The Daily Nashville true Whig. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1851-1855, 1855-09-12
For the Nashville True Wing.
Our Public Schools-Teachers, &c.

Much has been said and written in commentator
of the Board of Education and the Superintendent
of the Public Schools That the community is
greatly indebted to them for their services, there
can be no doubt. They have had difficulties of no
ordinary character to overcome in the discharge of
their duties, and have met them with foresight and
ability worthy of the occasion They started out With
AUST idea Of the wants of the city: good schools and
determined to employ competent teachers only. The
great complaint of parents against private schools as
they were well aware, was the inocmpetency of teach
ers, who were too frequently employed from motives
of economy Or perhaps, ofcharity; and they seemed
to be firmly set against yielding to such consid-
erations in the selection of their teachers knowing
that good schools require not simply teachers who
have been well educated themselves, but who, in
addition to this qualification, possess the art of i'm
parting information with facility to minds younger
and ola narrow range of comprehension. The first
session of the public schools, notwithstanding, did
not result in any thing strkingly advantageous, ex-
cept in the discipline and management of the pu.
pills. Indeed, it could scarcely be claimed as more
than organization term, which disclosed the fact
that however slow the pupils may have progressed
in their studies, and however faulty the classical
ton and graduation of pupils, there had been secured
the foundation of system which. properly carried
out, would make the Public Schools the best in the
city. There was room, ample room, for improve
ment; but the disposition to improve was quite as
apparent The session closed with an Gdcaptandtaa
demonstration at the theatre, very pleasing in its
effect and calculated to direct popular attention
generally to the schools but it did not divert
the rejecting mind from the conclusion that, SO far
as the chief object of schools is concerned the ses-
sion had been but an experiment, partially success
full. Friends of the free school system who had
watched the experiment closely and critically day
by day, with interest though disappointed, still
looked with confidence to the experience of another
session. That session has now commenced, with
an increased number of pupils, but the Board of
Education have departed from the proper rule
which governed them heretofore. They have made
a step backward, the evil consequences of which
may well be feared. After examining an individual
who sought employment as teacher, and rejecting
him as incompetent, they have reversed their decs
ion and given him class. The chief excuse given
for this departure from rule which never should
be made to yield to expedency policy, is that the
supply of teachers not sufficient to tie demands
Of the schools. A poor excuse at best and really
no excuse, when we remember how many educated
young men there are in the country who would be
gratfed to get such position they advertised
of the fact that teachers in demand. 1t is to be
hoped. for the good of the schools, the Board viii
make no more such moves as this; for If we are to
have any sort of teachers it were better for the
whole free school system to be abolished the school
tax repealed and parents permitted to teachers
for their children. As friend of the system, and
as parent having children in the schools. enter
my protest now, at the first moment, against the
above mentioned departure from the standard of
qualifications for teachers. II is an unpleasant
omen as to the future, and tends to cover with
gloom the bright hopes with which true friends of
popular education looked to the operations of our
experiment. Let the Board of Education and the
Superintendent stick to the rules first adopted with
regard to teachers and the greatest difficulty in the
way OF complete success, when they have houses
enough, viii be surmounted.