The Plymouth pilot. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1851-1852, 1851-06-25
Communication.
For the Plymouth Pilot.
Education No. 3.

eral advantages OF education were briefly
adverted TO. In the present article, |
propose to bring up several things which
tend to retard the prosperity of educa-
sion among us. As our school system
now exists. the public fund is sufficient
generally, to satisfy considerable part
of the teachers claim. That of fund,
permanent fund. should be raised sufi-
cient to satisfy the teachers claim entire
ly. have no doubt. Then all children.
whether rich or poor, would enjoy the
means of instruction. Is it not reasona-
bic and right that they should. To de-
prive children of an education, because
they are poor, or because their parents
are poor, is principle far more conjeni
al to barbarism than to humanity. There
is not only injustice. but danger in such
a policy. Its evils will be felt in the
future. AS intelligence is intimately
connected with our prosperity as ma
tion; as the rising generation will soon
engage in the active duties of life, and
WELD the helm of this Republic-as this
is the case, all should be educated To
evry child the means of instruction should
be impaired.
But to furnish school fund alone. will
not accomplish every thing. Something
more is wanted. The cause of education
may languish, even if schools are entire
ly free. SO bling about that general diff
fusion of knowledge, that state of mental
improvement which should prevail among
us-the value of learning must be appre-
ciated, the cooperation of our citizens
must be enlisted, and the influence Of
community in general must be thrown
into this scale.
Undoubtedly there is too muck in diff
erence among us in the cause of educa-
ton. Some to be sure manifest COM
mendable zeal-but The majority of our
citizens, perhaps, do not take so lively
an interest in this matter as .hey should
take; while many seem to take in it
scarcely any interest at all. That want
of interest, or in other words that negli
gence which prevails in our midst in this
respect, manifests itself in various ways.
First in the erection of school houses.
Who that has examined this matter with
any degree of attention, does not feel that
our school houses general thing,
not what they should be? Sometimes
they are too small for convenience or
comfort. Sometimes they are not sufIi-
ciently light. Sometimes the scholars
suffer with cold while others near the fire
are sweltering with heat. Some times the
seats are only benches without backs, on
which small children are compelled to
sit. and painfully wear away their time,
until the glad hour Of dismission comes.
No wonder under these circumstances
that they dread the school house. No
wonder that their progress is slow. To
give the plan Of school house in all its
minutia is not my purpose. An outline
view of education, and the means to pro-
mote it. is my only design in these arti-
cles. But suffice it to say on this point
that school houses should be so construc-
ted as to secure the scholars convenience,
comfort. health and improvement. They
should be large and commodious, sufh-
ciently light. properly ventilated, and
SO arranged In every way, as to make them
place of comfort and pleasure. Com
mon schools are, or should be the glory
OF our country; and parents should take
as great an interest if not greater in a
dopting school houses to the wants of
children as they do in arranging their reg
ular places of abode for domestic comfort
and convenience.
Another serious difficulty in our schools
is a want of uniformity in books. Teach
ers know something about this, Ivy sad
experience. 1t is unnecessary to show
how the labors of teachers are increased
and the..prosperity Oes:hools retarded, BY
this difficulty. All who know any thing
about school operations will understand
the matter. What books are to be used
] will not take upon myself to determine
But by all means let us have uniformity
The right to dictate in this matter dc