Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-02-25
G6ntatiunaI.


L
i Extracts
From the Report of the Superintendent
i of Public Education to the Legislature
ofhe State Of Louisiana. January,
e endeavored to asail myself of all
ID e. in my power to ascertain what
are= 9 Ants of each and every portion Of
4 the Stass, In regard to Public Schools, by
issuing circular. sent one to each SEN
1lator aud Representative in xhe State, with
q sfuf.eaeu reqnesE that theyl l1so1E sel1 20
} the department the address of few per-
sons in their parish, who woalG be likely
to take an interest In the matter. am
happy to state that some few furnished me
with names, and with their views in regard
to the subject-and that from the persons
whose names were thus furnished, [ have
received some fey answers to the circular
| much regret that the interest felt in Pub
lie Schools was not sufficient to induce eve
ry one who received circular to take the
matter under consideration, and favor me
with their views. / have to return my
thanks to those who obliged me with an
swers, and feel assured their communica-
tons will be perused with pleasure by those
who take an interest in the subject.
Wehave constant complaint of the present
system of Free Schools, that it works bad
ly,and is productive of but little good See-
ing that these complaints are not without
foundation, it behooves us to scan and in
vestigate the subject, to find out, if posSi-
Uh 4 ho nd
remedy could bemost judiciously applied
Some of the bad workings of the system are
easily perceived in the ill-digested laws
regulating the same; but the fault of its
being productive of so little good, is not so
much owing to the law as to its administra-
tlon. The people themselves are much
more to blame than they are wont to be-
lleve: indeed, with them rest the law
and its working. Strange as itmay appear,
when contemplating the vastness and i'm
portance of the subject, there is a univer-
sal indifference in regard to Public Schools;
: and there lies the chief obstacle to the sue
cessful working Of this or auy other system
that might be established: the law, were
it possible to be perfect, would be impo-
tent, while the same apathy and indifer-
ence existed. While there Is so much
depending upon the School Directors, in
the different districts, does il not seem
strange that their election sho;:ld SO often
be entirely omitted, or, that peasons entire
! ly incompetent or careless and indifferent
in regard to schools, should be elected !?
But these are facts brought visibly before
us IN the reports from the different parish
es ; and could it be expected that any sys-
tenn would achieve the amount of benefit
desired, under similar circumstances If
there is any thing to the interest of which
the people should be aroused, it is Public
Education placing within the reach of
the poorest the means ofacquiring thorough
instruction apon this rest the future pros
perity and greatness of this State Gas well
as of the South) Cripple or withhold
those means for ten years, and 1t will throw
US back fifty years in intelligence, refine
ment and morality, saying nothing of the
many other blessings which would be, to
the same extent, retarded, if not entirely
lost. There is another paramount obstacle
to the working OF the present system it is
the insufhcieney of means. 1t is certainly
as preposterous to expect to put into sue
cessfuloperatlon system of Public Schools, |
without ample means, as it would be to
attempt internal improvements If pri- |
vate schools must have from three to four
dollars per month for each scholar, can we
expect to obtain good teachers in our Pub |
llc Schools for four dollars per gear for each
: child Or is it less arduous to conduct
a public than private school? or are we
to say, by our actions, that the Public
Schools do not need as competent teachers
as private schools Who is prepared to
assert either OF these propositions? 1
should be recreant to my duty were [ not
to solicit you to bestow your earnest con
t slderation upon these suggestions. | know
this IS touching tender part-additional
} taxation sounds unharmonious to the ear
{ of large property holders; it is unsavory
to the taste of all and yet it is a mistaken
policy, which will pay Difference to the
pocket at the expense of the head And |
if there is an object above all others which |
would justify high taxes it is th.t of public
} education. / cannot but believe that the
people would stand a greater tax for that
object than for any other. Think of the
!, inestimable value of the intellect of seven
! ty-fye thousand children, large portion
} of whom necessarily depend upon the Pub
lie Schools for all the education they are
to receive.
| Should the mental training of those
children be neglected, or but partially and
indifferently accomplished With small
additional means and proper School Law,
every school district in this State could
sustain sufficient number of first rate
schools for its wants, the advantages of
which would be so great that, In a few
years, 1t would be still further increased
until we were blessed with a system of pub,
lie schools, which would be a source oil
: pride to every citizen. This is no fancy
sketch. Indeed the mind cannot penetrate
the future, and bring to view the multifa-
rious changes which would then be brought
and the blessings which would be poured
+; upon us. There is no better way to infuse
| into the people that interest in the school
cause, which it demands, than by in
creasing the tax. The more they have
at stake, the greater their interest will be,
and this interest being awakened, the
schools as anatural consequence must pros
lper.
II 1t is universally admitted, that property
must and ought to be taxed to punish