THE COLONIST.

Colonist, Issue II, 8 December 1857, Page 2

THE COLONIST.

'NELSON, TtTEbDAY, DECEMBER '8, 1857-

" As truth is truth, :; ' . And, told by halves, may, from a simple thing By misconstruction to a monster grow, ' I'il tell the whole truth.*' ' Sheridan Knowles. Agreeably with prior intimation, we institute a few inquiries relative to general education. We do this as the organ of no party, and with no other object before us but popular usefulness. Indeed we may as well say, once for all, that we care for nothing but the right, as much as we can discover it. Should that prove unpopular, as it possibly may, then the multitude will eschew us; should it be unprosperbus, for a time, so may we be; should it be a plant too upward for any adverse winds and changes here, then we must do our best to shelter it, and if, after all, our efforts become inadequate, we must strive to fix and rear it in, more favourable circumstances. In the meantime we fear not; we at least shall prosper, like the rightly planted tree of the Psalmist, in the verdure and fruitfulness of purposes firmly rooted, and efforts shooting to the skies. One of the greatest arts of Education consists in training the child pleasantly but vigorously with uniform reference to the final completion of the man. The chief objections to former systems of instruction were, that they but imperfectly addressed the reason through the affections. The master became the deputy of the parent, but wanted parental adaptations to the united intellect and heart of his charge. His teachings were cold, abstruse, unimpressive, and unwelcome: the poor child felt what we call a heart, a conscious life of sympathy with nature, and love for its attractions,—another phasis of the Platonic affection, or complacent esteem.for the loveliness of verity in its multiform fascinations. But this he experienced in vain, under the perplexities and coercions of his tasks. He was taught to think as much as possible without due play for the exquisite susceptibilities and emotions that were so fondly cherished on his mother's breast. He was to forego the instincts of infancy, to learn to be a man! Whereas the true teaching is to perfect in the .man the endearing simplicities of the child. Even the reign of the heavens, —for which men solicit devoutly the most divi»e schooling,—is but a fairer and fuller similitude of the " little child." Strange it is, and antichristian as strange, that stout Christians should be so gigantically orthodox as to . become too big for this. Herein notwithstanding, is the loveliest type of all the Great Teacher ever taught. And from hence, as from an exhaustless fountain, of all purest tuition, the instructor and learner should derive all the instructions for their respective pursuits. Whenever the General Parliament shall legislate again on the truly momentous question of National Education, it would not be unphilosophical to place " in the midst" of the Assembly, in front of the Speaker's majestic chair, a chubby, lisping babe, and to regulate all their wise enactments by his 4 wants and capabilities. Each member releamingf himself backward to his own infancy, might, in idea, again start in the preparatory circus of being, with the dear little fellow before him, and provide accordingly, with a closely-felt concern, for the successful training of youth. The great fault of legislation, is legislation in the abstract: the multiplicity of legal distractions arises from abstractive folly or inaptitude. Let us beware of this ourselves, and keep to our subject,—to the live and throbbing concrete of youthful education; to education^ not as a lifeless, or gracefully painted tree of knowledge, but a living, budding, fruitful a-ealjtty, waving its duly pruned and regulated branches, protected carefully from drought, from sterility, and from blight. Our last Leader asks for a more comprehensive and useful system of Education. In referring to this, we .desire to notice the Mnd of tuition rather than the mode of instruction now required. Let any gentleman of liberal views, travel with vis through the chief countries of Europe, and States and Empires, &c. of America, and we doubt not but he will be struck forcibly, after a calm review of the whole, that, however learning and divers accomplishments of high value, characterize thousands, there is a dreadful, an alarming heed of that systematic popular instruction which directly affects the bosoms and employments of the millions. There is a crying starvation as to that noblest discipline which makes men pre-eminently men. Something, truly, may be learned from Greece and Rome, elder schools of thought, but what is now essential is information on innumerable subjects peculiar to our own times, or the principal excellence of which our social, political, and religious superiority demands to render our youth equal to their era. We have bequeathed to us, by our fathers, cyclopedias of religion and ethics, manuals of man's "whole duty," "moral economies," schemes of " self-knowledge,'' " remedies " of evil, spiritual "cases," " exercises " of all sorts, " relative duties," codes of " obedience," "patterns," and catechisms; lately we have had, in ample series, "Pinnock's," " Goldsmith's," "Chambers' Educational Course," &c, and a host of other scholastic publications that have flourished under patronage, English, Scotch, Irish, and American; to these we xnay add large importations from Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and even France, not forgetting that foremost of arbitrary, but very thorough teachers, Prussia; nay, even the Celestials have been found, according to their means, to transcend, in elaboration and systematic completeness, all others. An enlarged policy has not been afraid, like some empiricks attempting dribbles of information in schools and their reports, to glean from despotism itself when wise, beneficial light for our common nature. But after all we have no well-digested class book, or universally suitable instructor, adapted to common youtli ere leaving school at thirteen or fourteen years of age. An encheiridion, patented for all youth, suited universally to all schools, and likewise to more perfect domestic tuition, still remains, the great want of the age. A well-executed and beautifully-embellished treatise, as a reward book, the acknowledged mastery of which by the pupil would be a recommendation for ability, equal to a minor degree, and a passport to active life, must be an incalculable boon. A handsome state premium offered for such a work, might accelerate the advance of the rising generation amazingly. What seems to be most desirable is a compendium, in the best style of general literary art, embracing in* an engaging and impressive manner the main duties and relations of actual life as they should be unfolded by, 1. King and Subject; 2. General Government and Administration; 3. Magistrate, or Judge and Juror; 4. Elector and Representative; 5. Public Civil, Military, and Naval Officers; 6. Popular Instructors as writers, speakers,' or pictorial ar-

tists; 7> Common Tutors and Pupils. In connexion with these more general social relationships, private obligations, mutually subsisting between, 2. Parent and; Child,; i. Husband and Wife; 3. Youth and Maiden; 4. Employer arid Assistant; '5. Guardian and Ward ; 6. Friend and Friend ;• 7. Neighbours, Strangers, &c.:—These might all .be set forth delightfully, and be thus of uiitold benefit to Society. All Schools should possess and teach good abstracts of General Laws, of most perfect Geography, of the various arts, of science, literature, and employment at large. To all this, at least, school instruction should be zealously directed. All ministers of religion, Christians, free citizens, and true patriots should press forward to this educational goal,—this prize of the rising hope of our Country. Renovate the world through the scholastic and kindred- institutions of your own national dominion. Do your best at this noble work, and none but knaves or fools will oppose you. Other branches of the theme of Education will receive attention in their order*