The greatest triumph in the profession of education ever achieved by
man was that of EZEKIEL RICH, of New Hampshire, born in 1784, whose
successful experiments at Troy, New Hampshire, were fully reported in
1838 to the American Institute of Instruction, and were described in
the last edition of the "_New Education_."
Mr. Rich demonstrated that a solid scientific, literary, moral, and
industrial education, qualifying boys and girls for a successful
business life, and greatly superior to the education now given, might
be imparted to youth while they were also sufficiently occupied in the
industrial way to _pay all their expenses_.
This is incomparably beyond anything that even the most famous
teachers have ever done, for it brings the gospel of industrial
salvation to all struggling laborers who dwell in poverty--not
immediate salvation for themselves, but salvation for their class, by
making education free for all, and giving to the children of the
poorest laborer the opportunity of a career in which independence is
sure, and wealth a possibility.
The profession of teaching, like all other professions, runs in its
fixed grooves or, as popularly expressed, its "ruts," and it will be
long ere the noble example of RICH will inspire a spirit of imitation.
His exposition of his method lay almost half a century unnoticed,
until I brought it before the National Educational Association.
Upon the subject of Industrial Training, Mr. Geo. P. Morris has
resurrected an old treatise, published by Thomas Budd, in 1685,
describing East and West Jersey, in which he lays down a system of
practical education which he wished to see adopted in Pennsylvania and
New Jersey.
He wishes a thousand acres of land given to maintain each school, free
for the poor, the rich, and the Indians--the _children being_
_maintained_ free of expense to parents from the profits of the school
"_arising by the work of the scholars_." They are to be occupied in
"learning to read and write true English, Latine and other useful
speeches and languages, and fair writing, arithmatick and bookkeeping;
and the boys to be taught and instructed in some mystery or trade, as
the making of mathematical instruments, joynery, turnery, the making
of blocks and watches, weaving, shoemaking, or any other useful trade
or mystery that the school is capable of teaching; and the girls to be
taught and instructed in spinning of flax and wool, and knitting of
gloves and stockings, sewing and making of all sorts of useful
needlework, and the making of straw-work, as hats, baskets, etc., or
any other useful art or mystery that the school is capable of
teaching.
"3. That the scholars be kept in the morning two hours, at
reading, writing, book-keeping, etc., and the other two hours at
work in that art, mystery, or trade that he or she _most
delighteth in_, and then let them have two hours to dine and for
recreation; and in the afternoon, two hours at reading, writing,
etc., and the other two hours at work at their several
imployments."
Budd quotes from a book by Andrew Yarenton an account of the
spinning-schools in Germany, as follows: "In all towns there are
schools for little girls, from six years old and upwards, to teach
them to spin, and to bring their tender fingers by degrees to spin
very fine; their wheels go all by the foot, made to go with much ease,
whereby the action or motion is very easie and delightful. The way,
method, rule, and order how they are governed is, 1st. There is a
large room, and in the middle thereof a little box like a pulpit.
2ndly, There are benches built around about the room, as they are in
playhouses; upon the benches sit about two hundred children spinning,
and in the box in the middle of the room sits the grand mistress, with
a long white wand in her hand," with which she designates the idle for
punishment.
"They raise their children as they spin finer to the higher
benches. 2d. They sort and size all the threds, so that they can
apply them to make equal cloths; and after a young maid has been
three years in the spinning-school, that is taken in at six, and
then continues until nine years, she will get eight pence the
day, and, in these parts I speak of, a man that has most
children lives best."
Eight pence a day at that time was good wages for an artisan.
Thos. Budd was more than two hundred years ahead of the teachers of
America, for they are just beginning to introduce Industrial
Education, and they have not reached up to this idea of making the
work of pupils pay their expenses, which Budd proposed, and which Rich
realized.
In Yarenton's account of the spinning-schools, the reader will observe
that the children are occupied solely in spinning, their minds being
left without culture. How easy would it have been for the grand
mistress, instead of merely watching their work, to have been
instructing them orally in any species of knowledge, or leading them
in singing, which would have made their time pass delightfully, and
cultivated all the finer sentiments of the soul.
RICH has the honor of proving that this could be done, and that there
was no fatigue, but continual pleasure all day long when the monotony
of work was relieved by instruction, and the instruction that would
have been monotonous by itself was made pleasant by being intermingled
with hand work.
Man cannot be well trained or developed in fragments. Head, hand, and
soul must all co-operate, and then each strengthens the other. When
shall we have another RICH?
Boston is making progress in industrial education. At the exhibition
of a school in Brookline, conducted by our worthy friend, Mr. Griffin,
fine cabinet work, bureaus, desks, etc., were shown, equal to the work
of the best mechanics, produced by boys of from twelve to sixteen
years, after forty or fifty lessons of three hours each.
This is the true method of conquering poverty and putting an end to
social discontent. When all youth of both sexes are trained in
industrial skill and diversified employments, poverty will disappear.