Nebraska advertiser., 1868-02-20

Perhaps no people in the United States manifest
a greater desire for schools thai dc the people
Of Nebraska. In every little s%tlment q three q
four families, 5 school is ofsanisd and where 2
school house cannot be erected aroom IS obtained
in some private dwelling, and a teacher hired 10
instruct the children belonging 3 the little circle
Of settlers.
Now all this speaks volumes ID praise Of the en-
~terpriss and energy Of the peole, and shows q
Iaudable zeal in the cause Of eduation bat there
is one danger that needs to be guarded against,
that we think is not suficientlyllooked after, and
that is h ability Of TIRE teacher to teach our chill
DR. en- properly. We may have the form without
the substance, and then the school, instead Of 2
real good, becomes a positive injury and Of all
poor things, an ignorant and unqualified teacher Il
the poorest and most dsleteriousl Cheap teachers
are always the most costly theymay 90 through 3
nfeless routine, day after day I'D Kill time, until
the tive I've weeks pass your children learn what
they please and a they please, md they generally
learn moro error than truth. Nov, it costs the par
ent as much fr the ohild's bo,ss, clothing end
bofri. as though be went 70 q FIST class teacher,
aud all the difference to him Woull nos exceed two
or three dollars a term. Yet how frequently do We
find that these two or three dollan decide the ques-
ton in favor Of a miserable apology for q school, in
place of one where his child WouH be correctly in
structed and thoroughly drilled.
We are not saying one word to discourage the
young earnest teacher. We know that every true
teacher feels his own deaeiency,a ard tries to rem edy
it; but i is the transient, unsettled being who
offers his services as teacher, because he can obtain
a little money in that way easier than with bis Ak
in the timber. It is the pretens., the cham, the
shadow, Of teacher that we object to. We honor
the true, earnest worker in the ehoOI room, but We
b earthly despise the ignorant sycophant, who palms
himself off, on a credulous community as a teacher,
when be does not possess one resi- qualification for
the position.
It is time we began to insist on our teachers
knowi ng more than the alphabet. They ought, at
least, to be required to learn the mu Implication ia
bic. and know whether ths earth isrOund or aatI-
II has bsen our let to have bad some Of those under
our charge as pupils, whom the people call fret rat
teachers, and we could but feel sadsat the great de-
fciency exhibited in their knowledge Of the most
common branches, residing, spelling, and arithme-
metic, saying nothing about grammar and geogra-
ply.
But the great fault afterall is with the people,
We are not willing to pay wages TO warrant a per-
son to educate himself for his profession an sdu.
Gated teacher must come in competition with ev-
cry grade of ign o rance, and as he cannot afford to
spend his time in school for q les sum. than be can
make at other business, the cheap teacher usually
obtains the situation, while the truly qualified
person finds emplOym ent otherwise.
We presume that Nebraska has as competent
teachers within her bounds as many other States,
and yet Nat is not saying very much for hOI.
We propose discussing in our next issue some Of
the qualifications Necessary to a good teacher.