Daily Mississippi clarion and standard. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1866, 1866-06-14
For the Clarion and Standard,
The school Book Question,

Iequllco thO oSiA N"S
alton of every lover of learning. And
perhaps if the question which has been
started is kept in motion something
nay be accomplished.
What are the real facts in the case?
In the common school system of edu-
cation, numberless varieties of works
have been brought into practical use.
And but few in general use. The rea-
sons for this are patent. Our teachers
are generally from all points of the
compass. No inquiries are made in re-
gard to their qualifications, their So
cial position, nor their moral stand
ing. Many of them are qaackS, with
out education or common sense, and
are compelled to teach only such books
as they have learned, or, as they are
able to get keys for. The consequence
is that the thing has gone on at such
rate that child to graduate in any of
our common country schools will
have enough books to commence
a library with
Again, the people do not make a
proper effort to sustain good school.
One who has prepared himself thor
oughly by years of study and close APP
Flication, comes to neighborhood
and desires to build up a permanent
school. To this end,he puts his rates of
tuition at what his services are worth.
Some individual, however, who is out
of employmcnt-is too lazy to work
bethinks him to humbug the people.
He sets up an opposition school at
! half the figures. and is absolutely q
! disadvantage to every scholar he deals
with, for they will ultimately have
most of what he has taught them tC
unlearn. Yet this man with the cheaT
school will get the scholars, and the
!
age.
| remember when | was a boy there
came 4 man to my native village il
Louisiana. He was q fine looking
fellow, shrewd, and with excellent com
mon sense. He used to punish thu
half of us every day to make our pa
rents think that he was a fine disciple
marian. And they used to judge ;
teacher by that. This man had eight,
scholars, and he undertook to teacl
them all At night he wrote up tn
books for one of the largest mercantil
houses in the town. One night h
eloped with all the funds of that cs
Enlistment And the next week cam
a zig arrH of some kind from the Gov
ernOr of Vermont for him, saying h
was an escaped convict. Now it i
to Just such characters that the moral
and the training of our youth are Ell
trusted.
To what extent does the evil Of NJ
merous kinds of text books prevail?
Webster's Speller and School Die
tiOnary, are in common use. Some
times, however, we meet with Town
Beginner, and now and then som
others.
Reading Books-McGuffey's ReaG
ers, were rapidly winning their way t
universal favor. The trouble we expo
rience here is, that Yankee like, h
has got up a new edition." Coco
rich's Readers, for school purpose
though not much better than the dali
newspapers, is found in use now an
then. There are others which hay
found their way into some neighbO,
hoods.
4 We have Smith s, Green's, Kirkham
e Billions, Buffers, and other Gran
r mars, and when a parent starts h
:. child to school, he might as we'll g,
them all, if he can get them chea]
Smiley has gone the long road in til
r country. We old folks knew Smile,
q but some of the others, especial
t Kirkham and Butler, are superior
In Arithmetic, Smith and Davie
, have had the run for the past fftee
years in this country; the latter is no
t. in more general use, perhaps, than al
o other text book Yet Robinson's S
e ries of Mathematics are, beyond {
: doubt, preferable to any works whiC
r have ever been published in this cou
II try. Greenleaf finds favor with som
re If any family has educated thr
children, and they all preserved the
books, you will be sure to find Mite
lie ellis, Smiths and Olney's Geographic
~ and it is useless to mention all t
trash usually palmed off under the ca
ie tivating sobriquet of Philosophy, A
p tronomy, or some other natural
ii moral science, many of which q
crammed down children's Threats e
they can fignre out correctly sum
ot ''long division"
But the child goes home, and t
Ill proud but deluded parent, congrat
IN lates herself on having such Chi
tn and such an appreciative teacher.
u The remedy for these evils, is no
no ready one, neither is it easy to col
~ out. Now, during the trial Of o
81 people, and every person is striving
k build up their shattered fortunes,
is can find plenty of competent you
men and women who are ready
teach. But let prosperity again
bo turn to our shores, and will not the
- young people turn to pursuits me
", lucrative Here is the root of the m
" ter: If you want good and compete
teachers, you must pay them We
Our common school system is emit
ly defective. There are enough cI
IS dren in the land; there is wea
es enough; there is talent enough.
on we had schools for the education
he teachers were teachers compelled
on get out license, obtained only
he standing q thorough examinatit
for and furnishing satisfactory credenti
ro+ for moral qualifications were thu
rn teachers to meet in convention a
"a establish throughout the State
general system of school-books
would not be long before we wo,
nj have a more thorough, more sys
d. matte, and, in fact, cheaper edu
, ton than ever. One year with
competent, thorough instructor
worth a half dozen years with
many half-witted fellows who b;
- taken it up for few months suppC
ICY by until they can get start in pull
confidence and find more lucrat
- and more congenial situation.
" want professional teachers.