372 Examinations and Exhibitions. [Aug. teach by his example, what it becomes his duty to inculcate by precept. We would also suggest the formation in academies and schools of societies for mutual improvement, in these acquirements. We think boys might thus be made to do much in some such way to improve themselves in orthography and pronunciation. We have heard of Lyceums, and all sorts of plans for improvement' in science, philosophy, &c; but the plan of teaching people how to write and speak their own tongue, which, it is a lamentable fact, a large portion are unable to do, would be, we believe, a novel project, though not less useful than new. Why not defer teaching people Astronomy, Philosophy, Geology and Botany, till they have thoroughly learned the rudiments of their own language? We might here speak of bad grammar, which is not the least disagreeable or the least general of faults in regard to language. Every one, almost, is taught grammar at school, and so every one is taught spelling and reading. But who speaks better grammar for having studied it, as the phrase is? Now must these things be so? Is there no way in which people can be taught what, above all things, they ought to know, a thorough knowledge of their own language? We believe there is. We assuredly believe it. We are confident that the people can be brought right' on this subject. And we feel assured that this neglect is, in a great measure, owing to the indifference and neglect, or the ignorance and disqualification, of those who are appointed to instruct the youth of our country. Suitable men, then, must in the first place be placed in charge of our youth; and when that is done, and when the people at large feel, in all its strength, the importance of education in its elementary parts, then may we expect the state of things will be such as it ought to be, and not till then. [From the Academician.] EXAMINATIONS AND EXHIBITIONS. IN a recent number of the Academician and Southern Journal of Education, published at Milledgeville, Geo., we find an extract from a report by W. Baird, read before the Teachers' Society of Georgia, on the subject of Examinations and Exhibitions. The following are the views in regard to Examinations. Examinations should be thorough upon every branch of study, before a select number of literary gentlemen; and be conducted 1834.] Mode of Conducting Examinations. 373 principally by the teachers themselves. The object of an examination being to exhibit the fidelity of the teacher-the standing of the pupils, and the true character of the school - every branch of study should be taken up every important principle should be brought under review, and the pupil made to exhibit what he does not know, as well as what he does know. To effect this, he should be taken off the book as well as on it-out of the ordinary track as well as in it. He should be thrown upon his own resources -be required to take up each principle and wield it himself-to originate examples illustrative of every principle, and give the 'why and wherefore' of everything he advances. All this should be done before a select number of literary gentlemen, fully competent to decide upon the character of every performance, whose special business it should be to attend through the whole course of the examination; with unbiassed minds to mark fidelity where apparent, and collusion, when attempted, to award the palm to merit, and mark the defection of the negligent. An examination of this kind cannot fail to be a test of scholarship, and to answer the ends of its institution. 'A large assembly on such occasions, is perhaps not desirable. For though the attendance of parents and guardians affords encouragement both to teachers and pupils, a very large promiscuous audience tends to create in the minds of teacher and scholar, an unnatural excitement, affords too great a temptation to make an ostentatious display, and frequently interferes greatly with the progress of the exercises. 'Examinations, we have said, should be conducted principally by the teachers themselves. Few persons who are not engaged in imparting instruction, or in some other way unusually conversant with literary and scientific subjects, are sufficiently versed in the higher branches of study, in their minutiæ and depths profound, to go through them with the order, accuracy, and rigid scrutiny above recommended. But if ever so competent, most persons feel a great delicacy in publicly examining the pupils of another. Mod-, est youth also dread to be examined by any but their teachers; and their perturbation of feeling often prevents their exhibiting their real attainments. Hence examinations left to be conducted by parents, guardians, or occasional visitors, can seldom be relied on as accurate tests of real scholarship. The mode of examining is frequently injudicious, generally superficial, and always irregular. An occasional question is put by one and another; the pupil becomes confused, loses confidence, answers at random, forgets, and for the time, is sensible of nothing but the glow of confusion burning on his cheek, and the chagrin consequent upon failure. The great burden of examining should therefore always rest upon the 374 Remarks on Exhibitions. [Aug. teacher. After he has gone through with a regular course, occasional questions might with propriety be put by others; but no other should be known as the regular examiner. How long a time should be spent in an examination, must depend upon the number of classes to be examined, and the number of studies to which they have attended. But if it required a week, or two weeks, we would say, let the examination be thorough. Time spent in examinations of a proper kind, is never lost. On the other hand, it generally benefits the cause of education tenfold more than the same time spent in teaching would do, were examinations entirely dispensed with. How often they should be held, must also depend on circumstances; but we are of the opinion that general and public examinations should be held at least twice a year. Quarterly examinations of a more private nature, when convenient, would also be desirable. The importance of such examinations must be obvious to every reflecting mind. Every school should rise or fall, according to its own merit. But without examinations, parents must judge principally of the character of schools by the progress of their own children. Insulated examples are seldom a correct criterion. Hence, even if parents were always fully competent to estimate the progress of their children, false impressions would probably be numerous. It is from the progress of a school" en masse, we are to judge of its merits; and examinations are the only proper test of that progress.' These remarks certainly deserve the serious reflection of those who object to these public displays of their pupils, and should lead them to ascertain by inquiry and experiment, whether the evils may not be remedied by changing the mode of conducting them. The reporter then goes on to present in their favor the argument that they serve to excite the ambition of the pupils. As this is beyond debate, and is with us and many of our readers one of the most serious objections to examinations, we pass it over, and present the remarks on exhibitions. 'Exhibitions, like examinations, have their defects; and as they are frequently conducted, we consider them of a doubtful, if not entirely objectionable character, especially where they are upon an extensive scale, and of a theatrical kind. They have recently been much reprobated, and entirely excluded from some of our most respectable institutions. This is however going to an extreme. By judicious management, their objectionable features. might be removed, and many benefits derived from them. Public speaking should be attended to by the male members of every school. We think therefore that exhibitions, consisting in the performance of a few, well selected dialogues, with the alternate reading of essays, and the delivering of short, pithy, and appropriate 1834.] Evils of Public Exhibitions. 375 orations, select and original, are calculated to be eminently useful. But those only of the simplest kind we think commendable. Oratory is an all important acquisition, and should be cultivated at an early age; and the performance of simple plays, and spirited dialogues, the adaptation of voice, gesture, countenance, &c, to the spirit of the pieces and the character assumed, is well calculated to inspire confidence, improve enunciation, and give freedom and ease of action. But here the greatest difficulty is to be apprehended. In this adaptation, lies the great art of the successful performer. And if the pieces selected be of a complicated and intricate nature, few boys can be found in common schools and academies, capable of performing them in a proper manner. Failure here ruins all. Hence it is at great hazard that such are attempted; and a great sacrifice must always be made, either of time in previous preparation, on the part of the performer; or a failure must ensue, and a consequent torture, and sacrifice of the feelings of the audience, at seeing superior pieces unmercifully mangled. The ludicrous and riotous scenes attending the performance of such pieces are also much to be deprecated. Pieces selected for such occasions should therefore be of the simplest kind, entirely within the comprehension of the student —— free from everything ludicrous, and should have a decidedly moral tendency. They should be accurately committed to memory, and be frequently acted over previous to the exhibition, with great care, and always under the immediate inspection of the teacher, or some other suitable person. Otherwise, incorrect ideas of speaking will be formed, and unnatural tones of voice, and modes of gesture acquired, greatly to the injury of the performer, and which perhaps no future exertion can remedy. Arranged and conducted as above recommended, we do not conceive that exhibitions can do any harm; and we believe that so far as improvement in public speaking is concerned, they may do much good.' EVILS OF EXHIBITIONS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING. [THE following article from the Journal of the Institute at Flushing will give the results of experience, in regard to the evils of exhibitions, in a school of high standing.] 'We have but little partiality for the public exhibitions of oratory, which are so common in schools like our own. They have their advantages, inasmuch as they interest the pupils engaged in 376 Waste of Time - False Distinctions. [Aug. them, and are always abundantly gratifying to parents. Perhaps nothing is better calculated to secure popularity for a school than successful performances of this kind: for when is parental vanity more agreeably entertained than when in the acting of the boy it presages the eloquence of the man? They may serve, too, to cherish a taste for elocution; they supply an innocent subject of excitement, and in several points of view may have their uses. Accordingly, we have sometimes indulged in them ourselves; but we believe that in general they are much overrated. They are attended with serious evils, and are not productive of the principal good effects at which they aim. 6 One objection to these exhibitions, is the waste of time which they occasion. Unless they are likely to do credit to the school, of course they will not be attempted. But for this purpose, they require much previous preparation. There must be many rehearsals. Each of the young performers must, by frequent repetition, be made perfect in his piece. Sentence by sentence he is taught to" speak the speech as it has been pronounced to him." All this consumes time, besides that it is apt to withdraw the attention of both instructor and pupil from other, and at least equally important matters. The exhibition being a rare occasion, everything else must yield to it. Nor would the time thus expended be lost were it devoted to instruction in elocution, to developing the principles of impressive speaking; but employed as it is in merely drilling a number of boys to their allotted parts in a show, it is time in a great measure thrown away. For what, after all, have the speakers acquired of the science of elocution. A B and C can Tocite their speeches perhaps to admiration, but in that their attainments end. Another objection to these exhibitions is, that they often confer distinction upon the unworthy members of a school. The only requisite for success on such occasions is a talent for declamation, and this, it unfortunately happens, is often a solitary talent. Who knows not, that the most famous spouter may be the poorest scholar, or the most mischievous idler in the community? Nevertheless at the exhibition he is the foremost man. He is the hero of the day. His are the plaudits of the assembly, while his studious and deserving companions are unrewarded and unknown. We do not undervalue a talent for declaiming; but it is manifestly unfair that on the only day in the year in which a school presents itself for public approbation, the palm should be awarded not to genuine inerit, but to flourishing gesture, or "vox et præterea nihil." In a Christian school it will always be considered a further evil in exhibitions, that they tend so much to the encouragement of vanity and a love of applause. To show off well, to be admired, |