Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1858-03-27

shch SoiC. iHc Puuiic arc deeply laSSf-
Tested In the proper moral and intellectual
Couture OF such children; and from their
franks, when properly educated, the state
may expect to derive many Of its most val
liable citizens, and to avoid those evils tina,
NATURALLY grow out of poverty Associated
with ignorance. Books, furnished for the
use Of children, viii be the property Of the
district. They should be well covered and
jcarefullv Used, and at the end of each
school term should be returned to the dis
trict clerk.
By the seth section, the district board
have power, under the advice of the supef-
intendent of public instru ton, to d&tefs
,mine what schcohand text books shall be
used in the several branches laugh. imthe
school Of such district. The books used
by the pupils pursuing the same branches
lin a school shall be uniform. WithsGls
isueh uniformity, there can be no classified
| ton oil the scholars and no efficient instrucs
| ton given.
To carry out this provision of the law,
lit will be the duty of the district board to
say what particular school or text books
shall be used in each branch of study pur-
sued and exclude all others.
By section 40, there is required I'd bg
taught il every sch Of district, the follow
ing branches, viz: Orthography, Reading,
Writing, English Grammar, Geography
and Arithmetic. 4 proper knowledge Of
these branches constitutes the only solid
basis Of education whether useful or orns-
mental; and it should be the FIRST and the
great object in all our schools, to make
thorough and finished scholars in these al.
Elementary branches.
When this has been accomplished, the
progress Of scholars in the higher depart
Iments Of study will be easy and rapid. It
will be observed that the English Ian
guage is to be the medium through which
all instruction as a general rule] Il to be
igiyen in our schools. Still By virtue of
The last clause Of section 40, the district
board may authorize any other language
to be taught in connection with the Eng
,lish, when they may consider the same to
be expedient or necessary. In lr.any dis:
trcts, composed principally of foreigners,
it may be found not only expedient; but
also necessary, for the district boards to
authorize even the English language to be-
taught through the medium of SONS othef
language. In such cases. district boards
are advised to exercise, not only a spirit of
accommodation, but all that lberaity, THAI
may be consistent With the enlightened
policy Of the law and our free institu.ions.
The forei gners that come to orr shores
have no wish, it ia believed, to preserve
their distinct nationality, by rigid adj
terrence to their native customs and Ian:
guages. It is not to be doubted, that it is
their desire, not only to enjoy Tue rights,
but fully and conscientio,isly to assume
the duties and responsibilities of Anericad
citizens. Their children, by our constitu-
ton, are permitted to epjoy the privileges
of our public schools; and it should be our
ambition, in these schools, to instruct them
by gentle methods in the principles Of cur
language, liberty and law. In no other
way can we render American society; pc.
litically or socially homogeneous.
If district boards should deem it expo.
dent to employ in any district an assistant,
to aid in the instruction of pupils who ean
speak only in foreign tongue, they Gre
fully authorized to do so BY the discretiod
placed in their hands, or they may employ
a foreigner as principal, who has suf1-
cient acquaintance with the English.
fro BE ooNrINuEDl