Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1849-07-19
From the Prairie Farmer,
pnhlic Echn0lx NJ Chiraun

| 1t was lately stated in news per pub
lished in neighboring town, that "such
was the excellence OF the public schools
of this city-Chicago-that not a private
school was known in the place" This
statement is so wide of the facts that
few remarks in explanation of the case
seem to be called for. There are at pres.
ent something like tw enty private schools,
many Of them very excellent ones, con-
tanning number of pupils not much short
Of the number attending the public
schools. In fact the increase of private
has been greater than of the public schools
for two years past; and in the excellence of
the former, great advancement has been
Of late.
l, may reasonably be asked, why such
should be the case. If our public schools
are such as they ought to be, why 10 they
lot at once attract all the children in the
city to them and render any others uncal-
ed for? In answer to this there are many
things to be said. The system of our
public schools is yet but partially in ope-
alton. In fact there is only beginning
made. The population Of the city, and of
consequence the number of those to be
educated, increases faster than its means
Of doing it, as it ought to be done. The
city contains over 5000 children of an age
suitable for attending school. OF these
only 1000 are in the public schools, lea
wing 5000 to private schools, or to the
street school. 1t is to be taken into the
account, however, that mure than 1000
different pupils attend the public schools
in the course Of the year--a part being in
school at one time, and part at another.
BY taking look at the character of our
population, the nature of the work to be
done will be readily understood. One
third of it, or thereabouts, is of foreign
origin. A part OF this population has been
accustomed to provide for the education
of their children before coming here, but
a considerable proportion have not, and
do not think it worth while TO begin now,
without inducements and many cannot
be induced to do so at all. In the same
predicament is certain though small por-
ton of our native population. Now it is
the first business Of the city to look out
for the education of those who have no
other provision made for them, or who
will not avail themselves of it when il is
made. Hence our first public schools are,
of necessity, all primary schools. The
multitude coming from the lanes and how
els Of the city, must have a place for in
struc,ion afforded them. We have only
proceeded so far, yet, as to provide three
schools one containing 500, and two 9TH
ers 600 pupils each. A fourth is ordered
to be built, equal in size to the largest.
1t will be seen that the larger number
of pupils who seek the public schools must
be ofthose with whom the very beginnings
are to be made. With a great number,
the first thing TO be done is, not to teach
them the alphabet; but TO commence far
back of that. Water and towels, to say
nothing OF combs, are put in requisiton;
and clean faces, from being luxuries only
resorted to once year or at some such
distant period, are made common, every
dav affairs. 1t is astonishing how soon
the stupidest face will brighten up when
it is once made and kept clean, and the
mind supplied with something TO think
about. Habits of propriety, system and
order are to be taught and enforced. -
Hence it will be seen, how large pro-
portion Of the teaching force 1.-THE school,
is occupied with the business of primary
instructions.
In school where so large proportion
Of the pupils are beginners, and so much
labor is to be expended on the beginnings,
it is scarcely possible that much can be
done in the way Of advanced instruction.
It would require not only larger force
of teachers than the city is able TO employ,
but it would bring the extremes, OF in
struction higher together than is either
profitable or desirable.
A part Of our school system is to provide
advanced schools, with suitable teachers,
into which graduates from the primary
schools, and others who could sustain the
requisite examination, should be admitted.
In these schools the instruction would mol