Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1856-09-03
For the Hawk-Eye & Telegraph.
ANOTHER MATTER,

ANOTHER MATTER.
Mr.. ED1ToR:-
1t may not be out of time and place amid all
the harrangues on governmental affairs to offer
lew suggestions upon more sober if not a
more important subject. AS the time for open
ing our fall schools is drawing very near, would
itnot be well for the Board of Education in our
city to open campaign in the school line, and
see whether or no some new vein may not be
opened, or some new feature developed in such
manner as to render the labor bestowed in our
schoolrooms more effectual, and the position of
the teacher more desirable? May l not, as one
of your teachers, ask the board, whether they
could not, severally, devise a plan whereby
gereater number of branches may be studied, IA
greater number of lessons recited, better order
maintained, better satisfaction given, &c; and
whether they could or would severally, be pre-
vailed upon, or induced with twice the compen-
sation Of the teacher, to take his place under
existing circumstances? But, to be short
Would not the graded system of schools, in its
strictest sense, be more congenial in our city?
success, under that system, attend to our usual
number of pupils in the few branches, now re-
quired by our board, to be taught, and to the
full two hundred young men and women besides,
in our town, who have a right to the public funds
for education, but who are deprived of the pri-
vilege of using it because of the crowded con-
dition of the schools in part and in part because
their scholarship is already beyond its capacity.
1t must be apparent to every one that this ought
not to be the case, and yet without change of
method no teacher can with credit accomplish
what is already required.
In general am much opposed to changing
established forms and courses of study in schools.
Especially am opposed to continual change in
text books, for in this more than in any partic-
ular the public are harrassed and imposed upon
But where good will result in the general, we
say keep pace with the age. just here would
not the new and complete series in Geography
Just issued by Messrs. Cotton Fitch, be better
adapted to the wants of schools in general than
the old and more cunbrous books of Mitchell.
The advantages of the first must be obvious to
every one who examines them. l have given
their "Modern School Geography" a thorough
culling, and pronounce it the most concise,
correct and complete school Geography extant.
We would also call the attention of those inter-
ested to a text book upon physical Geography"
by the same authors The study of this branch
of science Is just being introduced into the east
ern schools, and could not too highly recon-
mend it to our school men; it is both interest
ing and exceedingly useful. Also. Would not
regular system of Chirography be better than
to be compelled to change, often from bad to
worse, every few months? Would not accom-.
plished Teachers, well paid, be cheaper, in the
long run, than such as may be had at any mo.
ney? Would itnot encourage both Teacher and
pupil to have visit from the parent at least
once per session: Why is it that teachers are
| in such disrepute in society when they are the
| only functionaries that have the exclusive and
unmoiestcd charge of any thing of public inter
est! especially the dearest interests, the proper
training of the young nationals.
Parents seem to place implicit confidence il
| the teacher, and esteem him as composed o
such benign material in harmonious organiza
ton, perfectly adapted to render love for dis
respect, and reduce confusion to order; and S,
qualified as to relieve them from any more con
cern for their offspring while they are under hi
care.
I Lastly, would it not be well for these sugges
tons to receive a share of public notice every
where-and as suggestions are common, woul
it not be proper, since our ''City Fathers" hav
a full share on hand in the way of riding ou
streets Of loafers, hogs and mudholes, to pre-
pose that the above suggestions he sat leas
read" at the next sitting of our "Cty Motherss
Respectfully, Yours,
W n