Ohio History Journal

THE BACKGROUND OF CALVIN E. STOWE'S

"REPORT ON ELEMENTARY PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

IN EUROPE" (1837)

 

By CHARLES G. MILLER

 

In 1836, Calvin E. Stowe was a professor in a theological

seminary (Lane) in the young state of Ohio. Though no formal

connection existed between the seminary and the State, there

already existed the idea of the higher schools' responsibility to

the State to such a degree that the General Assembly requested

Stowe, with no mention of compensation (but see below), quite

as a matter of course, and with no anticipation of possible re-

fusal by Stowe, to prepare a report on current educational sys-

tems in Europe for the guidance of the General Assembly.

The leaders of the new State realized, that although Ohio

was then an agrarian state, the temper of the times pointed to-

ward an increasing tempo of industrialization. By analogy with

the history of the then-current European events and of the In-

dustrial Revolution, the leaders of the new State implicitly

realized the importance of mass education for industrialized

(specialized) labor, and its direct benefits for the State.1

A direct support for the last contention may be found in

Stowe's report² in which Stowe points out that modern lan-

guages are taught to aid trade intercourse in the border states of

Rhenish Prussia, Prussian Poland, and the Russian border states.

Stowe would not be likely to urge modern languages being taught

in Ohio except as he anticipated less emphasis on agriculture and

more on industry.

In the manner of the day, Stowe imputes3 the growing im-

portance of mass education to the pressure of the general popu-

 

1 Edgar Wallace Knight, Reports on European Education (New York, 1930),

256, 270.

2 Ibid., 305.

3 Ibid., 251.

(185)

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lation's insistence on "popular rights," and does not connect it

with the diminishing importance of agrarian (feudal-type) cul-

ture. Yet, we have the interesting example of Japan, which was

a completely feudal economy until 1857, the year of the

"Western" penetration of Japan, where there were no ideas of

"popular rights" to force the establishment of popular schools.

The accompanying economic necessity to change to an industrial

nation, demanded schools. Hence they were established in 1871.

Presumably it was to counteract the internationalistic ten-

dencies of the period that Stowe speaks of the exaggerated in-

culcation of "nationalism" in Prussia.⁴

It is an interesting but little-known fact that the Ohio state

legislature, after accepting Stowe's report, appropriated $500.00

"to Prof. Stowe for labor."5

 

Curriculum   and Internal Arrangement of Prussian Schools

Stowe speaks at length of the internal arrangement of the

Prussian schools, and it is of interest to examine the technical

arrangement of the schools to see how applicable this arrange-

ment would be to Ohio schools.

The Prussian schools were arranged in three distinct branches:

Rudiments, Elements, Applications. The first two-year sequence

of studies would be termed rudiments, the second two-year se-

quence adds geometry, language (grammar) and music, consti-

tuting the elements of school training to prepare the student for

the third and fourth two-year sequences of application of the

studies to practical life problems.

I. The first rudimentary course included:

A. Logical exercises: A euphonious term to cover the attention-stimu-

lating division of the curriculum, possibly intended to overcome

in part the disinterest usually evinced in the rote-learning of items

B, C, and D, below.

B. Elements of reading: According to the ideas of the times, elements

of reading were learned as logical exercises in the juxtaposition

of sounds to represent words, and the corresponding juxtaposition

of letters to represent the words. We should probably hesitate

to recommend that a child learn the four letters in a definite

order as H-A-R-D to spell Hard, rather than the total ensemble

4 Ibid., 255-6.

5 January 16, 1838. See Ohio Laws, Statutes, etc. Acts, 36 Assemb., 1838, 404,

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MILLER: STOWE'S "REPORT"                    187

 

of markings Hard considered as a unit, but this was so thoroughly

in accord with the pedagogy of the times that Stowe makes no

comment upon it.

Few comments are made on these, beyond

C. Elements of writing:   Jconveying the impression that the Prussian

D. Elements of arithmetic: instruction was similar to good American

practice at the time.

II. The elementary instruction included continuation of the above

four courses, and added:

E. Language or grammar: Stowe considers this as a continuation of I-A,

logical exercises, but it is doubtful if there is any carry-over from

directed conversation to the technical grammar that this course

included.

F. Geometry: This was distinctly a tool-subject intended to prepare the

student for III and IV below.

G. Music: According to Stowe's report, we would consider the music

instruction to have been primarily for the benefit of the esprit de

corps, for the benefit of the school discipline, since the only advan-

tage he assigns the child as receiving is added "progress in their

other studies," while present-day educators deny such carry-over.

III. This two-year course would correspond to the beginning of

"higher studies," where elements have been mastered and studies are begun

which will be of direct usefulness to the community. Instruction is con-

tinued in the studies enumerated for the I and II groups, in a manner

suitable for the 10-12-year age group, and instruction is begun on the

application studies, termed "Real Instruction." This last is a broad term

for the study of the relationships of man with his environment and needs.

IV. The concluding course for 12-14-year age group includes a con-

tinuation of the "Real Instruction," applications of the elementary studies

to the proposed business of life of the children, and concluding courses in

language, drawing, and applied mathematics, as surveying, civil engineer-

ing, etc.

As was to be expected, much emphasis was laid upon re-

ligious instruction, this instruction continuing throughout the

whole eight years of the Prussian schooling. This again was

suitable for transfer to Ohio schools, for the times demanded

close integration of religious and secular instruction. Accus-

tomed as we are to complete separation of secular and religious

instruction, it is not easy to understand this emphasis, but where-

ever we turn in early educational history, the most active teachers

were trained in the seminaries, and were generally trained for

the ministry. In a number of instances, this leads to what at

this day, in retrospect, we may term "seeming   educational

naivete" on the part of the teacher. See for instance, the episode

on p. 265 in re boys appropriating nails from school property

for their own uses. The ready acceptance by the school super-

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intendent of the boys' expressions of contrition, expressions, the

sincerity of which an administrator of today would doubt very

much, might be indicative of the lack of study of the children's

motives and of lack of understanding of the need of schools de-

signed for children's needs. The treatment of "Institutions for Ref-

ormation" shows that Stowe's views were in common with the

educational view of the time, that "reformation" was directed

more toward the benefit of the State than to the benefit of the

children directly.

Now, laying aside all considerations of benevolence and of religious

obligations, is it not for the highest good of the State, that these minds

should be withdrawn from vice and trained up to be enlightened and useful

citizens, contributing a large share to the public wealth, virtue and hap-

piness; rather than that they should come forward in life, miserable crim-

inals, of no use to themselves or the public, depredating on the property

and violating the rights of the industrious citizens, increasing the public

burdens by their crimes, endangering the well-being of society, and under-

mining our liberties? They can be either the one or the other, according

as we choose to educate them ourselves in the right way, or leave them

to be educated by the thieves and drunkards in our streets or the convicts

in our prisons. The efforts made by some foreign nations to educate this

part of their population, is a good lesson for us. All the schools and

houses of reformation in Prussia, do not cost the government so much as

old England is obliged to expend in prisons and constables for the regula-

tion of that part of her population, for which the government provides

no schools but the hulks and the jails; and I leave it to any one to say

which arrangement produces the greatest amount of public happiness.

This idea was to continue in Europe for a surprisingly long

time. To bring it up to date, we might remember that the English

"nursery schools" and "pre-schools" were instituted by public-

minded individuals as a means of averting juvenile crime, and as

a direct benefit to the state. The conception of nursery schools

and pre-schools as existing for the benefit of the child directly

is a comparatively modern idea.

It is also interesting to reflect on the viewpoint of the good

Dr. Kopf, surely not much given to levity, as expressed in his

observation, "I always keep these little rogues singing at their

work. . . ."⁶ Surely this is an imperfect conception of children's

motives and schooling.

 

6 Knight, Reports, 263.

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MILLER: STOWE'S "REPORT"                  189

 

Policy Regarding Education of Immigrant Minorities

The State generously welcomed European immigrants, the

more for the possibility of having cheap immigrant labor⁷ than

from any magnanimous principles, but Stowe realized 8 they must

be assimilated and not allowed to become an alien unassimilable

minority within the State. This was a rather forward-looking

step, for although in retrospect, the immigrants are sometimes

considered as "hardy pioneers," as venturesome and therefore

desirable stock, we must not forget that they occupied much the

same position as the recent dust-bowl immigrants to California--

those who were dispossessed and unsuccessful in their native

regions, and who were not resourceful enough to remain and re-

establish themselves in their own country--for surely, as a

general rule, no one who was successful in his own bailiwick

would willingly leave and desire to re-establish life among

strangers.

That Stowe's work (and that of his contemporary, Samuel

Lewis) was instrumental in forming the policy of Ohio and

middle-western schools, is apparent in comparing the present

curriculum with the Prussian school curriculum just outlined.

Stowe's greatest doubts apparently centered upon the question

of financial support for such a complete (and costly) system of

education. His concluding remarks on "Means of sustaining

the system"⁹ are evidently the point of the report, to which all

the rest was merely substantiating arguments.

There is no point, in a paper of this type, of repeating

Stowe's arguments, but his six points on "Means of sustaining"

may be summarized as follows:

1. Teachers must be skilful, hence must be trained.

2. To be trained, teacher training institutions must be established.

3. Adequate pay and pension systems are necessary if the State is to

have the best of its population as teachers.

4. Schools must be comfortable and planned for the pupil's benefit.

5. School discipline must be maintained for the general benefit

(probably a reference to interference by parents).

7 John R. Commons, Races and Immigrants in America (New York, 1907), 108.

8 Knight, Reports, 314.

9 Ibid., 308-13.

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6. The whole program probably cannot be introduced as one, but

may be separated into two parts until population learns to appreciate its

advantages.

The work of Stowe and his contemporaries provided a basis

for the development of American education, modeled along

Prussia's lines where applicable, which has been lasting and

useful in formulating a definite policy for the development of

middle-western American education in general.

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