The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1855-03-01
G0urationnl.

Gue lIue' ISGJ IL tut5C SAINT pVlSOnS
have pig to fatten or a colt to train, they
will not trust them to another PERSONS
charge, without frequently visiting them
and seeing how they are managed, They
will find time for the pig or colt, but not
for children. They think it is sufficient
to furnish them with books and start them
to school. There is certain school; with
72 pupils, not 100 miles from Strouds-
burg, which has been in operation four
months, and during that time, despite OF
great exertions, but elght parents have
visited it. However, before the end Of
next month, we hope to be able to record
better state of affairs. Let not the
clergyman, lawyer, physician, farmer, me-
chanic, or merchant say "It is too small
business for us" or "we have other mat
ters to attend to-" You cannot have
more important or q more urgent affair
than this Remember that the children
of the present age must be the men and
women of the next; and they are now re-
cciVing their education, either good or
bad. 1t is your duty to see that it is
good, Fathers and mothers, if you have
neglected this duty, do not let another
week pass by without in some degree re-
pairing it, Do not wait for an appointed
time, but drop in. Come when they are
not on their best behavior and see the
every day working Of the school. We
beg of you, do come. D.
From TIE Ohio Journal Of Education.
Why do Schools accomplish so Little?
Itis common complaint that ourschool5
are Indifferent, that scholars seem to ac-
complish but little, comparatively, with
all the boasted improvements Of modern
times. This is doubtless often true We
have no wish to deny it. 1t is equally
true that there are reasons for the fact.
Children do not act without motives-they
will not study without inducements to
mental effort; yet they cannot be expect
ed fully to appreciate the value Of knowl-
edge, or to improve their time because
they feel the Importance and necessity of
so doing. Other motives than those which
impel the adult to seek information, the
professional man to improve himself, or
the man of science to prosecute his re-
searches, must be brought to bear upon
them. Among these motives, one Of the
most powerful is the love of appreciation,
not of their fellows merely, nor of their
Teacher alone. They need to feel that the
eyes of their parents, of the men & women
in the district whom they are accustomed
to respect and revere, are upon them; that
if they conduct themselves with proprie-
ty, it is seen; if they improve, it is no.
ticed; if they manifest ingenuity and in
telligence, it is observed; and that if they
are courteous, frank, truthful, magnani-
nous and conscientious in all their inter
course, and faithful in all their duties, it
will be kn07C2e and apprOred 0t' all men.
Let a score of the best workmen, in any
trade, be employed upon a work which
would require months for It's completion ;
let each be paid for his days work, wheth-
er he did little or much, and whether that
was well or III done; let no one of their
, fellow citizens come near from one week
to another, to compare the idleness of one
with the diligence Of another, the ingen-
uity and taste of third with the dulness
and awkwardncss of his neighbor; and
5 would it be possible for any master-work-
man, unless elevated almost infinitely a
: bove them, to prevent them from falling
into habits Of carelessneSs and Incidence.
S What motives to fidelity, to effort for i'm
= provemcnt, could he bring to bear upou
= them? But let the same men be employ
0 ed on the same enterprise, under the same
f superintendent, and let him frequently
G receive calls from his fellow citizens, man
5 ifesting an interest in the work he had
planned and which the labororS were em
bodying in fair and beautiful proportion!
:. under his direction; let them drop to the
1 workmen expressions of their admiration
of the plan and skill Of the designer; le
; men of character and influence commend
Y the fidelity of the workmen; let gentle
n men of intelligence and taste notice tht
d. individual artists and inquire their names
: and would not these laborers be totally
t unlike the men they were in the formel
e case! And could anything short Of su
S perhuman power secure, in the first, any
$ thing like results which would be accom-
h plisLed without any appearance Of efor
= on the part of the superintendent, in tn
Q second case!
IS Need We make the application to tn
course generally pursued with refercno
to schools of every grade? Children an'
: youth are Influenced in the same manne
as adults, though to much greater eX
tent, by the motives above named. Nee'
q We say, that schools cannot nationally D
= expected to prosper unless visited and en-
couraged by parents and citizens
A. d. L.