The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-04-10
For the Post.
EDUCATIONAL PALACES.

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much said, and so much importance attached
to the "Frpe School" system rs it at present
exists in this State. Perhaps there is no
amount of money expended by the State,
which is so misapplird, or from which so it,
tie benefit is derived. as the so called Free
School money, or to say the least of it
there is less freedom of thought and more OF
ignorance displayed in its application than
in management of any other fund that is
controlled by public "firers. For moment
let US look at the modus operdndi, MS il is
now practised BY most districts in the man.
agement of the School fund. Some time in
the course Of the year il is announced that
certain amount of money has been appro-
priated to district for the purpose of as
sisting in keeping up n common school with
in its limits. Previous to this, no one has
taken the trouble to interest themselves upon
the subject, nor would they do il now, were
il not from the fact that few dollars are to
be expended coming from the public treasury;
and how il came there, or who has paid il
into the State fund, not one in ten has taken
the trouble to inquire, only il is "Free mo-
ney never stopping to think that the mo.
ney was taken from the pocket of the tax.
payer, and from there finds It's way to the
County Trustees fund, to be used as the
"Free money" for the support OF education.
But now some one who has formed the idea
that he would like to appropriate the money
to his use, and thinking that "school teach.
ing" is very easy work, (Which, by the way,
is fallacy of the first magnitude If the
teacher does his duty) and that HE is just the
best qualified Of any one to fill this respon
sibe station; and, furthermore, feeling him.
self fully competent to teach every thing that
comes under the head of the three RS" he
starts out. The only idea that he has
(and that not originaD is this: that an educa
ton is complete when person can Read,
Write and Cyphcr The School Commis.
sioners now have to be consulted, and, gen.
orally speaking, they are men who think that
their whole duty is performed by employing
the man who will teach the longest time for
the least money. The teacher now goes to
work, very frequently in some cabin without
windows or desks, and never with any other
seats than rough plank with four holes to
receive the legs for its support, and these too
of such length that the greater proportion
of the scholars cannot touch their feet tn
the floor; and last, though not least. the ever
ready hickory completes The furniture and
apparatus OF the school room. And here the
sell digniird pedagogue rules and reigns, and
not unfrcquently Storms--no one ever taking
the tloubr to enquire il he is doing his duty
or whether the scholars are supplied with
books, or whether there is any Improvement
in the pupils, but every one being sure 10
send because it is free, or, in other words,
THEY don't have to pay for il. This is another
falacy in the system of education, as at pres
ent carried out in this State.
In this manner the school is carried on un
til the free money is expended, whrn the
school is stopped. Why? Is the education
of the scholars completed! Is there no ne.
cessiiy for school any longer in that dis
trict! Has the parent fulfilled all the obliga
tions he is under to the child! Is he under
no obligations to the community in which he
.ivrs--t" the government which he in part
is bound to support In answer to any or
all of these nt'rrogatories he will tell YOU
there is no more stree money! Ask him
when the school will be resumed, he will say
when they get some more Stree money!
Make tie suggestion that, perhaps, in the in.
terva the child may forget what he has al
ready learned, and ut the commencement of
the next term he will be under the necessity
OF going over the same ground; the parent
will agree with you, but will justify himself
by saying the "free money" is all gone. Ask
the parent il it would not be 10 his interest
to keep up u school at least eight months in
the year, and he will reply, YES! certainly, hut
the "iree money" is not sufficient to do it,
Inquire why they do not keep up the school
by their own means. and he will Immediately
shake his head and with significant, shrug
OF the shoulders. tell you he can't afford it,
little Stree money" is allotted To them. And
the very last thought he has is, where did
this money come from; but let him trace IL
up to the source. from the County Trustee
To the Revenue Officer, from him to the tax
payer, and he will find that the very money
that has been expended to send his child IT,
school has been paid by himself, and to ali |
intenls and purposes was his own, and he nd.
mts that most Of the benefit to be derived |
from it will be lost? Why? Because there is |
not more OF il, or in other words, he loses n
certain amount because he is unwilling to
apply little more, and thus keep up a
school u sufficient length of time within the |
year that the scholars may steadily advance in
the branches they arc pursuing. In all other
pursuits, the parent will invest his money
iudicously, and followit until his Object is
attained, but when il comes TO this. he |
evincrs n want of discrimination that is in |
excusable in any one that makes any pr.teb
sion to knowledge Of the business affairs OF |
life. Another falncy consists in the employ |
ment of what ought TO he a suitable person |
TO assume the duties Of educating the child |
and at another time ] may endeavor to point
out some of these, especially us they ARE
more injurious, as they nre The more LASTING,
and when the error has once been committed |
It il herculean task to apply the remedy, if
indeed il ever is applied. TEACHER.
OVID TO RAT.
II was rat! A mtry rat,
That ran across the fore,
Ha n.u hnddent pnt N eat