Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1859-09-23
THE PUBLIC sGHooLs-No.
By J. \. D0YD. {

By J. n. DOYD.
In our first articles We declared, First, That a
city superintendency for the schools would be
more economical than the present arrangement.
Second, That it would Improve the condition
of the schools
The hrst these propositions was clearly de.
monstrated in our last No., by showing that
$4,000 may be annually saved to the tax pay
ers. 1t now only remains to prove that the
character Of the schools would be improved by
adopting the same system that would, as we
have proved, reduce taxation for school .purpo.
ses. one third, or save So, 900 to the schools.
10 have good schools, three important things
are required:
1st. Good school buildings, furnished with the
necessary appliances for. teaching.
I'd. A Suticiency of pupils.
Sd. Practical teachers, who can adapt them.
selves to the capacity of child, and practice
the improved methods Of. conducting class ex-
ercises; we mean by this, the art of properly
teaching large number, say City oEssixty, pu
pills in the same class and at,ths, same time,
The first two of these conditions for good
school may, for our purpose, and to avoid argu-
mcnt, be granted to exist already. What We
conceive tolbe the great. want in this city is
good teachers. We believe there are few
teachers here who are labori9g faithfully for
Self-improvement; but while we admit the ex.
islence of few wide awake teachers, we are
reluctant to say that, in our. opinion, large
majority of them are totally unit for the sue.
ceSsful practice of the noble art of teaching-
But" says one "nre not all the teachers er.
Gnl1ned by body of men Of Acknowledged
ability as Clergyman, Lawyers and Doctors g"
True; and this very fact furnishes us with al
answer to the question, "whY are not all our
schools supplied with,a practical teachers P"
We. by no means deny the ability. OF. the Board
OF Examiners. to examine teachers in the differ
ent branches of science. So far as we know,
they are gentlemen of high SCHOLASTIC attain
ments, and very successful in their respective
professions, but We do say, and We believe that
they will agree, with US, that teachers should be
examined, with reference to their. ability to
te1ch-to impaTt what they Know irfrsuch
manner rs to be understood and nsSimulated by
the minds of childre and also, as to their abil-
ity to manage mot govern school,
There are many clever men in the world that
cant keep hotel;" SO, there are many fine
scholars, that can't KEEP school. aSr
It's in the "Art}Gf Teaching" that most of
our teachers are deficient. Upon this most
they have and ever fuilk fail to'elevate:the char.
acter of the Public Schools. Now wetcontend
that, ut least, this part Of their examination
should be conducted by professional teacher.
such as re have defined the City "Superintcnd>
ent to be. The present Board Of Examiners
are not teachers by profession, and hence
cannot be expected to give the subject that
attention which it demands; Beside, they are
not paid for visiting schools to see the opera.
tons OF the teacher in the school room. that
they may thus judgeSof'the teachers abiiifvTto5
tetch, andmanage school. IN
Our argument, then. amounts TO this: that If.
teachers were examined by d. prg5lssionaL teach
q, IS CITY superintendent, ind found deficient,
or unwilling to improve. ithemselYess, in the
Art of Teaching, being exclnded from The
ranks, the schools would be vastly improved.
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