lished in Scot his own; ready, and this increase continued throughout the subStow estab- sequent years of the society. In 1829 Wilderspin also land a modi- visited Scotland at the invitation of David Stow (1793fied type of 1864) of Glasgow,1 who had three years before established infant schools upon a modified plan of his own. He adopted the playground and 'gallery' of Wilderspin, but was much less mechanical and memoriter in his method, and broader in his purpose. The Home and Colonial ety of London under took to com bine the in fant schools with Pestalozzianism; An important organization for training infant school School Soci- teachers, known as 'The Home and Colonial School Society,' 2 was established at London in 1836. The founder of the society was a retired civil officer, but the most influential members were James Pierrepont Greaves (1777– 1842) and Rev. Charles Mayo, D. D. (1792-1846), who had studied with Pestalozzi at Yverdon. Through them it was decided to extend Pestalozzi's principles to the poor, and the society undertook to graft Pestalozzianism upon the infant school stock. Object teaching and the training of the senses were emphasized rather than verbal training and the use of the memory. A great improvement in observation took place in the infant schools, but even then there was still too much imitation of the formal instruction of older children, and memorizing of material not fully understood. Moreover, there remained a tendency to cultivate infant prodigies by an appeal to emulation and by public exhibitions, which puffed up the brilliant pupils and quite discouraged the mediocre. A 1 A detailed account of this visit is found in Wilderspin's Early Discipline, Chaps. VI-X. 2 This association was founded as "The Home and Colonial Infant School Society,' but in 1845 the words ‘and Juvenile' were inserted in the title, to show a widened purpose, and, when this proved too cumbrous, the name was reduced to the form given in the text above. and, when the public system was established, infant schools were training college was opened, and after 1843 the course became greatly improved through Mayo's sister, Elizabeth, who arranged to give all her time to the institution. The work of Wilderspin, Stow, and the Home and Colonial School Society was so influential that infant schools spread rapidly in Great Britain, and were adopted as a regular part of the public system, when it eventually adopted as a was established in 1870. Schools for children between three and seven were organized in a separate department under the guidance of a trained teacher. Improvements were gradually introduced into the methods of these infant schools. By 1874 a marked change was made through merging in them some of the methods and games of the kindergarten. Schools open to all younger children likewise sprang up generally in the United States. They first arose toward the end of the first quarter of the nineteenth century, but for many years were not regarded as an essential part of the public school system, and were managed separately. The establishment of these schools in American cities and their gradual fusion with the public system is of sufficient importance to demand separate consideration. regular part. tutions were the United States. 'Primary Schools' in Boston.-In Boston one of Similar insti the most influential factors in bringing about the estab- established lishment of these schools for younger children was the separately in introduction of Sunday schools.1 Through these institutions were discovered the illiteracy of three-fourths of the poor children in attendance, and the need of their learning to read, if any attention were to be given to religion. As pupils were not admitted to the public 1 See p. 53. 'Primary schools' were started in a separate united with 1854; schools until they could read and write, and as many of the parents were unable to teach their children themselves and could not afford the slight expense of the 'dame' schools, a considerable number of children were altogether debarred from even an elementary education. Hence those citizens actively engaged in the work of religious and philanthropic associations became interested in the agitation for 'primary schools.' After two petitions and much discussion in town meeting, in 1818 the first modest appropriation, $5000, was made for 'primary Boston under schools,' 'to provide instruction for children between board in 1818, four and seven years of age.' While the 'Primary School and were not Committee' was nominally a sub-committee of the city the rest of board of management, it was in effect a separate organizathe public system until tion. By 1844 the weakness of the organization and methods in this dual school system had become apparent, although Horace Mann met with great opposition in his endeavors to improve the situation. The Primary School Committee remained a separate body for a decade longer, but all public schools were in 1854 consolidated and the existing committees merged in a single organization. These primary schools were divided into four grades, beginning with the study of the alphabet and closing with reading in the New Testament. Besides reading, writing, and spelling, sewing and knitting were taught the girls, since their poverty made these accomplishments useful. As a whole, a formal course of instruction and the 'monitorial' system 1 were employed until about 1840, when the primary schools became generally permeated with the subjects and methods started by Pestalozzi.2 1 See pp. 56f. 1 2 See pp. 139ff. School Soci 1827 opened three years School Soci 'Infant Schools' in New York and Other Cities.Schools for younger pupils were first opened in New York almost a decade later than in Boston. In 1827 an 'Infant School Society' was organized there to furnish the means of instructing poor children between three and six years an Infant of age, and an 'infant school' was opened in the basement ety of New of the Canal Street Presbyterian Church. A ‘junior A 'junior York City in department' was also established in the basement of schools, which 'School No. 8,' where hitherto, as in the case of the other later became institutions belonging to the 'Public School Society,' 1 the 'primary departments' the pupils of all grades had been taught on the 'monitor- of the Public ial' 2 basis in a single department. Early the following ety's instituyear a committee of the Public School Society visited tions; these two infant schools. They were much pleased with the Pestalozzian principles they saw embodied there and pronounced them "a judicious combination of instruction and amusement, calculated to form and elicit ideas, rather than mere literal knowledge, though this was by no means neglected." They recommended the continuance of the 'junior department' and the establishment of an 'infant school' in the basement of 'School No. 10,' and this was shortly done. Hence, while the infant schools came under the immediate control of the Public School Society, they were really the offspring of the Infant School Society, and after some discussion, it was decided to use the Pestalozzian system rather than the Lancasterian. Although both societies would have been glad to extend the number of infant schools, they were for a time prevented by financial and legal considerations. In 1830, however, these schools became known as the 'primary departments' of the schools in pp. 60 and 97f. 2 See pp. 53ff. 1 See after 1827 Philadelphia and other centers of Pennsylvania organized in fant and pri mary schools; which they were located, and thereafter formed a regular feature of all the Public School Society's institutions.1 A committee was appointed in 1832 to examine the Society's schools and suggest improvements. Upon the recommendation of two of this committee, who had inspected education in Boston, primary schools were established in rented rooms in sufficient numbers to be within easy reach for the young children. The subject-matter and methods were likewise made less formal. In the same year that the first infant school was opened in New York, three similar institutions were founded in Philadelphia and other centers in Pennsylvania through Robert Baux. By 1830 the number of infant schools in the state had risen to ten, with two to three thousand pupils. As the numbers would indicate, the schools were largely organized upon the Lancasterian plan. Two years later a model infant school was started in Philadelphia, and in 1834 six others were organized. lished them. By 1837 there were thirty primary schools in Philadelphia and about the same time Hartford, Baltimore, and other American cities estab alone. Several other cities started infant schools early. Hartford began them in 1827, and Baltimore in 1829. These institutions were in most cases fostered by the leading men of the community, and the ultimate service performed for American education by this form of philanthropy was considerable. Among other improvements, the infant schools developed a better type of school-room, secured separate rooms for different classes, introduced better methods and equipment, encouraged 1 Hence the arrangement of two principals, a woman in the primary and a man in the grammar department, still exists in many of the New York public schools. |