Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1830-11-29

COMMUNICATING For he pirg.niaa.

! II IS fact not n tile curious, that through
all the fluctuations af commerce. aud the rise
AMI tall IN value nj slmost every species of pro-
perty, the fees of tuition in our schools have re-
NAMED nearly stationary. This applies prin-
cipally 10 our Grammar schools. They are n.
bout MS high now rs they were when tobacco
was worth $40 PER cwi. aud land now worth
50. was worth $50 per acre. Money Is
not the standard Of commercial value, NOR will
we pause t. enquire what is, but we well know
that one dollar now is worth as much as three
or far were fifteen years ago.
lie who in 1916 could live bv teaching for
$40 per year, at the same nominal price now
receives four times the value that he thea did
II teachers in those days could obtain a decent
support from their fees, they could now 10 msch
snore with slf thosf fees.
But there 10 another subject OF much more
vital importance, we mean ,hr literary police Of
our schools, and 10 this We would respectfully
mud earnestly solicit the attention q The public
We oh jet 10 the Number oi pupils often suhjec-
ted 10 the management Of an individual. +,
thirty TO fifty are not unc ommon. We object io
the guacaery ofteachng, and believe no science
TO he more encumbetcd with II than this II
" the object of some teachers 10 dazzle parents
nv hnrrying their children RAPIDLY forward.
Nothing s more easily done. nor any hing
nore seriously injurious 10 the pupils Cinssi-
vering diligence aud close in,eslieaf on. The
teacher who in re,rng his supsis,ruoinrc is
determined 10 lay his foundation deep and sure,
necessary proceeds slowly. Hence, by super
fetal observers, (and the world is full Of such)
Injections are raised TO his course, and his
school declines. simply because he discharges
bis duties faithfully. This ~e admit is not very
often the case, bat il Il ,es sometimes occur
On the other hand he who tricks oul his pupils
l..
value. has at len.t for time his school crowded.
aud his purse ne,l filled.
We believe that no teacher can rightly dis
charge his duties 10 more than twenty pupils.
We will suppose thai ha spends eight nonrs
daily in the school room. has five classes, and n
morning and evening recitation. From long
experience (for we formerly taught in some Of
the higher schools In this 5taie) we know that
these eight hours might DO wei consumed m
hat simple eserc sing of parsing, which we
consider The very soul Of grammatical know
ledge
The capacities ami dispositions Of children
are MS various as their faces hence the ne~
cessiiy OF n jndicions Classification u measure
which can scarcely he effected in n numerous
school How lameutabIe IL is. and yet bow
common, to see finr, spfigbily boy linked in
with hAfa d zen dull creatures, forced 10 sfu-
DIV with them Ia effect TO he their teacher. and
with immense labor diag inc poor ihihks nlong,
when he should be bounding forward, nnshank-
I'D. with JOY aud eAultat'on, through the fair
fields Of literature
Parents do yog love your Guild en- do you
look TO your sons "a the props aud ornaments
, oi your declining years, and the hope aud Ro
~ of our cou'iryi Second then our humble
endeavos 10 pat these thugs upon II better
footing.
We are now done with this subject. and will
not resume il unless ths defence OF our positions
render the resumption necessary. We have no
direct, personal interest in these matters. We
hsvs MOI Tor n long time, had any ch,lirrn Ia
any schools nor have we any now. We are
NOT Teachers f schools, nor do We expect ever
/ 10 be. We write upon the broad principles ol
public veal, aud here in conclusion enter our
solemn disclaimer OF prejudice, patty feeling,
aud personal aljus on.
SOME PARENTS.