fi(;t that somehow or nnothor teMchers i-octjived First 
 nntl S«(;on<l Class (!ortilic!i(e4 tlireo aTid four yoars n<xo, 
 who «onl(l not now oht.iiu a tliird, tluit uhilo it was 
 exceptional for iin iipplic.int to fill tln'ii, tho-!o wlio siinc^'ed 
 now are but thirty per cent, ol" tlio whole, is known to nil of 
 U8. To explain this fiict l»y a mere glance at the prrxonuii of the 
 examining hoards, is a thint; impossiliie, since in not a f(^w instances 
 our C-'ounty Councils have wist^ly retained as exiuniners, members of 
 the old boards. TIk* oft- uttered statement that the standard is too 
 lugh, that the supply f)!' teaeliers must of a eonseipuuiee fail to meet 
 the demand, wIkiu sifted contains but little r('ason ami loss truth. 
 
 Tho number of oertilicatod teachers is probably larger than over 
 before 5 they certainly I'oceivo Ix^tter salaries | the, vast majority of 
 them hold certiiicates of the tliird grad(>, and tlu^ standard of that 
 grade is even now too low. The following stiiti.stics may hero bo 
 fittingly introduced : — 
 
 Examination of Dec. IS"]— Out of 21 can(U<latcs 12 were successf-il. 
 •< " July 1872— " 47 " 29 " «' 
 
 " " Dec. 1872— " 26 « 8 " " 
 
 « " July 1873— " 41 « 20 " " 
 
 The fact that many applicants who fail at ono examination, 
 instead of being discouraged, try again and are successful, is a matter 
 of great satisfaction to the examiners. We all, J am sure, rejoice to 
 know that we are to have additional Normal Schools, and that thcit 
 location will make them easy of access to districts hitherto unprd- 
 vided for. I would wish that riiore of our teachers would attend these 
 schools, since those who can, through books alone, without any out- 
 side help, "pick up" a good style of teaching, are very few in 
 number. So long as nine-tenths of our teachers are persons who 
 have attended only a public school, who have had no opportunity of 
 comparing different methods of teaching, and who, so soon as they 
 obtain a certificate, set up shop themselves, acquiring what little 
 method they have by years of rough and expensive experience, our 
 schools will progress but slowly. Surely teaching is a profession, and 
 being such requires consitlerablo time in the mastery of its principles. 
 
 No one, whose attention has been called to the matter, could 
 imagine the miserable condition of the majority of tho school-houses 
 of 1871. At that time there were not ten i)roperly furnished build- 
 ings in Ilaklimand. Many of them with low ceilings, broken floors, 
 and damaged windows, had for seats nothing other than tho antiquated 
 bench facing the wall. Too cold and too hot by turns in winter, and 
 suffocating in summer, with notliing to attract and everything to 
 discourage scholars, we wondei- that an intelligent publie has so long 
 tolerated tluur existence. Even now in some sections, thougli atten- 
 tion has been generally directed to tho gri(;vance, tho Trustees seem 
 to study every i)Ossiblo means for postponing tho erection of a 
 
vill ],o '<fl„t, 
 iliialiliod for 
 tli(!ii' f«vf»ry 
 '(iivod First 
 y<'ar.-j nfio, 
 'I" it was 
 
 i» to nil of 
 
 IIDIcl of tlio 
 
 iMv instancoH 
 mciuhor.s of 
 Klard is too 
 fail to moot 
 s truth. 
 
 >!• than over 
 majority of 
 ai'<l of that 
 ly liero bo 
 
 I succossfil. 
 «( 
 
 u 
 
 u 
 
 :amination, 
 
 is a matter 
 
 !, rejoice to 
 that th( ii- 
 
 rto unprd. 
 
 tend these 
 !iny out- 
 ly few in 
 sons who 
 tunity of 
 I as they 
 
 .'hat littio 
 'nee, our 
 sion, and 
 
 fine iples. 
 
 er, could 
 ol-houses 
 ed build- 
 en floors, 
 itiquated 
 titer, and 
 thing to 
 so long 
 ?li atten- 
 ses seem 
 on of a 
 
 I 
 
 s»iitabh> biiildinj^. in tlic ni'iin, liowcvor, I am o'<i)e('iiilly 
 lijni titled at the imi»rovements etl'ected. In two years sixteen 
 brick buildings have boon or(>oto(l ; nil of Ihom substantial ami 
 well furnished, some ol" them modi'ls o[' neatness and finish. 
 In a do/on sections, preparations are being made for replacing tho 
 old houses, so that we have good reason to hope that in a year or two 
 at Ihrthost, our cotmty will no longer be noticeable for the miserable 
 stylo of its school-houses. Three of tho newly erecte<l buildings, I 
 might add, accommodate two teachers, and will seat each of them 
 1 10 scholars; also, that of tho SO school-houses in Ilaldimand 33 aro 
 brick, 39 aro fi'ame, 3 are stone, and 5 aro log. 
 
 To summarize the foregoing statements, we iiavk progressed since 
 1871, swiftly in one ]»articular, slowly and steadily in several others. 
 Let us hope that each year will tind iis making additional efforts; that 
 our Municipal Councils will deal liberally with us; that the public 
 will lend its earnest i)atronage ; that our teachers with better salaries 
 than now, will cling lovingly to then* noble profession, and do their 
 utmost to instil into the minds of our youth principles of truth and 
 l)iety, patriotism and i:)hilanthropy. But as the shield has its reversed 
 side, as tho blackest cloud may have a silver lining, so our subject 
 ore it be dismissed, must be presented in a new and gloomy aspect. 
 Let us not forget that there are hundreds ot children in each of 
 our counties who arc growing up in ignorance ; who never darken the 
 doors of school-houses ; who spend their time most of them in 
 idleness, a few of them in cruel drudgery; whose future it is sod to 
 contemplate. Until we force the parents or guardians of such to 
 educate them ; until noticing that a large per cent, of our youth, 
 attending school less than twenty days each year, reap no good 
 therefrom, wo stir ourselves to lind a remedy ; our system, admirable 
 though it is in some respects, is lamentably deficient. 
 
 Who does not remember many of the inimitable passages of the 
 people's novelist, Charles Dickens? Who does not recollect that 
 some of the finest of these passages have a direct bearing on school 
 subjects? How dearly Dickens loved the young; how truthfully and 
 fondly does ho depict their joys and sorrows, their struggles and their 
 hopes? Turn to the scene describing Nickleby's introduction to the 
 system of teaching adopted by his employer, the ignorant and cruel 
 Sciueers. Squeers, utterly unacquainted with oven the elements of the 
 simplest subject, kept a boarding-school in a remote part of England, 
 and owing to flaming advertisements announcing thorough teaching 
 and low foes, parents, careful in other items perhaps, but 
 very careless in the all-important one of education, sent to 
 him their children. Tho scene referred to reads as follows : — 
 "This is the first class in English spelling and Philosophy, 
 Nickleby; now, then, whero's tho first ;)oy? Please sir, he's cleaning 
 the back parlor window, said the temporary head of tho Philosophical 
 class. iSo he is, to bo sure, rejoined iSqueers. We go upon the 
 practical mode of teaching Nickleby; clean, a verb active, to make 
 
 bright, to scour : w i n U e r. a ca&emcnt : 
 
 when a bov knows this out 
 
\ 
 
 8 
 
 of a book, he goes and does it. It's just tl«e same principle as the 
 use of the globes. Where's the second boy ? Please sir, he's weeding 
 the garden, replied a small voice. To be sure, said Squeers, so he is ; 
 bot-tin-ney, noun substantive, a knowledge of plants j when he 
 has learned that botany means a kno" ledj-^e of plants, he goes and 
 kaows them ; that's our system, Nickleby, what do you think of it? 
 It is a very useful one at any rate, answered Nicholas. I believe 
 you rejoined Squeers ; third boy, what's a horse ? A beast sir, replied 
 the boy So it is, said Squeers, ain't, it Nickleby? I believe there is 
 no doubt of that, answered Nicholas. Of course there isn't, said 
 Squeers. A horse is a quadruped, and quadruped is Latin for beasi^ 
 as everybody that's gone through the grammar knows, or else where's 
 the use of having grammars at all ; where, indeed, said Nicholas, 
 abstractedly. As you are perfect in that, resumed Squeers, turping to 
 the boy, co and Iook after my horse and rub him down well, or I'll 
 rub you down. The rest of the class go and draw water up till some- 
 body tells you to leave off, for it's washing day to-morrow, and they 
 want the boilers filled. So saying he dismissed the first class to their 
 experiments in Practical Philosophy." 
 
 The ^enus Squeers, if it ever had an existence in Canada, is long 
 since extmct. The satirist, looking for a vulnerable point in oup 
 system, would doubtless call attention to the fact, that with the best of 
 intentions, we allow tens of thousands of children to grow up in rudest 
 ignorance. May the day soon dawn when these waifs will be cared for, 
 when compulsory laws will be strictly enforced, when our system in all 
 re&pects will be on a footing with the age. In conclusion, ladies and 
 gentlemen^ I thank you for the patient hearmg you have extended to 
 me, a hearmg worthy of somethmg be' ^.er than I bad to offer you. 
 
 ^ 
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9 
 
 iple as the 
 s's weeding 
 '*», so he is J 
 i ; when he 
 9 goes and 
 nk of it? 
 I believe 
 sir, replied 
 fe there is 
 isn't, said 
 1 for beasi^ 
 se Where's 
 I Nicholas, 
 turping to 
 ^ell or I'll 
 till some- 
 , and they 
 88 to their 
 
 a, is long 
 it in our 
 le best of 
 in rudest 
 cared for, 
 iem in all 
 ladies and 
 ^nded to 
 you. 
 
 
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