Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-09-13
Proposed Re-distrIcting the city for
school Purposes, sc.
Editors InteLliqeneer:

tutors 4HteLttYeHCeTs H.... s7.
Every measure which results in the i'm
proyemeut of our public schools is of value
to the citizens and to the State which can
not be estimated in dollars and cents. In
this view, the recent action of our school
commissioners as advertised in yesterday
mornings paper, is matter of rejoicing to
every philanthropist aud to every patriot.
Permit me, however, without knowing
the wishes of the people on the Island, to
suggest that it is hardly to be expected that
they should concur in the proposed meas
ure, so far as "excluding the 9Th Ward" is
coucerned. That considerable portion Of
the city should consent to oforego al! the ad :
yantages of graded schools, which under a
judicious system they might enjoy, such as
primary schools at their very door, free
grammar schools for their older boys and
girls at half q mile distance, and free
high school not moro than a mile or two of
for their youth of higher grade, and that
they should accept in lieu of these school
embracing all grades of pupils, with all
the disadvantages of country schools, would
be surprising. ~ ai-l
However that may be, l desire to present
an outline of what seems to be the best
system for our city:
First. Tie city should be divided into
aOllG uluc VI btu 5CuOOl J,
in each of which a single female teacher,
should have charge of some so pupils OF
the lowest grade, say from six to eight
years OF age. 0fthese districts, at least one
should be upon the Island. The First Ward
has now really two primary schools; the 9th
has doubtless primary scholars enough for
three, &c.
End. There should be about three Gram
mar School Districts, each embracing three
or four of the former. Ineach of these should
be Grammer School to which, at stated
times, pupils should be admitted from the
Primary Schools or elsewhere, on exami-
nation as to their attainments, and in which
should be taught all the common branches
of education to a certain fixed extent.
3rd. To crown the whole; to give charac-
ter to the whole system ITO promote the et-
ficiency of all the schools, by giving each
school its proper grade of pupils and slim
ulating both teachers and pupils to put
forth their best efforts, there should be a
central High School, to which pupils from
thewhole city might be admitted once a year
on rigid examination. In this should pro-
badly be three departments, Classical,
Mathematical and Commercial, each to
embrace some of the studies pertaining to
the others, and in each ofwhich students
might graduate with mutual hSuor to them
| selves and the pubic schools of Wheeling.
Such system is no idle fgment of the
writer's brain, it has been tried and prov
ed in many places both east and west. 1t
might, probably, be well carried on under
three several Boards of Trustees, who
might act in concert 10 reference to the
High School, and, therefore, in proposed
ward meetings. expect to vote ''aye'' on
the proposition of the commissioners, pro-
testing, however, that the Inhabitants of
of the 9Th Ward have the right to be in.
cluded il, they SO desire. - -.s.I3
Had time and space / would advocate
the adoption of this system as q matter of
economy. While the cost of carrying 1t on
would differ probably but little from that
of the present, it would inevitably, il prop
erly organized as to superintendence &C.,
give us better schools for the same money.
No doubt every person who holds that or
dinary schools are Infinitely better than
none, will agree that excellent schools are
worth at least twice rs much as simply
good ones. If we now have any schools
deserving the name of exeeIlent Gas hope
we have several 1t is not because the pre-
sent system has made them necessarily so,
and even they would be far more efficient
under better system.
One word more. Since an immediate re-
suit of the adoption of the above system
would doubtless be the reducing Of the
number of male teachers, and a bar to the
raising OF the salaries of those that would
remain, mo one eau attribute selfish consid-
erations, in advocating ITO
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