Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-06-18
W0lmme [.
Visit Your Schools.

N 60SAa AlA III " ilIll0
interest in the Intellectual culture of their
children and wards, if we may be allowed to
form an opinion by their personal presence
In the school-room. So Indifferent seems the
majority of such as to the progress of the
pupils in our Common Schools especially, that
one would think that the pupils were sent to
school to keep them out of mischief at home.
A few words to such.
From the responsible position you occupy
you should feel an interest in the intellectual
progress of those committed to your care and
guardianship. You would fling back the inn
putation with scorn were you to say that Won
evlnced just no interest at all in this matter.
We will not offend you by saying so, but we
Will say that your conduct would naturally
lead one to come to just such an unfavorable
conclusion. Now you DO feel an interest in
their progress. Then why not let your youths
and your teachers see and feel conscious of
it by your presence occasionally in the school
room and at their recitations ? 1t would
cheer the teacher in his noble work and the
face of the pupil would brighten.
You may think this unimportant and that
We are hard run for a subject for our weekly
jottings down. Don't be mistaken it is an
important matter and we never expect to be
entirely at a loss for a subject while the vices
CT man ere so prominent. 1t is in c0nse-
quence of this neglect-this utter s~eclusion
of school children from intercourse with the
: world, we might say, that causes too many
: of them to regard schooling as a system
t of punishment inflicted upon them for some
imaginary offence. They fail to see that it
I is for their future benefit that they are thus
sent away from home all day, from the fact
that so little interest-so little inuuiries-so
little concern is manifested by those in au-
: thorlty. Their ears are ever open to hear
you talk about the elections, the crops, war
prospects, etc., and seeing that you never
speak of their studies and school trials, they
~ begin to think their studies ~proftless and
ne regard you very tyranical in sending them
n to the cherries old school house to undergo
the hardships Of its dull grammar, its hum
on drum geography, its irksome arithmetic and
ee its back breaking discipline generally
Could anything be more natural than that
they should arrive at just such unfortunate
conclusions /? Hence we find many, having
excellent advantages and superior natural
abilities, from not receiving this necessar,
~ attention on part of their parents fail to max
the any great intellectual progress and grow u
in ignorance and too often form q fatal com
M. partnership with its twin brother, vice. .
= II
airy VISIT your SCHOOLS. Manifest openly tn
inn interest you certainly feel in the intellectual
culture of your youths. Go to their recit;
tons. Don't think because your teacher
paid to do his work that he does it well. Ii
Ian might do it better if a little attention wei
ana paid by his employers. If you leave all
him-never enquire how he performs hi
of task, you will initiate the good Deacon wh
.ng always slept in church during services, know
of ing that the good Pastor would preach ju
rsa- right without him staying awake to watc
- him.
Visit your schools apd better scholars wi
SO out from the old walls. Some will leal
in spite of your neglect-others need er
ccuragemont. We pay too much attentio
to matters of a trivial character while W
eA neglect this most important matter. If 20
laly were not to visit your pig sty once a wee
ESQ, Won wonld not know whether vorr Mos wo
Y of fatteninp or not. You could lot keen most
a'0f, up as to your bacon prospects for next yei
y y If you were not to see your pigs once
was month through forgetfulness you would Fl
the sting of remorse for SO cruelty neglect
your pigs. Now it is scarcely necessary
tell you what we mean. You have alrea
r'Se made the application. Let US, however,
y a. hort you to give your children ha!f the att,
ton you give your pigs-they are wort
Vi Of it. 4