Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-01-22

SUBSTANCE OF AN ADDRESS DELIVERED
TO A TEACHERS SOCIETY, SALEM,
JANUARY 9Th, 1853,
ny T. Z. srLiOT.

WINE, " CUululuulchNe v cuSh Uthtl y" w
the improvement Of our school system, of our
school machinery and Of ourselves as teachers.
To one who, like myself, has watched in France
the growth OF the national system of education
which succeeded the military ,barraek like sJ stem OF
drilling under which, during Napoleou's rule, il
was my fate to be reared ;--who afterwards saw in
Eugland the Lancasierian or Monitorial System
carried to its bigest developemcnt, to such Il one
the sight Of your Union Schools with their grads
ton Of subjects and classes, with their uniformity
Of spirit and discipline under the fostering super
inteudence Of aa experienced and earnest Princi
pol, is deeply interesting.
shall not therefore. i trust be accused OF n cap
tious, fault finding spirit if / throw out some sug
gestious for improving those schools, and extending
the range of their usefulness.
In the 6rst place, the system is, as YET only par
tial in It's operation your country parts are stlli
supplied only with insulated District Schools
where there is little uniformity OF discipline and
method where the teachers may be good, bad or
Indifferent, as chance or the within or judgement of
Trustees and Examiners may determine.
Neither are the methods Of instruction, the NOR
al government, the text books Used in those schools,
nor the conduct Of teachers and pupils subjected
&c that regular and enlightened superinteDdenoe by
duly qualified and officially appointed examiners to
which the immense superiority of the Grammar
Schools is attributed by your great educators,
Horace Mann, Barnard, Bache, &c.
Most cordially do | admit that America contrasts
fa,orably with England in the vast superiority OF
Its provision for the education of the mass OF the
people-the workers-the bones and shows OF the
land. Its schools are scattered over the whole
country there is scarcely a district so wild or SC
poor as to be left unprovided for by your admir-
able school.law, funds are provided to keep up
those truly national ins.itutions-the best monu'
ments Of a nations greatness. These schools are
open to all the child of the poorest as of the rich
est may enjoy tho sam privileges, without any
senss of humiliation for he knows that his father
paws his d lie proportion of the school tax, and that
therefore the school is his fathers, supported by
him, and that in sending his child to 1t, he only ex'
ercises his undoubted right.
May l not then call upon you, who have received
from your fore'fathers this noble inheritance, to
show your appreciation Of your birth'right by do
ing your own part 10 transmitting 1t to your sue
esssors in q still moro efficient condition still bet
ter adapted to the ever growing wants and capaci-
ties of the people?
In the first place could not your District-School
system be remodelled-or the Union School sys
tenn be so extended as to take in those insulated dis
trict schools which are left to struggle on in their
ionliness, uncheered by sympathy ,unassisted by the
health giving spirit Of co-cperationf Could mo-
the country be divided into educational circles
each containing a certain number OF dlstrle
schools, easily accessible from some central villag'
or town, where the High School would be located
This High School would be supplied with a resu
lar succession of scholars from the Primary ant
Grammar Schools belonging to the severa! districts
constituting that particular union.
These districts should contribute to the genera
taion. School fund according to the amount ,requir
ed to maintain a school or schools suited TO thu
wants of the district and to contribute its quota tC
the support Of the central High School. .Thil
rate should be in proportion to the advantages di
rectly derived from the school by each locality, il
order to remove q frequent and not unreasonabi
complaint that property is taxed for the support o
schools from which many Of the taxpayers deriv
little or no direct benefit.
A board Of Trustees should be elected by th
whole school,union to administer the funds, see t
the repair Of the school buildings, the choice {
teachers. g.. They should appoint a Nisitin
Committee to see that the teachers are assidiou
and earnest in the exercise of their functions
They should also devise means of placing the
schools under the regular supervision of State Q,
aminers, in order to excite and keep up in teache,
and pupils a healthy spirit Of activity to insur
uniformity Of system over the land, and not on
TO prevent any falling off from the present stan
ard of efficiency, but also to secure to each unit
the benefit Of whatever Improvements in educati,
they may have witnessed elsewhere.
The Principal of the Central High Schoo! shou
be er o6icio superintendent Of the whole circle.
He should visit each school and spend in il o
half day or Whole day, at least once q fortnight,
examining the classes, in order to keep up the 70
Of teachers and pupils, lest any relaxation of
dustry or discipline be permitted to creep in, a
so that all may be gently. but firmly urged to mo
onward. each according to his capacity, animal
by one common spirit-the determination to ma
tomorrow better than 10 day.
As q means of fostering that vital spirit,
teachers of the various schools Of each uni
should meet at stated times to converse on
success or failure of their plans, to consult FREE
with sch other in q fraternal spirit for the comm
good. The principal should be er o6fciO charm
Of those meetings but the teachers should h;
the power 50 sppoint a vice chairman to preside
his absence, and a secretary to keep minutes
the meetings 10 a book open to the inspection
the Visiting Committee. In the second place
will offer some suggestions on the improvement
our Union Schools.
, /. As to text books. There is a continual
proyeme nt 10 school books. Let any one comr
the books in common use now with those of i
q 20 years ago. Each school should keep up '
shs spirit Of the age. The subject Of Text be
should therefore be now and then brought VI
the careful consideration Of the Teachers Nee
and Of the Visiting Committee. A capric
change Of books is, of course, to be avoided
no decidedly inferior book should be retained,
more than a.decidedly inferior teacher.
III l. 5000