The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1846-04-09
Popular rEdIcatiOn.---NeW York asaai
Ohio

A report lately made to the House of ssembly
of the state OF New York has the following
statement in relation to tho progress Of popular
education in that State;
"The course Of instruction pursued in our
common schools has become more elevated.
In addition to orthography, English grammar,
geography, and arithmetic, which few years
since constituted the most prominent details
of common school education, there are now
taught in large majority of the districts,
algebra, chemistry, astronomy, and vocal
music, natural philosophy, and not unfre-
quently physiology, surveying. book-keep-
ing, and the higher branches Of the mathe-
matics.
AS further step in the march Of improve
ment, the Legislature of this State, in 1914,
established the State norm school, as a
valuable auxiliary in our great educational
system. From this source is destined to
flow an efficient and capable corps of
teachers, versed in all the most improved
methods of impar,ing instruction., and thus
disseminating the benefits of education int .
every section Of our State, and throughout
the bounds of the Union"
Nor is this report unsupported by opinions Of
intelligent observers in other State. Horace
Mann, the distinguished Secretary Of tho Mas.
sachusetts Board Of Education, saws;
"The great State of New York, by means
of her county superintendenis, State Normal
School, and otherwise, is carrying forward
the work of popular education, more rapidly
than any other State in the Union, or any
country in the world"
New York has an efficient plan OF education.
\ County Superintendants are elected "to promote
sound education, elevate the character and qual-
fication Of teachers, improve the Of instruc-
ton, and advance the interest Of the schools CON-
mitted to their charge" The progress made by
scholars from year to year is compared by them
and by this means efficient test found as to the
capacity If the teacher to convey instruction /;
while the different modes of imparting knowledge
are compared and the best made familiar to ALL
Close attention being thus given to the pursuit
competent men are distinguished from ignorant
ceeded to rregularity and indifference CO through
out the Sta,e,
Not only in the superior regulation of her
schools in their more liberal endowment, and in
the higher character Of the instruction given. does
New York surpnss us, but she has devoted the
ment Of syst m Of District School Libraries by
which her youth have now access to between two
and three millions Of volumes. This must give
a powerful impetus to the requirement and
pursuit of knowledge, as well as a higher tone
to the moral and intellectual character of the
cient attention.
How is 1t with us in Ohio, at this time in all
probability the second State in the Union! Can
we congratulate ourselves that the provid ence
of the State is well expended and is producing
those fruits OF general intelligence which will
make our advance to greatness secure and per-
manent awe seeby the report Of our State Super
intendant OH this subject, that Massachusetts, and
New York devote about twice the amount of tax.
alton 20 the purposes of Education which are ap-
propriated by Ohio, exclusive Of high schools.
&C., and that the sum we do expend does not
bring the satisfactory return Of well employed
means. In the introduction to his report Mr..
Galloway says:
"The undersigned, in obedience TO the
requirements of the doth section of the aci
for the support and better regulation of
Common Schools, presents The following re-
port: This duty would be more pleasantly
and successfully discharged, if the cause
and state of education in Ohio were com
plimentary to its dignity and reputation.
Our position, in this respect, is so unenvia-
BILE and inferior, compared with our capabil-
tiles, the wants of cur prope, and the pre-
eminence Of some of our sister States, that
an accurate portrait must be unattrac,iye,
and huniliatng TO the pride of all who boast
of it as the place Of their nativity or adop-
ton"
The facts stated in this Report throughout are
any thing but cieditublo to our state, and fully
Justify the contra,t drawn to our disadvantage.
Our system has withinit no element Of advance
ment; no corrective; it affords no certain data to
Judge Of its progress; the taxes it imposes
are injudciously expended; the teachers it
selects are often incompetent and their standard
placed low; our common schools teach nothing
but the simplest rudments; and popular apathy
scarcely demands that the teacher have any quail
ifcations beyond mere mechanical capacity to
pass over the elements of reading, writing and
arithmetic. Select schools are superseding the
equal platform Of Common School Education in
largely settled places, and distinctions are be-
ng increased between the children of wealth and
poverty, from the inefficient manag gement Of our
present system. Complaint follows year after
year but the Legislature seems to have no dispo-
si.ion TO correct the abuses complained of.
"Our venerable sires, (says the resort be-