New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-08-21


TINS suolect, from time to time. have in
my Dands the report of the Superintepdent
for 1858, made by Samuel Bard, in which he
says:
"The glaring detects which I pointed out
in my report for the year 1856, stfil pervade
our public school system throughout the
the whole State.
There really is not single feature ofthe
system, anything approaching what it
! ought to be. Actual useful supervision is
merely Knocked under the present pro-
visions; the securing Of competent and
otherwise eligible teachers is utterly i'm
practicable; the administration Of the
finances of the department is by no means
Wlthln that rigid control which ought 10
characterize 1t; the schoolhouses existing
are quite unit for the purposes to which
they are ostensibly devoted: the books used
are not unfrequently an insult and wrong
to US, and are always a source of serious in
convenience not to say mischief from
causes which will be presently stated
The work of education is unceasing and
must, therefore, be ever changing and i'm
proving with time and circumstances; but
before it can start fairly on this career it
must be established on permanent basis.
That 1t IS this, can not yet be said of our
| system. May 1t not be long ere this can not
| with truth be repeated.
why should she, having the power, as
| she most assuredly has, to show that in this
| independent of the North and can take the
| highest rank, still be content to leave the
great mass of her population at the mercy
| OF so inefficient and disorg anized an
educational system as it is my duty,
most reluctantly acknowledged, to say at
present attlicts her Is the Union to be
preserved; is that Union for which alone
our foretathers fought and bled and for
| which the great and good of every period
OF our existence as nation have struggled
with all the force of the mightiest of minds,
to be still vouchsafed to us and our poster
ity. Or is it to be left to the mercy of
ignorance, eyeriopen to the influence of the
| designing, and so, as assuredly there is
great danger that it will be, sacrifed
Heaven forbid it Evil would the day be
indeed that this should come to pass.
THE condition of the achoolhouses them
selves is. in the great majority Of cases,
great reproach, although perhaps quite nat
urally to be expected in connection with the
| defects of the system already pointed out.
As will be seen by reference to tine reports
published i'll the appendix, while there are
not fewer than eight hundred schoolhouses,
only $3034 is stated to have been expended
in building, improving, repairing, and fur
nlshlng them during the past year, or con-
siderably less than torty-one dollars each on
an average, sum so satirically small as to
carry with it quite impression enough,
| | trust, without needing any ampli-
that this is light matter. | would not ad-
vOcate any extravaganza or unnecessary eX-
pense in this direction; but ii is as futile to
expect the mind OF teachers or pupils to keep
or acquire proper tone and elasticity when
| crbbed and bedabbled in dirt, diiapidation,
shape to contribute to happiness, enjoy
ment, and gaiety.
1.-THE establishment. of efficient supervision
and the procuring of excellent teachers
/ would assuredly fail to produce those ef.
fects without which they would be of nc
| value to the State were they not TO be &C
c0mpanied by the maintenance of good
schOolhouses. ! have not sufficient data to
/ enter into details upon this point but that {
ruinous log cabin by the roadside or in the
y woods, without an inclosure, with slab
| door, with small apertures, without even 8
shutter, far less any sashes or glazing, sery.
ing as windows, without chimney or fire
place, lacking maps and blackboards and
other necessities for teaching, Is no eXag-
gerated picture OF n large portion of Oul
schoolhouses is but too well known, and il
| our public school system is to be improved
, this must be one of the points at once to be
attended to. 1t ought, indeed, in order that
the necessary information be first attained
to follow the establishment of local super.
= intendence, but so closely as to be as nearly
I | concomitant as possible.
e mot far removedlfrom this subject is the
4 condition OF the office of the State Superin-
tendent, which is In an ineXcusably shabby
| condition, without any necessary furniture
VI and as far removed from the state and ap
Il pearance it ought to have as can be wei
imagined. 1t is scarcely possible, indeed
| to suppose that its actual occupation /
seriously contemplated by the Legislature
/ 1t is indispensable, however; and what i
a more, if the duties of the department ar
-" to be properly performed, clerk will hav
to be appointed By the Legislature to attenc
d to it, or the salary Of the Superintendent
n must be increased so as to enable him to en-
ploy one. The proper supervision of tn
. affairs of the department, of the working O
Il the system, and of the Improvements neces
sary, is quite as much as the head of the de
partment can do and She clerical duties ar
quite enough for another. should perhap
s. not have mentioned the fact, did | not deeu
:. it pretty fair proof OF this, that during NJ
term of office / have found it necessary ii
order that both should be properly dis
a charged, to eXpend $500 out of the emolU
IS ments of the office.
''Mr. Booth, the gentleman whom 1 EN-
ployed, performed his duties faithfully ant
well, or Notwithstanding that eXpenditur
u l should not have been able to discharge tn
c duties so satisfactorily to myself as have.
p In an annual report to the Legislature Q
1860, by Mr. W. J. Hamilton, he writes a
follows:
Our system is very defective in nearl
.e every essential particular, and before "
can possibly realize the benefits whic
should flow from the large amounts annU
ally expended for the purpose of carrying
If out, it is absolutely necessary that the sam
be entirely remodeled, and placed upon
more practical foundation. As the law no'
stands it will continue to drag its slo'
! length along for years 70 come, and hang a
/ an incubus over private enterprise.
have stated that the present school lay
is defective in every essential particular
+ and should be remodeled. The first grea
/ change that strikes the mind of every OBJ
serving man as necessary to be made, is t
increase the duties, enlarge the powers, am
/ augment the salary Of the State Superin
j tendent; make it the duty of said officer t
visit every parish in the State, deliver lee
r. lures on public education, and encourag
? the teachers of the various public schools t
l form associations for their mutual improve
ment.
The masses are not enlisted in behalf oi
. public education, nor will they feel that
interest or take that action in reference to
the subject of education which they should
take in order that our public schools may
be placed upon sure aud prosperous foan-
q dation. This plan has been adopted by
many of the States where puolic schoo' s
have been organized, aud incalculable good
# has resulted both to the teachers and pu-
, | pils from the same. Look at New Orleans,
q | for instance; sec what is being done there.
Her schools occupy prominent position in
: | the minds of the leading men OF the said
u citv. and under their fostering care will
soon become the schools of the city, at
# whose doors the children of all classes Of
society will be knocking for admission,
| uyL,t Il bafnp dOun in Nauf Os1aapu co,, o.,