The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1825-12-21

education, at the Hartford Asylum, to tina,
unfortunate portion of the community who
stand in need of it, remains unclaimed and
uRexpended.
The following communication is on subject,
in which, the whole community have a deep
interest. 1t is of little use to raise large sums
OF money for the support Of public schools, lift
is improperly and injudiciousy expended. We
recommend the article to the notice of our
readers, and hope to hear father from the
writer on the same subject.
For the Massachussns Spy.I
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Having reached a period Of life that pre-
vents my going abroad, know but little what
is done, even IN my own town and nejehbor.
mood, unless some friend of mine calls 10 chat
and tell me the news. My neighhor. who
usually calls, and from whom gather most of
the passing news. was chosen last spring
committee man, in our town, to provide a
sch Mistress and Master, to keep our school
-Juy children are not-but | have grand
children living with me, in whose interest
and welfare feel, as you may we'll suppose
double interest. Our school has lust com
menced for the winter.-I asked my neighbour
the school committeeman, the first time he
called IN after the school had begun. orr
school-master's name, where he was from. his
quaHhcatlons, &C.; of his qualifications he
knew nothing. he was recommended to him
by Trend and he employed him. Is his NOR
al character good? He knew nothing resnect-
Ing 1t | expressed my surprise, and asked
MN, II he did not bring certificate from the
seiectmen OF the town he came from. which
twenty miles or more from this, that he. TO
Inc best OF their knowledge, sustained a good
moral character. NO." he replied, "not that
Know OIL" Has he opened his school with
out producing such certificate 6 Yes.n Did
our venerable minister examine into his quail;
hcations and ability TO keep a school? " No,
he did not know such things were necessary
i told him they were; he doubted it and
SAID, 1t had not been done for several wears in
our district, to his knowledge. found, upon
inquiry, this had been the case.
As thought my neishbor had not done his
duty, and he thought he had, or if he had mot
he had done what was usual in such cases. we
parted. not on 4h-, L~st terms. Wnen ne
was gone, sat down to reflect upon the con-
sequences of such dereliction of duty. Since
the above conversation, our school master has
proved wholly incompetent to keep school,
and has left. Many of the scholars were before
MN; and as he could not teach them, but
they him, 1t impaired his government, conf
dence was lost, and the wheels stopped-his
scholars have lost the opportunity of schooling,
and, with some OF them it was the last, and
another master must be looked up, and, per-
haps,the farce will be repeated again and again.
Now, Mr.. Editor, wish you would publish
the law on this subject for the benefit of all
1t is the practice in my town, after granting
about six hundred dollars year for the sup
port OF schools, to choose, by nomination, any
body and every body TO provide masters, &c.
and to expend the money and also school
inspecting committee Of any body and every
BODY, by nomination, with our minister at the
head OF it. Neither our minister nor any of
the committee examine into the qualifications
OF instructors, and rarely, if ever, do they
produce certificates Of their moral character.
Every thing connected with our schools goes
at loose ends, and our money is worse than
thrown away. | have conyersed with our
lawyer on the subject, and, he tells me, he
does not recoilect ever hearing the Courts.
when Charging the Grand Jury on the duty of
towns to provide for the support of schools,
say word about the duty of instructors to
procure certificates of their good moral char.
acter, and of clergymen, where they keep
school, to examine them as to their ability and
qualifications 10 teach. STANCE, to me. very
strange! If was one Of the select-men of a
town, | would not consent to the drawing of
an order to pay an instructor or instructress, if
they had not previously complied with the re-
QUESTIONS of the law in this behalf; end. if
school committeeman would employ such, he
might pay them out Of his own pocket NAV
be too fast III this respect, but certainly some
thing of this ought TO be; and this course
might he taken, if the town would sanction il
by vote. Towns should be as judicious in the
expenditure of their monies as an Individual
and no individual would appropriate six hun
dred dollars to any object, and then enhust
any body and every body with the expenditure
OF 't-yet such course of things as | have
been describing, goes on from year to year
and is acquiesced in, as if it was both lawful
and proper. | fear, sir, these evils are not
confined to my town, and wish you, or some
one else, who holds good pen, and can at
tend TO it, would give the community some
additional thoughts on this subject. Clergymeu.
who suffer such state of things to exist with |
out raising their voice against it, do not do !
their duty. The oversight of the schools in
their respective towns is duty incumbent
upon them, next in point of importance after
that OF the pulpit, and, moreover, it is one |
imposed upon them by the laws of the Com |
nonwealth.
When towns will do their duty in choosing
mot by nomination. suitable school-proyiding |
and inspecting committees, and they, with |
he clergymen, will do their duty, we shall |
1ot have so many incompetent teachers, nor
1ave SO often to complain that our money is |
thrown away.
FRIEND TO GOOD SCHOOLS.
Sixty-four cells Of the third State-Prison in |