Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1847-05-05
OUR VILLAGE SCHOOLS.

ducing some kind OF system, where now but a chaos
Of confusion prevails. There are some six or eight
schools in the place In each school from three to !
six classes. and in each class from three 10 six de
icrent kinds o. school books used. From this it may
be Judged how exceedingly arduous is the task OF
teachers and how very difficult it is, under the
circumstances, to DO full justice to any Of the pu
pills in their charge. 1t is utterly impossible for
them to attend properly to the great number of reel
tatons which Ibis state of things renders neccssary
and 50 long as there is great variety in the
kinds o. books used, and SO great want of system
in tie various departments of instruction instituted
there can he but slight progress in any branch of
education. This is apparent But how is reform
to be effected? 1t may be doue, provided teachers
and citizens of the place. are properly disposed
Let there be meeting OF teachers for the purpose
Of having proper division oflabor and ofintrodu-
cling system. Glasses and schools may be so az
ranged as materially to lessen the labor OF teachers
and at the same time greatly promote the progress
of pupils. For instance, let there be department
for primary instruction, including all children
to be taught the alphabet, spelling, and pro-
nuncaton. Next, department for instruction in
reading, writing, arithmetic, and grammar: de-
partmcnt for geography, history, philosophy: for
mathematics; for the languages &c AS many de-
partmcnts, in short, as may be deemed necessary
each to be under the charge of competent teacher
or teachers whose exclusive duty it shall be to at
tcal to the department assigned The proper kinds
Of school books may also be decided upon, and
measures taken to establish uniformity in their usc
to as great extent possible. But it was not
our object to make suggestions in detail. We are
aware that serious difficulties exist at present in the
way of accomplishing the desired rcform-and not
the least among these difficulties is the want of
su table places of instruction We arc convinced,
however that if the teachers OF the village take the
matter in hand suggested, and act together,
system may be established which will be produc-
tive Of the highest benefit to the pupils under their
charge, and at the same time be not less profitable
to Themselves, while it will ccrtninly be far more
agreeable; and doubtless operate as an inducemcnt
to citizens TO discharge Their duty more faithful
ly in respect to providing sltab,c school house or
school houses, &c. &c
AS one deeply interested in the intellectual cul-
tare and progress OF the rising generation, we car
not lorbcar making another suggestion to teachers
OF schools in this region And that is to make them
selves acquainted without delay, with the ne sys-
tenn OF orthoglaphy and the new system Of writing,
called Phonotopy and photography. We shall not
pretend here to speak othc dement's and absurdites
OF the present system. That our alphabet is alto
gether inadequate, in scientific view, to the pre-
Per representation of the complex sounds of our
language, is matter in reference to which teachers
ncci no information. "1hc evils which result f.om
this deceit are more in numbc. and greater than
those who have not looked into it might suppose.
Words cannot be spelled accurately by our alpha
bet, and tic minds Of children arc rerp,cxed their
natural perception oscientltc hagmonies is violated
by beng told that certain combinations of letters
make a certain word, which in reality it does not
1t Is true that after great deal of time spent they
set accustomed to it, and learn spell according to
a certain conventional method, but it may we'll be
questioned whether habits OF error are not thus en-
tailed upon their minds" There are other and
greater evils attendant upon this deceit which we
may hereafter make subject of remark
Nor shall we pretend now to speak of the merits
OF the new system. a slight study of its princi-
pies has fully convinced us that it is all its advo
Gates declare it to be. As the commencement Of
literary reform its Importance cannot be too
highly appreciated It's simply. having a distinct
character to repceent every elementary sound in tho
language and then of spelling and writing words
just as they arc pronounced. using no more and no
less of the elementary sounds than arc necessary
child, as experiments in various parts the coun
- W S'i"'o'' VII 'cdlh 10 ie1a paonotypy