of the wages of the teachers, with a moderate quarterly charge upon the students. The funds of some academies amount to fifty or sixty, and of a few to nearly one hundred thousand dollars. Their concerns are chiefly managed by trustees, the mode of whose appointment is various according to the directions of their respective charters. The gymnasia which have been erected in the United States have been mostly the results of individual enterprize, and constructed on the plan of similar establishments in Germany.* The high schools derive their name from an establishment long known under the title of the High School of Edinburgh. They generally embrace a course of classical, mathematical and English education, with the study of modern languages and several departments of natural science. Like their prototype, they have in many instances availed themselves of the effectual aid of monitorial instruction and with the best results, employing it not as a substitute but as an auxiliary for the regular teacher. Prejudice and jealousy have sometimes been found combined to counteract the diffusive usefulness of these establishments, but it is believed their number has not been thereby essentially diminished. The education of females on this plan has been particularly successful. 3. Popular Education.-It would be unjust to omit a notice of the very meritorious exertions which in many parts of the United States have assumed the form of systematic efforts for the purposes of popular instruction. In the principal cities and in many of the larger towns and villages the business of giving instruction of this kind is carried on in regularly organized societies. The method of teaching, which is chiefly by lectures, resembles essentially that employed by the mechanics' institutions and other popular societies of Europe. Among us these establishments are known by the names of Lyceums,"-"Societies for the promotion of useful knowledge,"-"Mechanics' Institutions," Franklin Institutions," &c., and their influence wherever situated/has been highly useful in exciting spirit of inquiry,in rousing an attention to the great topics which engage the minds of men and render them sensible of the dignity and value of a cultivated intellect, and in substituting a fountain of innocent and rational gratification for the idle gossip.or the low dissipation into which the mass of an ignorant community is ever liable to fall. There are, it is believed not less than one thousand of these institutions scattered throughout the whole extent of the United States. But few of them have received any direct aid from legislation. They are mostly voluntary associations for mutual aid and encouragement in the prosecution of a common interest. Besides lectures on the mare popular departments of science, they generally embrace discussions, oral or written, on topics interesting for their practical bearing, but they very judiciously avoid the profitless questions of theology, and party politics. It is not the least of the recommendations of these useful societies, that they offer to teachers and others concerned in the business of education, an opportunity to enlarge the sphere of their usefulness and to benefit the cause of instruction by the discussion of methods and the development of principles, pertaining to youthful education. The establishment of several periodical works of a highly useful character is due to the exertions of these popular institutions. It is worthy of remark in this connexion, that the first Journal of Educationt in the Englishlanguage, was commenced in the United States and was for several years conducted with a spirit and liberality of tone which deserve high commendation. In the mean time the British press has begun to labour in the cause, and a quarterly periodical of most respectable promise has recently been sent forth. Other efforts to the same purpose have likewise been made in America, but their influence has been less direct and beneficial, owing in some instances to the want of due qualifications in their conductors and in others to the partial and sectarian tone which they have assumed. Among the objects of practical instruction which the friends of education have desired to embrace in their plans of improvement, is that of agriculture. And they have anxiously sought for some modification of the foreign establishments which might be adapted to the genius and feelings of America. The establishment of Hofwyl in Switzerland has features wholly repugnant to the republican character, and which must therefore be abandoned before any considerable success will attend these ef forts. The manual labour schools, of which several have been erected in the United States, have too frequently partaken of the theological and sectarian character to admit of general public patronage. 4. Colleges.-The following schedule exhibits a view of the states of the union in regard to collegiate institutions, including the names, places and dates of the several establishments, the number of instructors attached to each, the number of persons who have received their education at each college since its foundation, the number of students at each in 1830-31 as far as could be ascertained, the number of volumes in the libraries of the respective colleges or in those of societies connected with the same, the number of weeks per annum during which instruction is given; the ratio of population to the number of students at college in each state, and the average number of students assigned to one teacher in each college. Among the earliest of this class of schools may be mentioned that at Round Hill, Northampton, Mass. The American Journal of Education," edited by William Russel. Boston, January 1, 1826. 3 L 2 By an examination of the foregoing schedule it will be seen, 1st, That in 55 colleges there is an aggregate of four hundred and five instructors, or an average of about 7 to each college. 2. That in fifty-six colleges of which the numbers of students are given, the aggregate is 5295, making an average number of 943 to each college, and that of the whole number, only nineteen have above 100 students each. 3. That if we suppose one-fourth of the above number, viz. 1322 students to leave college annually, then will each instructor have prepared on an average 3 young men each year for the duties of life, or for entering on the studies of his profession. 4. By a similar comparison of the whole number of teachers with the whole number of students, it will be found that each instructor has on an average 5 29 3 or a small fraction over 13 scholars committed to his charge. 5. That for the use of 47 colleges there have been supplied 197,656 volumes of books. 6. That in the students' libraries of 35 colleges, the aggregate number of volumes is 87,170. (In several colleges not particularly specified there are known to be considerable libraries belonging both to the colleges and to the students.) 7. That the time allotted to instruction in 47 colleges is on an average 41 weeks per annum, leaving 10 weeks for vacations. 8. Supposing the population of the United States to be 13 millions, and the number of graduates 1300, which is probably above the truth, then will the ratio of those who annually graduate to the whole population be Tooooth. This will prove that all the provision of this sort made for public instruction has hitherto been limited to a comparatively small number, and where this kind of education is exclusively relied on, must prove extremely fallacious as a means of maintaining the standard of public intelligence. Many of these institutions, it will be perceived, are in their infancy; and others are struggling against various adverse circumstances which it will require many years to surmount. Some. of them have doubtless been erected in anticipation of the actual wants of the districts of country in which they are placed, and seem to have been established by certain sects and denominations of persons rather to preoccupy the ground and to serve as caveats against others, than with any view to the public necessities. This circumstance has caused the terms college and university to be extremely vague in their application, as the establishments which they denote are almost as different from each other in means and appliances, as some of their number are from the humblest common schools. Twenty of the colleges in the above list have less than sixty scholars each. Many academies and high schools in the country have more than double that number, and the courses of study in the latter are, to all useful purposes, as extensive as those of many of the colleges. In the fifty academies in the state of New York, there were in 1829 on an average about seventy students each. It is a fact somewhat remarkable, that in a country where no hierarchal rule is, or can be established, the authority of controlling education, especially in its higher departments, should be almost exclusively entrusted to the hands of clergymen. Among the names of colleges in the above list it is believed that not more than six can be enumerated of which the presiding officer is not of that profession. It is true the exceptions* are eminent ones, and, though recently made, will be likely to induce imitations in other quarters. Another fact not less worthy of remark in this connexion is, that even in the selection of clergymen to fill the places of heads of colleges and teachers in the various departments, no particular regard has been paid to the previous habits of the individual. A man who has gained perhaps a little notoriety by his declamations, or his boldness, or his uncharitable denunciations, is deemed thereby qualified to prepare the youth of the country for their civil and social duties, and among others for that of mutual kindness and forbearance towards their brethren of all denominations. This forbearance is unquestionably among the first obligations of an American citizen, since the spirit of the national and local compacts is violated by every instance of a departure from the charity it inculcates. 5. Professional Schools, though not essentially connected with the purposes of general instruction, are, to a certain extent, important in a public view. They serve to sustain in their alumni a certain sense of the dignity of the vocation to which they have applied themselves, and to maintain an "esprit du corps" (whether for good or for ill) among those who have derived their motives as well as their principles of action from a common source. In comparing the lists of professional schools for 1831, we perceive that the United States contain twenty-seven of Theology, seventeen of Medicine, and nine of Law. Thus, Theology has erected for itself nearly twice as many establishments as Medicine, and three times as many as the Law. following tablest, and the appended remarks, contain all that we deem it necessary to add in regard to this part of our subject. TABLE LI. The A List of Theological Seminaries in the United States, with the denominations by which they are upheld; the places in which they are established; the date of their commencement; number of Clergymen they have sent forth; number of Students in 1831; the number of Volumes in their Libraries, and the number of Profes sors attached to each. The exceptions referred to, are Cambridge, Columbia (N. Y.), University of Virginia, and South Carolina College; to which may be added the new Girard College, in which the absurd practice of setting those to control teachers who have no knowledge of teaching, is effectually guarded against. For many of the facts here presented, as well as for others relating to the subject under consideration, acknowledgment is due to the conductors of that useful annual, the American Almanac, commenced at Boston in 1830. Besides the foregoing establishments there are scattered throughout the country several schools ostensibly devoted to general education, and manual labour combined, but in fact the pupils are generally considered to be in the incipient stages of preparation for theological pursuits. Of these, there are several in the state of New York, one or more in Maine, and one, at least, in Pennsylvania, which is believed to have recently attached itself to a hitherto vacant college charter, at Easton. TABLE LII. List of Medical Schools or Medical Departments of Colleges and Universities in the United States, with their situations, number of Professors and Students. No. of Stud. 1825 25 22 1,020 2 1820 100 80 1,600 4 1827 5 1,200 1 1816 1826 43 6,200 2 1824 87 33 24 1825 11 14 4 21 of the medical student during the intermission of regular courses, more profitable than they could be when confined to the solitary closet. Of these no less than three are known to exist in Philadelphia besides the College of Pharmacy, which is itself intimately connected with medical education and practice. The instructions in the private establishments just referred to, consist of lectures and examinations duly intermixed, and both these have reference to the public lectures and final examinations of the medical colleges to which they may be regarded as subsidiary. The condition of American law schools can hardly be gathered with sufficient accuracy to enable us to present a regular statement concerning them. They are all of recent origin, and are here presented rather to give a ground to conjecture what will in future be the method of conducting legal studies than to show what is the course now pursued. It is probable that in a very great proportion of cases the old method of gleaning up scraps and fragments of knowledge from the details of business and from irregular application amidst the confusion of the lawyer's office is still 98 pursued. In some instances the law academies enumerated in the following list are merely associations of members of the bar and students, for mutual improvement in their studies by discussions 99 28 40 Maine Medical School, Brunswick, Me. Vermont Acad. of Med. Castleton, Mass. Med. Sch. Harv. Boston, Berkshire Med. Inst. Pittsfield, Med. Sch. Yale Col. New Haven, Col. Phys. and Surg. Fairfield, West. Dist. 95 7376 Place. 7 150 Litchfield, 6 200 Law Acad. of Philad. Philadelphia, Besides the above enumerated schools of medicine, there are several private establishments organized with a view to render the general studies Maryland Law School, William sb Charleston, Williamsburg, Va. Staunton, Va. Charleston, S. C. Lexington, Ky. 233 7 180 Name. 5 170 9 350 100 |