Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1854-06-01
OUR DISTRICT SCHOOLS.
FOR tbs VIRGINIA = Is rRrsa.

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The many Communications ii our county papAs
Indicate the gradual extension Of belief that or
district school system is deeciye--that there b
something wrong. Seine writer conscious Of this prE
yalent suppression has proposed, more than once, y
cure all defects by the appointment, of general 81
perintenlent whosewhole time shall be given to IL
schools That this panacea will prove fallacious, Is
long as certain gross def4cts exist, is evident 10
mind. Let me state in y3latfthe system is believh
to be Sc greatly defective. One glazing defect aB
pears tGhe the creation of so eulnhrous body as ~
school commissioners elected by districts, with sun
extensiTe powers. First rs TO their number. TSe
responsibility is too much divided; feekb
properlf his own individual accountability. Tho
are often changed too as that they are rarely az
quately Uniformed ofthe details ofsystem and cons
quentyihe whole management will rest with soIte
one or tEo Every dne knows and It's useless to pr-
tend ignorance, that since the commencement It's
whole ting has been under the entire control of OF
man. And it must be SO necessarily He holds tn
only permanent Office and of course is the only MA
familiar with the system II
Next, Is to the mode Of election Of the school cork
nission9ss. He wholhas paid the smallest attentid
TO our elections, knows that the smaller the distric
in which selections are tobe made the smaller is u
probability ofthe eleftion Of the suitable men, GeH
yraiJ t- suaaeolcrtss OF the cioiee Is IA the tnveG
satio Of The extent ofthe district 10 small distric
private and personal motives determine the seeconx
and be Who will not waste his time lattering evefS
one, knows he would never be their choice whatevlS
be his qualifications and he neither desires nor would
have the appointment. L
Next, as to the powers Of the school comrnssiotSS
ers. Thehighest attrabuteof sovereign power,--tha
Of taxaicn-is theirs; and this in the hands of az
unwed}, irresponsible, and unqualified body Thk
lmitatoff Of that power to a moiety of the amourf
OF the State revenue ID imperative it was foreseeH
that the Board could not wen waste more thaH thk
maximum allowed. Furthermore, the division Of
this power of axation between the county court th
oysrseers Of the poor, lor tbs theirs in effect an
the school commissioner, necessarily swell the ag4
gregae drawn fromtii people to a sum greatly be
yond 1whaf would he assessed byIthe county cour3
alone If that body provided for the whole {
But another and aIltal defect is believed TO be- tho
discretion allowed the SCHOOL commissioners TO REL
lieve parens whom they think INDECENT from tho
payment Of the tuition fee o50 cents per quarter per
scholar II i an odiops power because it creates a
inquistorsa office, agthorslng the commissioners "a.
inquire pto all the ways and means Of all his neig
bors II is a dangerous power, because liable til
abuse ard since the commissioner may relieve his
friends a.9 extort from his opponents; for by de-
claring unable to pay the tax he in effect increases
the tax OF b a certain GROSS sum the school coms
missionees must and will have. IT'S remarkable:
that in the report published BY the board year OF
two ago the number of1chdren at school was stateSs
to be ahoat 1900 the parents of about two thirds OF
whom were adjudged by the commissioners 10 be-
unable TO pay the 80 cents per quarter Now who
efficiency Of all free Schools by destroying or ava
kening ths interest of the masses iii the system st
is universally true that men do not value that which
costs them nothing. Cratuitous Instruction affords
no exception. The thing has been proved in cur
former primary schools And ii has BEEN abundant
" proved elsewhere that neither parents chit
rem feel proper interest in the instruction that is
gfrea them But require every parent to pay some
thing for his efild and he will 10 some extent at
least see that the child learns He will secure his
alta dafiaa afeH h,f1l oR.4
win feel a greater responsibility and a greater de-
sire TO learn The teacher also WILL in most cases.
exhibit iess diligence i'd the instruction Of these OBJ
ecs Of charity. In the liieef Dr. Chalmers "a book
not often opened by men Of theword, but from
which all may derive profit. striking proof is giy-
en- Of sne truth Of these positions In the city of
Glasgow system Of free schools, WITH gratnitous in
gtructon was in operation when the Doctor was CAL
LED to oftl,e parishes Of the city containing
large portion Of poos operatives. lie soon saw that
the schools were langushing and inefficient and that
the people did not take proper interest therein.
He established school in his parish into which
none were admitted, whose parents however poor
did not par at least shilling per quarter. Itimmee
diately gained public favor and soon could not re-
ceiye the applicants The Doctor established sec
ond and then third ID the parish, which were AZ
WAYS flied, and worked admirably.
Mr.. Editor why il it, that the cost Of tuition or
eich child at schools i IN such striking contrast
with that in New England and New York. Ii ap-
pears rum Telut1c pHDlf&Ht4 the newspapers
some weeks ago, that in New England each child1a
taition cost less than three Collars per annum in
New York onewhat ahpve 81; whilst in this coun-
IS il costs about three times as much as In New
| England and about twiee as much DIS in New York
Thus whist the cost OF tution is 20 much greater
the benefits actually resulting materially less Al
Az allow. j tnis does no. show ihatour whole sys-
TEN needs radical change nothing else can &C.
knowle1gel never believed general system as prac
tcabe here, whese the great mass of the laborins
population IS ofaaotier race but am WILLING ia n,
here letter one than that roy in operation. Wha
that j. lsaye e othefsE my piject being to expos
the radical detects Of the PRESENT plan.
0ne word ~ % a superintendent Unless his al
asg We. raised eresasirfL W tax apon al the pa
rents Of children at school, would In rease the bur
den TO nn extenf that OUT soon the abandon
nisnf Of the eyssem Fur her. as every officer mus
be elected w Tie Top Il there any probabili,
ta.st sniial le ehGiee veal 1 lie made Nay, juag
ing from The past, Is II DO ra're probable that b
/ would mol lie tie proper m confess | do no
anticipate any improyArnent in our present plar
from such appointment, let the superintendent b
whom he MAJ.
In what hts ieen saif, no hsrespect Is intends
10 the pre- ent seh0cl culaiissEf ners do not know
I even The NAMES OF more than enc OF two. They,
know, would not saeFve frdm their integrity.
speak d the tendency Of things, ofwIat may and vi
occur
LEI me conclude BY begging the board to pubtis
full and minute account Of the operstionsthe psas
year. OBSERVED