The Feliciana Democrat., 1859-01-29

Tbe feIit iana 9emotrat.
REPORT OF STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF
PUBLIC EDUCATION.

Although most persons are ready to admit
that education is the surest and best basis for
the foundation of national greatness and pros
perlty, as 1t is OF individual success i'm the world.
yet in our own State the cause of pabc in.
strncton does not occupy the attention and
prominence its Importance demands We have
a good system in the main, but unqnestionably
it is capable of many improvements, some of
which are pointed out by the Superintendent
in his report to the Legislature for the past
year.
lie states that on assuming the duties of his
Office he found balance of $50 034 remaining
from the appropriation for the fiscal year end
ing March 81, 1858: the Legislature, at its
last session. made u further appropriation Of
$500, 900 for the fiscal year ending March 81,
1859, and up to thnt date of the report the
Superintendent had apportioned among the
parishes of the State the Sum of 1903 1924 "a,
leaving balance on hand of S77 ,0l5 66 to the
credit of the public school fund The enumer-
alton in 1851 fixed the number of educable
children at 76,50S, of which ouly about one
third have attended school duriug the past
year, according to the returns of the parish
| treasnrcrs. The Assessors in some of the par
4 lshcs have failed to make faithful enumera-
tion of the number Of educablc children, but
the Superintendent was compelled under the
law to be governed by their returns He rec
ommends that the law be so amended as to
place IN his hands the power to remedy the
evil whenever proper exhibit is made by the
parochial authorities.
The Public School System has cost the State
about four million dollars since its adoption in
lS47, yet says the Superintendent, 'in con-
sequence OF the apathy which has apparently
pcrvaded the minds Of those who are directly
interested as taxpayers" the law has not been
faithfully executed in every district by those
who are charged with carrying it out.
The Superintendent has examined the prac
tcal working Of the school systems of other
States, and thinks the secret of their success
has been in the adoption Of the most eflicacious
means for the advancement of education, rath
erthan the most economical. lie says:
II il respectfully submitted that our system is still
writhing under the effects Of the hue and cry Of re-
trcnchment and reform" which was raised in 1852
nor will it find relief until return to the system
as IL then existed which, together with such amend
mants and notifications as are obviously necessary
will place public schools on a footing which will
compare fayorably with any in the United States or
in Europe Such, indeed, may now be said of New
Orleans the City of Jefferson. and few other local
tiles which form noble exceptions to the general rule
! The recommendation made in former reports
to re-establish the Office Of Parish Superintend-
cnts is repeated in this. The substitution of the
Parish Treasurers saves to the state altogether
only about 81, 500, and there is no obligation
upon them to perform the numerous and i'm.
portant duties that devolvcd upon the Parish
Snpcrintcndents. The report estimates four
fold loss for this gain, by the employment of
incompetent teachers
BY the first section of the school law, all
white children between the ages of six and six
teen are entitled to the benefit of the fund ap.
proprated for the support of public schools,
and this the Superintendent recommends be
amended 50 as to read, "betwcen the ages of
eight and eighteen" We think this a sound
suggestion and endorse the opinion that "chil-
drcn confined to their books at the tender age
Of six years soon acquire a distaste for study,
and will not learn so much in a period of four
years as those who are placed at school at the
age of eight years will in two" We are sat
sfed that the forcing systematic custom OF
treating child's mind as one would a hot
house plant--isa pcrnicious and dangerous one.
The Superintendent disapproves of the clause
which provides that where children attend a
J private school in any district where no public
school is taught. the teacher shall receive the
same compensation for each child rs if he had
charge of public school This, he thinks, is
, unjust to parents who are unable to pay the
extra rate Of tuition demanded in such cases,
and tends to discourage public schools and draw
of the means of their support. This is the
fact, he says, in several districts; in the Parish
of East Feliciana there is not a solitary public
school to be found, and out of nearly 1000 ed
ucabc children, the returns from that parish
show only about 450 attending school. Among
other amendments to the school law recomen,
!, ded in the report, is one to pay teachers only
in proportion to the number ofchildrcn taught,
. instead of q stipulated salary agreed upon with
the Directors; one to attach penalaty to the
failure of Directors to perform the duties de
: yolyiug upon them by law; one to require the
q Parish Surveyors to furnish information as te
the condition of the school lands, etc. etc.
The Superintendent warmly approves the po
lcy of establishing Normal Schools, and think
= that no extra taxation need be resorted to tt
carry out the idea:
/. OF the three hundred thousand dollars annual
J, appropriated by the Legislature for the support o
schools let one hundred thousand thereof be set apaT
, for the establishment and support of four norma
obanl nnJn, priVi