Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-06-03

7 = Il = - '''.'I -
Cor Il must be borne In mind that an In.
crease in the pupils Of public school
involves little or no additional expense
10 the public, while each pupil added to
the numbers Of a private school costs a
cpusidsrable sum eddisional. Andifthe
attendance Of public schools is not so
large as ii should be, It only shows that
the public are slow to avail themselves OF
an improved sy stem, or that the prao''cA'
working Of the public schoolsin question
is deficient, , The principle still remains
ths SAM! The merit Of aschooi Is meas.
ured by Its results; but II no tests are
applied, how can results be- aseeriained =
And, except ID the casa Of large private
schools, where pupils are sent to un'ver'
sites or put forward to compete for APP
pointments requiring admission by ex'
animation, private schools must be taken
on hearsay or speculation, respecting
their efficiency. With public schools,
subjected as they are to the careful super
vision of an inspector or spperintendent'
the matter is different .
Again, the important question arlses'
are The men who come forward as leach
ers Of private schools able TO teach
Who tests them ? Must they not be taken
at their word in the matter2 A great
writer on education states: Two things
are requisite in a teacher, he must knoT
whatto teach, and heso 10 teach IT," This
truth is self-evident. If he is deficient
in knowledge, of course he is unable to
teach; and consequently the amount OF
information POSSESSED by one proposing
to teach. should be evidenced. 4 But a
still more important point is how to teach
that knowledge. The popular idea that
man can teach what he knows, is ex.
plodipg fast. Just as i requires special
study to acquire any subject, SO must the
art of teaching be studied and acquired,
or else the work will be done, as in
time past, unskillfully aud badly. A
man would be ridiculed who, because he
had large quantity of timber, protested,
though without previous knowledge OF
the trade, to be carpenter. And yet
n ~
men without previous training for the
work profess to be accomplished teach
ers because they have knowledge. In
what class of schools are the best leach
ers most likely to be found ? In the
public schools, decidedly. Though not
in many cases what they should be even
there, yet there are more real
skilful educators in such 3 schools
than in private ones. Public schools
cannot be fully developed in q short
time. There are many drawbacks, and
much uphill work to have them fully
established, and surely, aid from any
quarter is not to be lightly rejected. "A
Parent" can not have seen public schools
on an extensive scale, or he would know
that Directors and their constituted
officers always have the appointment oil
teachers and the choice of books 10
schools, whether endowed by bequest OIL
not. a3Hl puai it'a h-t
A spirit of unity and determination
to have the youth Of the city educated
on one grand basis, irrespective OF sta
ton or creed, will accomplish desirable
results. A prosperous future will more
than repay present outlay. The educa
ton of family is a most important
point; but so is the education of those
with whom that family must come il
contact. And 10 order to be thorough
that education must be Of the best kind
including the culture of habits ant
morality, as well as intellect, and that BY
persons competent for such office, I'M
der such supervision as at present exist
in this city, and responsible for theil
work and its results. 6hF
ylay p PERCY ScRrBBLE.
The following is taken from the New
Orleans Picay,sne w gsd
PEABODY EDUCATIONAL FUND Fol
LOUISIANA. - Rev. Barnas Sears, thu
general agent for this fund, who recently