Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-07-03
Report Of the Special Committee on Schools.
To the City Council.

report:
The Committee have been anxious to
give the subject thorough investigation;
and to pass by nOcharge CT su question that
might be made by any person either IN
regard to the general system or the prae-
teal operation of these important iusti-
buttons. They accordingly examined the
numerous publications in the newspapers
of the city, upon this subject: conyersed
freely in private with many citizens, and
extended a general invitation to the pub
lie to come before the committee, and
present such complaints or suggestions
as any person might have 70 make.
So far as the committee have been
able to ascertain from these sources,
the objections urged a ain S the
present system and management OF the
Public Schools, may be stated as follows:
lst 1t is charged that the Public
Schools are shamefully deficient IN i'm
parting to pupils an elementary knowl-
edge of reading, grammar, geography and
arithmetic.
2nd That there are frequent and I'M
necessary changes in the text books used
by the pupils.
Sd. Thatbooks are purchased by the
Board Of Education at enc price and sold
to the pupils at a higher price-that
favoritism is exercised III the sale CT books
to pupils, and no accounts Kept of books
thus sold
4th That the financial transactions of
the school department and the manner of
keeping the accounts, afford easy oppor-
tunities of defrauding the Corporation of
large amounts OF money.
9Th. That the powers of the Superin-
tendent are too large, to-wit: in liking
salaries of teachers, suspending them,
making changes in books, &c, and that
he has financial duties which he should
not have.
9th. That there is unnecessary eXtraya
gance in the management of the schools.
eth. That pupils are admitted to the
schools who are not entitled under the
law to attend them.
The committee believe that the above
classification embraces all the complaints
and objections they have heard made
against the management OF the Public
Schools. They will proceed to take them
up item by item and state the conclusion
the committee have arrived at. The first
charge in the list is more important than
all the balance, as a lameful deficiency
in Importing an elem entary knowledge
Of reading, granma geography, and
arithmetic, would defeat the very object
for which the schools were created, and
would render them an expensive nuisance.
The committe accordingly spent morethan
a week in visiting the different schools,
and gave them the most thorough exami-
nation they could in that length of time.
The pupils were examined by the teach
ers, by visitors and by different members
of the committee. The committee were
awa.o that public examinations are gen.
orally very poor tests of scholarship, and
consequently avoided, as much as possible
the routine usually followed on such oc-
casions. The object was to test the thor
oughness of the teaching and how far the
pupils understood the subjects they had
studied. The questions were not con-
fined to those in the books, and were cal
culated to show how far the pupils has
been taught not only the rules land down
in the text books, but which is more I'M
portant, the reasons of those rules. The
committee were well pleased with these
examinations; Of course not equally so
with all the schools, as some exhibited
more thoroughness in teaching than 9TH
ers. But take them altogether, the COM
mittee have no hesitation In saying that
the public schools of Nashville are the
best schools that they have ever been
acquainted with. The reading was re-
markably good-the children almost
enunciate in q clear, distinct
and natural tone OF voice, and with very
little of that hesitation SO common in
young readers. Tie spelling was very
good. In grammar, arithmetic and ge-
ography, as well as algebra and the other
more advanced studies, the pupils are well
instructed: In some of the rooms the
committee were delighted with the accu-
rate and thorough knowledge displayed
by raany of the pupils, in these branches.
o. course there are some children so
const ituted that they Will not or cannot
learn anywhere, and there arc doubtless
such cases in the public schools, but the
above remarks apply to the greatmass of
the pupils. The committee was less
pleased with the writing than anything
else they saw. The copy books are kept
with great neatness, but except In few
of the rooms, there was not such I'M
provement in writing as the committee
would like to see The committee was
well pleased with the order kept in the
schools, the neatness and cleanliness OF
the rooms, the cheerfulness manifested by
all the pupils and their readiness TO SUP
NIT TO the examination. Some OF the
rooms are too much crowded, and some OF
the teachers probably have more pupils
than they can do full justice to; but this
it is said, will be remedied when the
Howard School Building is finished
Upon the whole, there is nothing OF which
Nashville has more cause to be proud OF
than her public schools, and the commit
tee would earnestly recommend to the
citizens generally, TO ylsl and 10
examine them for themselves. They are
satisfied that many Of the complaints
made against the schools, originate with
persons who seldom or never visit them,
and are ignorant of the mode of teaching
actually pursued The schools deserve
more attention than they have he et0:Ore
received, and will amply repay any one
for the trouble Of a visit and examination
of their practical operation.
1t is said that too frequent and unnec-
essary changes are made III the text books
used IN the public schools. The commit
tee could not go into general ezamlna-
ton of the various text books, so as to
report on the merit or dement, OF each
charge. They are satisfied, however,
that the changes are not so frequent as
many persons have supposed. IN Ueog-
raphIes, for instance, 1t has been sta ed
that seven changes have be N made, when
in fact only two have occurred. TO IN
derstano this matter, it is necessary to
state that the Biographies used in the
Public Schools constitute series. Be
ginners are first given primer Of Geog-
raphy, which is easily understood, and
is intended as the first lesson on the sub
ject in the primary department. AS the
pupil advances, and after finishing the
Primer, an intermediate Geography Is
placed in his bands, and finally he COM
pletes the study in q still more advanced
Geography-the three books making one
series. The first series used in the pubic
-alaaIs ..-aS nnnnosad of Gondrieh,s