The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1862-11-28


! teachers employed, adopt uniform series o.
books to be used in all the schools of the dis
trict, and none other shall be used, on penalty
of the teacher forfeiting hfs wages on violating
the requirements OF the board, by permitting
other books to be used in the school than was
authorized, without the knowledge or consent
of the majority OF the board of directors. This
! provision of the law itself would etfectuay
remedy the evil complained of If enforced by
the proper autboritias.s s But il is said by many,
adopt uniform series &. text books in our dis
tfict, and at once one half Of the school would
be compelled to buy new booksls a Unit it,
more than one half of all who Aapill 'tF a 1kp'-
4 ed to buy new books have old ansiq sIxaas book
half worn out, and which should frayt basfi laid
aside long since for new ones And admitting
i that the balance Of those required to buy new
books, have books of more value and of'more
modern date; still they would be the gamers
finally. The advantages Of having the prlvi-
lcges of we'll classified school will far more
than compensate for the required change in text
books. The old adage that slime is money!
seems not to be comprelIended by many parents
in these modern days, when considered IN rea-
4 ton to the time asduandered in the school room
4 by their sons 'aHd daughters, who spend weeks
months, and often years IN nursing lew old
antiquated books to little or no purpose. Thus
they pass their school days, and enter upon the
duties and responsibilities of life wholly unpre-
pared to meet them. Whereas, on the other
hand, had these same children been provided
with the new, improved and interesting text
books, now extant throughout the country far
different results would have been attained by
these children. With the advantages of a well
classified school, and with-the necessary books,
they would have taken an interest in their stu
dies, and have acquired a liberal business edu-
cation, and thus have been prepared to enter
upon the stern realities Of life, with fair pros
poets of success. Manyyoung men in the coun-
I ty, thus permitted to grow mp to manhood, un-
der the present GUIDANCE, now find themselves
50 deficient i'll the rudiments of an English ed
ucation, that they are obliged to leave home and
go to some Normal school or academy, and re-
main there three orzfuur terms, at least, at an
I eNilense Of ei,rvsy,yg-i',iie I--..-si
the loss of their time, (worth one dollar per day
to any educated young man.) Whereas, with
| the necessary books, he might have acquired
thorough knowledge of these branches in the
public school, when his time was not so valua-
! BILE, and where his board and tuition would have
/ cost him nothing. This is that economy which
! throws in with Il spoon, and out with q shovel.
Yet many parents are yearly practicng this
very economy in the education of their chill
dren. To save Il dollars worth of books now,
they will subject their children to the expense OF
hundreds of dollars when they grow up to man
4, hood. ...t f.rr-H EH a
| But il may be said. ''therc are many poor i'll
our district and if the directors require Il uni
! iornity of text books, many OF tliem could not
use the books they now have, and they are too
poor to buy others" This may be true, for it
is written: ''the poor ye always have with you"
But it is not, rs n general thing, the poor who
make the above objections, but the miserly
and comparatively rich; those who concern
themselves more about the cultivation of fine
crops fat horses, cows and hogs than they do
about the morals and intellects OF their children
1t is fact known TO all who are conversant
with the county, that there are bnt few who are
externally poor, but admit that there may be
some, in every district, who would not be able
to procure the necessary books for their children,
required by the School Law, is this any reason
for delaying the necessary changer The State
has undertaken the education of all the children,
rich and poor together. She builds School-hou-
ses, EMPLOYS teachers and throws open the doors
of the sehool-room to the rich and poor mans
children alike. But children cannot be educa-
ted without books, and the INDECENT poor are
moi able to procure the necessary books. Shall
their children, therefore, be compelled to grow
up in ignorance and crime, without the refining
and restraining influences OF the public schools,
in the formation of their manners. and habits
for life7 this would be defeating the very end
lad in view in the establishment Of free schools
by the State. The law on this subject provides
that the directors of each district shall procure |
the necessary books at the expense OF the dis
trict' for the children of all parents who do not
provide the required books, and who are too
poor to do so, In our humble Judgments il
would be a greater saving pecuniarily 10 any
district, to collect all The school books used in
the district and burn the whole in a bonfire,
and then procure books for the children. Of all
the schools at the expense OF the district, thus
securing uniformity, than TO continue on with
the multiplicity of books. as are now found in
the, schools of some districts in the County
This want of unitormityI of text books must
and will continue until there is a united effort
made by both teachers and directors TO rid the
schools of all books contrnband to the adopted
series When that shall be accomplished wirat1
will be some of the happy fruits !' a.sa sg'as
y First, you will see every school in.tle Conh.
ty well classed, so that each pupil willreceive
his due proportion Of the te;icbers time.
Secondly, you willssee pupils more deeply ip-
terested in their studios and school, making the
heartsiof their parents glad towitness theirsrap-
id improvement.elno tad ~. = as.ss~ !, ~ ~. ]
Thirdly, the teachers of the sevcraf districts f
will post themselves in the books used, 50 that
they will be prepared to give their pupils in !
struction upon any of the intricate questions t
which may present themselves in the course of v