Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-11-02

them from school, OF 10 send them % PanreTs Oh Tue
! charity fund.
te be r,i.ied II send i.eir children Tor tle hail or
fourth Of the fees 10: nothing in The oi destitute
orn.afis and few others.
On s plan, though charity is exercised towards tae
poor vii come 10 those @io pay something III me
least GcaFad,.1 and njurCus form even llcse VINO
pay nothing are not iaa,b,cd BY going freely 10
school, ~ having Their fees pad - them IN o'na
manner i, iour cents day.
Thus every cli!d in every school district, will be pro-
viled with schooling, aud much more, and better
schooling, than comes u e !ct CT poor charity
scholars.
| G. Lc, there be general superintendent, Of schools
llr The Stale v.th mamy assistants III the several
parts Of lie Colmincnw"at rs would enable them 10
inspec, al tie schools al !eus once year. ese 10
constitute board oi education u select sehoci books
crsa::. general equations Tor the schools, examine
traci.ers, ad cc:ty their qualifications Nc., ,sc.
They ou.h 10 he oil learning aud ability, who
have the Of education deeply al heart men Of
energy aud industry who WI! watch the schools
and spare no means make item prosper.
!! While the people Of each district mghl still eject
their own teachers, the superintendent should nave
the power oi Withholding and Withdrawing from sue"
as are unfit, the ard Of the pubic school fund. MS
would soon compel the ignorant and woihiesS 1'''
| teachers TO quit The FIELD 49,.
The nresani school commissioners IN the counties
would have a more important part 10 act than ''.y
now have. They might lay oil the schooi ois'r'ct' ~
eide disputes about lie location Of schnoihauscs u'
nine what children shcnld b. udn'','rd al hail. quarter
or no tuition; keen watch oyer the schools, ASSIST W ~
aiming them, and report to the supefh'ehcah's "s
;,;s ,unor;,r, duties sIlnnld give interesting &C.
cupation Ia many Of tie most intelligent trends oil ecu
o.op N al tL. various meighborhoodS OF The State
: fnter means and regulations might be added from
,.e ~ timc in order IL make the system more cum
nI.t, and etcual such Normal schools for the edu-
cation oil schoolmasteis, and district academies At
,rl boys Of the best talents might be sent to get a
h;obef educa,inn with such aid from the public iund
rs their circumstances might require
Had our State rulers taken the eight hundred thou
sand dollars spent tie University, and established .
system of we'll regulated academies; they would have
lad much better foundation Of learning and nle:li-
eence: they could then have gone 10 build upwards
| towards a Unversity al Il future day The present
Uniycrsy has for want Of such foundation, 10 take
in raw bows that would profit at good grammar
school or academy /; IS bad way 10 put fine cnbed
and giidcd top 10 house, wi'h foundation q art
and walls ii roagh logs badly put together. All We
can do now Is 10 cndeavor I" mend the foundation and
walls which could have been easily done, if the
| roof had not cost 50 much.
Such ale the outlines Of what believe To be the only
cliactua system OF Common Schools: especially where
the education Of al the people is the object in view,
as il ought to be in republican country. All should
assist according their ability, in accomplishing this
object for all are deeply interested IN H.
Good government is necessary 10 lie protection OF all
! property ara IisHls, EHuu Ho'clHi'H
be secured Democracy, where the people are badly
educated and great numbers vote al elections Who can
| neither read nor write.
| We sl.all notice few prominent objections which
have no, been distinctly met in the foregoing remarks.
Objcctioa l. Virginia IS in many parts TOO thnly peo-
pied 10 support ds;ric, schools.
.7nslcfr If school any where and any how be
supported for not less than three months in year, il
can he supported tie district system with large
school fund to help and literary fund 10 give further
help 10 weak districts Tie system have proposed,
is designed mainly, to help i!nly renpled nrighbor-
hoods Where NJ school can be collected sustained,
there no system can bring relief.
Objection : The district system, has been tried in
three or four counties, and does not work very we'll
?nSccr 10 wonder; Tor there is m school fund.- no
supcrt, nfanls, general system regulation. Eat il
Prussia AMI other States Germany, and in some Of eur
Northern States and lie district system with taxes and
regulations does work better than any other system ever
did work either there elsewhere. In Virginia, the
dark clouds q; ignorance are rs thick as eyer Int III
these State. tie blessed light 81 know edge is breaking.
into every maG al r's3. generations.
Objection B. Tie people Ct Virginia arc not used 10
so much rule and system. Every man wants 10 Do
things in his way; bat this school system wi!
ob!ige him to conform /, established way in the
schooling Of ms children.
Iasrer But surprising this regular way Of schools
10 be tic best cannot the people be persuaded Let
the people Of good old Commonwealth be con-
winged that a better scno system is needed and that
the district system is the hest and will warrant their
willingness 10 acccr, liz rules taxes, and all.