Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1867-02-08
OBJ 0nfur0 9tmuirat
PARIS MAINE. FEB. 5. ise7.
Our Common Schools.


0neroas taxes With Which tbe people arc
no~ hardened IN other directions. S417.
1915 - a Handsome sen o. b. raiscd AM
pad for these purposes in 1855. The pco-
pc rai-ed 80 .Oss "a. over and above the
sums required % be raised bv law. and
$1,000 Of tbs was IN Oxford County.
The average per scholar Vas s2Oi. Be.
SIDES these sums. there Wa raid m Maine
last year sS5.SSs - for tuition in private
schools and academies within the State.
and s5.2os - Tor the sane purposes out
oi the State. The suns AnEuaiiv eNpend.
Cd BY our people for school purposes Ger
iainly are ample 20 give the rising genera
ton good business education.
II = true than school Prisileces are moi,
Uniform ihroughoui she State. Scholars IN
cities. large. compact towns. and villages
have an advantage over those residing IN
sparsely settled territory. and IN tie rural
towns. vet there are Do; few pilocs IN
Maine. where scholars are deprived a. an
common srhool Advantages We have 3ssl
school districts. and ais parts q districts.
and in these districts there are 189 rradea
schools. Each one OF these graded school.
ought 70 Dc equal % an academy in disci-
pine. the number Of studies pursaed. and
IN the branches Of edacaiion taught Aftcr
al hat tie people Of Maine pay fo- CON.
mon school education. We an know thaf our
common schools are not What they shoali
be. The number Of Children between TIE
ages q four and twenty one years was. last
year. 2i2. S3f. yet the average attendance
for winter and sunnmer vas ONLY o.. 81
In The winter season. Nhca at s-hola-.
should attend. the average artondanrc w.
bat 7.s2s. Il Is an Important question
for al 20 consider. WHY - iar-e a number
Of CHI laren and younE persons absent then
selves from our common schools. We So
prchend that Il arises from = cornhiratio-
ofcauses. \ large number have entered
upon business pursuits OF are teachinr
though ranked as schoiars tll twen'v-one
years OF ace. Parents ar founl in cvcrv
tow Who seem comparztitclr ind Gsrcrf
ss 70 whether their children attend school
or rot Some. Tor scry frid.ns reasons.
vil take the.r chiidrcn oat OF school: 9th
e.. living distance from thc school house.
val take 70 pains 20 Get ticm there. uh.le
third class daily see thcir chIlren Ioasrs
IN The stores and other pslI- places frou
the beginning 10 the end 90 The school vi,h
httie aPparent compunction. Another rea-
son Is i0sad in thc large number ol poor
ieachers employed ia our town school.
God teachers thai Ar up 90 th- times are
comparatively scarce. Bat feu persons
eagagc IN teaching a. a profession 4 man
nav be- thoroughly qualified 30 far a. I.rr-
ary qualifications are concerned. ard sea
prove an unsucccssfal teacher. Tat. 10
governing school. Is just a. necessary
- mental culture. On teaching. Nanr
school teachers fail IN another very inro--
tant ariicsiar.-ihey fail 10 secure che a.
icctiou and good-~iu Of their scholars
Unicss teacher can do thi.. lis school is a
failurc- Other teachers have 80 u4anv &C.
centre notions that thcy render thcfr
shools very unTrofialle. Vile o,ier. li.ls
particular hobbies. until they role major
i,y Of their scholars ou,side tie school
house.
a. many cases. school committee are in
TIE fault and. back of al this. towns. fsr
eicciing men utterly incompetent ior tbeir
place. Supciiutending sch OF comm.iiso.
On many respects occupy more rc.Foa..-
bls position than any o,Ler town oErer.
They should De- men Of sur-icni ii,rs-,
graliaca'ions. of cool jllsncnt. ana. more
important than al. good sound rauaaa-
sntss. These officers often auo- iucou,re-
tent teachers to enter schools. ana. vsr-.
DO them coniinue after tbcir school. a--
useless. and IN many eases vorsc tian us..
Jess
There are other evils connected uith orr
common school system which - would o.
glad % notice. bur We most defer fl.e-, rs
another time Til. Is a great anI all ira.
portant subject. The vital interest. a.
more than tvo hundred thousand ebIl-,r
and youth IN our State b. 81 stake in ihi
matter Of common schools. The people %
Name have never vet beer folly sraks o.
this great moral and fntc Iiecf1al interest boz
IN theH H'dst. The scaie IF improrcmcr
on our common schools should o. rais.I
higher. ln order 90 d. dis. there sboui
Pc a general movement in .hat dirrctio-
anaong che people T., every friend Cd
popu'ar cducatiou take BOA 81 this ms.t,.
% earnest. ard DE sork rI.I 10 s.-.
Pans AoSruESr Aseousrrox. I'd.
assoriaf.on va orgaHz.i rear'v nr..
years ago. ior tbs purpose Of raising f-ud