Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1868-01-15
COMMUNICATED
EDUCATION, NO. 2.
BY cLusINI roNrEs.
'Tis sdseafios forms the common mind
Just as the twig 10 bent the tree 10 incliied


Those, who are most deeply interested in
the education Of the young, arc the parents
and teacher. Although we do not say, bu,
oil ought to take deep interest in tho edu
cation Of those, who are to make our future
Lawyers, Doctors, Statesmen, and Clergy
men, in word the citizens Of this vast Re
public as they value its happiness, its in.
tollectual standing, and its moral worth
What proud American, as his ambitious
blood boils in his veins to bear off the most
conquests in the scientific arena, would fail
to look about him with sorrow to see the
country lose its intellectual standing by moi
having all classes in it educated that the
governmental affairs Of the United States
may be, more and more intelligent.
ly conducted. Our government is the
peoples government; it is they, who elect
their legislators, and it is they, who choose
from their midst the executive power.
This being the case, is it not to the advan-
tage Of all to have every child in the coun-
try educated? Ifso, then, let us one and
all take hold Of the work, and not only give
it our support, but our encouragement.
But that the parents and teacher are the
most deeply interested in this work is evi.
dent from the relations they sustain to the
children. What fond mother does not,
with the greatest anxiety, listen to the lis
pings of her infant son, perhaps, thinking
when his mind becomes educated, and power
Of oratory trained, that thousands may be
won from error to truth by his winning and
persuasive eloquence?
Or what fathers heart is not filled with
pride, to hear the teacher tell that his son
holds the highest position in all his classes.
lie looks forward for the time when this son
will be called to compete for the mastery in
the active duties Of life, thinking that as
his labors were crowned with success in his
school boy days; so in after life lie may
hold the highest position his country can
give him. But the teacher is also deeply in
terested in his scholars, not only while at
school, but in their career in after life.
lie almost or perhaps 4nite, for the time
being, becomes a second parent by caring
for and fostering the infant mind by feeling
it Oh such nouri'hment as will cause it to
grow in knowledge, and mature in wisdom ;
until its possessor comes forth with mind
well stored with all the education of the day.
And as he enters the contest for notoriety
with what eagerness his instructor watches
his movements, and when successful, he is
exalted with the idea that his Instructor has
heen instrumental in crowning his efforts
with success.
Then if both parents and teacher are in
terested, or at least ought to be, they should
cooperate, and talk freely the best interests
Of the school parents should visit the school,
and Directors at least should spend half
day in their schools each month, and, indeed,
it ought to be day. But the pay, the pay,
they are not paid for it, they tell you; but
I tell you, they arc paid, not in dollars and
cents; but in what is better, they have the
of knowing that they have dis
charged their duty, and not only encouraged
their children to renew their energy in ap-
plying themselves to their books that they
may come before their teacher with well
prepared lesson; but that they are emula-
ting their teacher to renewed zeal, that he
may show them, that there is an improve
ment in the school every time they call. We
would, that we could say something that
would awake the people to just view Of
visiting their school /; and set them out Of
the notion, that they are over paid, who re-
ceivc stipulated rccompcnsc for their la.
bors in dollarsand cents But, if you choose,
you may con6ne the pay you receive to q
pecuniary profit and still tits to your ad-
vantage. You pay your teacher q certain
salary, and if you do not visit the school, he
may not be able to do more in two months
than he could in one lit may not be as much
as that) if he and your children have the en-
couragement of your presence in the school,
now and then. Now this is no freak Of the
imagination, but it is true. it is real, and by
the time the reader has had ten years ex-
pcrience in teaching, we think, he will fully
agree with this idea, and say: that there
ought 10 be more school visits recorded in
the Report Books than there are. But the
teacher cannot record them unless he has
them; therefore it is not his fault, then,
the fault lays with those who do not visit.
II is for the people to soy whether there
shall be any improvement in the education
al system or not and whether it shall not
become better, that the children may be
sent to school tho whole year; that when
they have grown to riper years, and called
from the old domicile to discharge the
sterner duties of life, they may be useful
men and women. Then arouse from this
drowsy forgetfulness, and awake to your
country's best interest, that you may help
to make your schools and school system,
what they ought to be; and then the United
States may have II to say, that their COM
mon schools will iavorably compare with the
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