Moral means employed in E. fall naturally under two heads: disci pline, or moral training; and instruction, or the imparting of information; although the two often run into each other. Under the head of discipline, come the forming of habits of order, self-control, obedience, civility, love of truth, and reverence for what is good and great. All but the mere outward forms of these is beyond the power of direct teaching; they are imbibed through the silent influence of example. The child instinctively respects and reverences what it sees others respect and reverence; above all, the unselfish affections are called forth only by the breath of affection from with out. In this part of the process, it is evident that the school and the professional edu cator only play a part along with other influences. Nor do they even play the chief part ; the home and neighborhood are here the predominent educators.—We cannot here enter into the Vexed question of the teaehing Of religion in SchbolS; it falls under the head of NATIONAL EDUCATION; as does also the question between voluntary and state schools.
As the process of moral development, through the general surrounding influences, is for the most part unconscious on the part both of those who act and those who are acted upon, it has not yet secured the attention it deserves; in fact, the other branch of the subject, viz., instruction, or intellectual E., being more particularly the business of the schoolmaster, has come in common language to usurp the whole field, so that, by E., we seldom mean more than the imparting of information—instruction.
business of instruction involves two main considerations-1. What to teach? and 2. How to teach it? 1. Of the vast mass of truths composing the sum of human knowledge, which are to be selected as the encyclopedia or curriculum of study for youth? In determining this question, it is to be borne in mind that every truth learned serves two uses—as knowl edge to be acted upon, and as mental discipline. In selecting, then, what to teach, we have to consider, not only what is in itself most useful, but also what has the greatest degree of improving effect. On this point, we agree with a recent writer, that " we may be quite sure that the acquirement of those classes of facts which are most useful for regulating the conduct, involves a mental exercise best fitted for'strengthening the faculties." If this is true, the prominence given to the teaching of the dead languages of Greece and Rome, in modern E. generally, is more than questionable. It is not disputed that.a course of the classics,well taught and well learned, is a good intellectual discipline; but so is any kind of knowledge well taught and well learned, a good intellect ual discipline—better than more valuable knowledge imperfectly taught and learned.
The question is, whether an equally good culture of the faculties would not be got from a systematic course of equal duration of English and other modern languages, together with [logic and moral and physical science. In this case, the subject-matter of the teaching would be an acquisition of great value in after-life to every one, which cannot be said of the other. In the learned professions, no doubt, and for those following literary pursuits, a knowledge of Greek and Latin is of direct use, and will doubtless continue an indispensable element of E.; but perhaps three fourths of those who receive what is called a " liberal" E., and therefore devote the strength of six or seven years to Greek and Latin, never open a book in these languages from the time they leave school. We are not prepared to maintain that the same effects in the way of discipline have as yet been actually produced, on any great scale at least, by the teaching of science and of modern languages, as result from the drill of the classical schools; but we believe that this arises from the fact that no such course of instruc tion has hitherto been pursued with the same system and perseverance which charac terize classical schools.
In respect of direct utility, the things most necessary to know, are those that bear most directly 1. On the preservation of life and health, and the proper performance of the more common industrial labors. This involves a knowledge of our own bodies and of the bodies of which the universe is made up; in other words, more or less of the knowl edge which, when put into systematic forms, is known as the sciences of physiology, natural philosophy, and the other physical sciences.
2. A knowledge of our moral relations. Besides a knowledge of the ordinary moral duties, and the high religious sanctions with which they are enforced, this implies some acquaintance with the laws of economy.
3. As a preliminary step, and as the medium through which all other knowledge is conveyed, there is required a knowledge of the mother-tongue, and the faculty of read ing and writing it. Allied to language is a knowledge of counting and measuring, and the naming and classifying of the objects of which the world is composed (natural history), together with a knowledge of the countries and places on the earth's surface (geography).