The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1849-06-13
REPORT HH
ON PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL
HOUSES.

|, ON PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL
At q meeting held on the -- day of May,
the undersigned wer, appointed Il committee
10 inquire into the propriety and feasibility Of
establishing public school in this city.
Thu committee have entered upon the duties
assign cd them, with full conviction Of their
Importance, and OF the difficulties which attend
their discharge. more favorable time, how.
ever, than the present, TO meet and surmount
the Obstacles which may arise, it is beIived has
not, and probably will not, occur Our ct'zeLs
Fare awakened on the subject Of Education.-
Hitherto their energies have been directed TO
other objects. To secure home, to obtain q
competer CO, to aMass q fortune, required time
and all their attention. These done, they
have looked around them. and to their surprise,
discovered, that whilo Dubuque has become
large town. rich in almost everything that con
stitutes the elements Of u great and prosper.
Gus city-in Schools, Chat momentous element
Of modern society, to perfect the most import
ant parts of the social ma chine,) she has made
but little progress The committee need not
labor to prove TO this community the great i'm
portance of educaton-that the general diffu
sion OF knowledge is the only true security for
wcll-reguiatcd liberty, and that it tends to pro-
mote general sense and love Of what is right
and spirit has recently gone abroad amongst
US, which, if fostered, will lead to the happi.
ost results. Liberal plans may be adopted,
and carried into effect, by which the lights of
knowledge may be diffused among all classes
Of our community. We shall then have the
proud satisfaction Of seeing our city not only
growing rich in her physica resources. but ra.
pidly advancing IN moral and intellectual ex.
celence. But this great and good work can
had ~ md
patience that shall not tire, and a zeal that
shall not abate.
To G i've effect to any plan Of public schools,
it is essentially necessary that ample funds be
provided. The subject referred to the com.
mttee, has been considered under the follow
ing divisions:
l. The organization of public schools.
2 The school house and its probub cost.
3. The most proper location for the school
house.
A.. The creation Of a fund for the erection Of
school-house.
TIE ORGANIZATION OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The committee believe that the schools
should be organized under tho general school
law of the State. Ample authority is given in
that law to the district meetings, comp posed Of
the qualified voters Of said districts to deter.
mine the number and kind Of schools to be
taught. 1t is recommended. that in the ar.
rapgcment for schools in this district, the pro.
gress of education should be natural and regu.
lar; beginning with primary schools, in which
the first rudiments OF learning are taught, and
proceeding to the higher schools. in which
should be taught the languages. ancient and
md modern history, mathematics, and other
branches of scieEce.-1n which high schools,
indeed, the education may be completed, or at
least preparation made to enter our State or
other Universities or Colleges. In order to
-: 1,ts l>>1o
1t is recommended that house shall be erect.
ed, large enough to accommodate such num-
Der of schools as may DC detern ined to be ne
cessary.
q THE SCHOOL HOUSE AND ITS PROBABLE COST.
The committee did not determine the plan
Of school house, but are decided in the opin-
ion that 1t should be ample. neat and substan-
tlal. 1t should be large, because there are in
this district, as the committee have ascertain.
ed by Il process approximating to certainty,
more than one thousand children between the
ages OF three and sixteen years;-and a II of that
number, between seven a nd sixteen, should be,
if possible, constantly at school. 1t would be
safe to say, that ut least four hundred would
be- in constant attendance. These should be
classed into the several schools, in separate
apartments-cach having its own teacher or
teachers. and the whole under the general SD
perintendahce Of a Principal, who would be al
SO teacher in the highest school.
The school house, of all others, should be
neat and inviting 1t is there that impressions
arc made upon the tender minds of youth that
are never etfaced. Habits OF industry, regula.
rity, cleanliness, and all that fits youth to u
dorm and be useful 10 society-or the reverse
arc. in great degree, formed there-Sur
rounded by objects adapted to each other and
to the purposes for which they arc designed
pure and orderly in their arrangements, the
mind will imperceptibly be imbued with the
importance of such things, and these silent but
good than all the lectures ever made bv parent
or teachers. Children will not, and cannot,
see the great advantage Of educ ltion, if i'm
portance is not given to the means by which
they may acquire it. If they are to be sent to
u public school, a public interest in such school
must be manfested-not merely by words,
which children soon discover mean nothing
but by lively interest which is constantly
seen and felt. in efforts to encourage and light
IN their labs ur in the rugged path to science
10 effect so desirable an end, perhaps a better
mo- hod cannot be devised by the citizens of
this district, tnan to erect for its public schools,
q house which shall, in every respect, be suit
able for the purposes for which it may be dc.
signed, and which will be a credit and al orna.
ment to our city. 1t lis believed that an amount
ranging between six and eight thousand dol
IdIS Will Ue SuluCIcuL u OullQ sue Il mouse.
/. THE MOST PROPER LOCATION FOR pUB
Lie SCHOOL HOUSE.
In selecting the site for the public school
house. tho committee have been governed by
view to convenience, beauty and economy,
and they cannot fix upon any locality that SO
happily combines all these requisites as the
Public Square of this city. tits, and probably
will be for years. as near central to the largest
number of citizens as is desira bic. It is the
only square.l and nothing less than square
would be sufficiently that car be obtained in SO
central part OF the city. 1t is already a beau.
tiful lot of ground, and will require a compa.
ratively small sum for grading and ornament.
ing 1t is in healthy and pleasant part Of the
city, easy of access to all. And last, though
not least. it can be had without money and
without price. 1t belongs to the CITY, for pub.
lie uses, as reference to a law Of Congress on
that subject will show. By this law approved
I'd July, 1896. for laying off tho towns Of Fort
Madison, Dubuque, &C., it is provided amongst
other things, "that q quantity Of land of prop.
er width, on the river banks at the towns of
Fort Madison. Bellevue. Burlington, Dubuque,
and Peru, and running with the said rivers the
whole length Of said towns. shall be reserved
1t