The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1866-02-01
Educational Department.
Prepared for The AHsqlaaian.1

depriVing Of the elective privilege, for
time at least, such parents and guardians
as through negligence, avarice, or aversion
to knowledge, withhold from the youth
under their care stated yearly amount of
schooling. 1t is in continuation of that
subject We now speak.
That all the people of State can attain
to proficiency in learning, or even in the
common rudimeats, is proposition that
need not be combated, its simple statement
beins sufficient to prove its impossibility.
None the less useful is i, however, for a
person III his earlier years to have himself
under good training, and become at least
suthclentiy acquainted with the practical
use OF his own tongue as to gather the
| correct meaning of plain Saxon speech,
spoken or written. n little knowledge is
IN Itself little thing; and the store of it
IN the mind OF one whose chief concern is
to secure food and raimcnt for himself
and those who lean on him and are part
OF him, Is very small thing; but then,
again, the vaster comprehension and more
extended Information of even the most
learned of earth Is not very large thing,
being onl few pebbles picked up from
the sea shore" while the great ocean of
knowledge lies undiscovered beyond. Yet
a little knowledge may be a very, very
great thing, may be the key to unlock the
door OF things iufnite. But it is not the
amount OF knowledge that is all that is to
be looked at Not only is the plain, COM
| mon, everyday man; with practical
knowledge of the use Of words, more capa-
bic of understanding what he reads or
hears, and Of forming a correct Judgment
thereon, but he is more capable OF putting
| himself down to steady, sober thought.
The information farmers boy has OBJ
tained at the district school may in great
part forSake him he may forget ''the
double rule Of three" or the rules of gov
ernment in grammar, or that the Dniester
flows into the Black Sea-all these may
leave his head when he gets black-eyed
Susan into his heart, and especially when
he gets her to preside IN his home, and
that home has a junior black-eyed Susan,
ana black-eyed SuSan's brother and sister,
or perhaps two or three of each, for then
the plough must be faithfully followed,
and the seed we'll soun, and every corner
watched, or there will be scarcity in the
larder and on the table, in the wardrobe
and on the back, but TIE power of think
ing, the strength coming from the disci-
/ pline Of youth, will be there still. There
will be pride in the school-house ''whers
! went to school when | was boy
There will be mauy a chapter from the
Good Book read, or a prayer; many 4
piece of information gathered that will
have its influence for good manifested on
election-day.
What right has any man, either moral
or any other, through avarice, neglect, or
stoue-bl;Dd prejudice, or by any pretence,
to deprive his child of what the child
when grown to manhood will himself
deem essential to his usefulness aud self
enjoyment, and what the State does deem
essential to both
If the State is right in deeming univer-
| sal education essential to good citizenship
and the peace and welfare of society, and
in taxing all for the support of its educa-
| rional system, why let the wickedly care
less, the avariciOus, or the obstinately
perverse spit on the judgment of the State
and cause tue public treasure to be thrown
away
Is man so careless of his own offspring
or so anxious to wiring from their young
lives the utmost farthing as TO infict ON
them an injury and shame that at best
cannot cease sooner than death, fit to be
trusted with the guardianship OF public
affairs Failing in his duty over those
who should be to him scarcely less than
lite itself what punishment carries with
it such natural fitness as that of depriviug
him of voice in the affairs of the COM
mOnwealth to which he has shown him
self au actual if not deliberate enemy?
Is this measure feasible We answer
that the teacher should be a sworn officer.
Then, let aim be required to send to each
parent or guardian by each Of his pupils
at the close OF each week, Il statement OF
the child's attendance. Then, at the end
Of session, provide certificate Of the
actual attendance and the perceE:age.-
Let each district keep list Of the school
children in it. and MAKE it the duty of the
assessor to take the requisite census aud
make out the list Pace such as have
school children uader their charge, yet
can show 10 such certificate, on level
with those whose taxes remain unpaid for
two or three Years. Make the certified or
sworn statement Of a regular physician
necessary to justify DECEPTION from school.
- -a-
CANNOT FoTE.-The Department of
Common Schools of Pennsylvania has de-
cided that School Directors elected next