The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-03-09
COMMUNICATIONS.
The Bill ON Public Education
TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEWS

| TO The EDITOR OF THE NEWS.
The bill lately passed in the Senate of the
st ate Of South Carolina, on public education,
is now before the Legislature, and it is to be
hoped that the Legislature will amend it so as
to render it effective for the promotion of both
mental and physical education.
The prominent feature CT that bill bill, as pass
ed in the Senate, is to secure good salary to
the superintendent of education and his county
commissioners, but no action is taken to ad-
vance education. It establishes board of ex-
aminers, composed Of the Superintendent,
the Secretary and the Auditor OF the State,
having charge of "givIng certificates of quail
fication for teaching in the schools to all per-
sons who pass satisfactory examination
| This, according to us. is not satisfactory.
| For where is the programme for that exam
| ination? What proves that those three officers
are, or will be in the future, competent to
| perform the important duties Of examiners?
Why compel teachers from every part of the
! ton?
In every State where public schools are in
existence, there is o normal school where per-
sons are trained to teach in common schools,
It was 80 in this State before the war; II our
Legislators intend to dispense with normal
securing good teachers; otherwise the intended
reforms will never take place, and abuses will
be more fagrant than ever.
Public schools are supported by public
teachers are appointed and remune1ated. Why,
| then, not prescribe that the examination Of
teachers shall ho made publicly. as is done
with the doctors and lawyers. This should be
lie would be satisfied that merit, and merit
alone, only presides at the appointments of
| teachers, now that it has turned fashionable to
bo teacher. Nepotism, tavoritism ana po-
ht!cal Influence must be excluded from prblic
schools. Teachers must bo appointed and
paid according to their own merits aud quali-
fications: But at any rate their salaries must be
sumclent for their own support; otherwise the
sons who have other means for their living
This would be creating monopoly for the
benefit ~ 1t 81 persons IN good circumstances.
Ii ladies are entitled to be teachers this
must not be to the exclusion Of gentlemep,
But whero is the gentleman who will be willing
TO teach in public schools, if he cannot make
t ms % LIVING by it; when his salary is not equal
whose habits and living are not expensive? +?
In the said bill not word is said about the
physical education of the children. Will the
ss'uPerlntendent and his commissioners ever
think OF the Development Of youth, both in
body and mind? Will they look for the devel-
oped musclea and vigorous frame OF the BODY
as the precursor Of support and actual aid to q
well balanced intellect
Will they prepare the young girls for future
wives and mothers, and the boys for muscular
and we'll developed young menp
Meass saaa IN corpore sano is an axiom which
coramon schools OF this country. Too often
the intellect is stimulated at the expense Of the
Dody: Modern physiology teaches us that every
intellectual effort. every emotion of the heart,
depends Tor It's perfect healthfulness upon the
minutest parts Of our physical frame. This is
true especially for what Is termed the nervous
system. IL put out Of order by over-stimulat-
ing 1t at school, soon the frame of the child
goes wrong, and see the consequences.
The child, if eager to learn, becomes the
favorite OF the teacher. who stimulates him to
win the prize at the examination 4; his parents,
ignorant IT., OF the physical laws, allow him to
the name of the child in the local papers as
having gained the prize Of his class. When
the chlld awakes his first thought is not OF his
mornlns prayer, but OF his lessons. He swal-
poor victim, half tired and weak from sleep dis
turbed by dreams of lessons lost and gained
!here the children are crowded in large bHild-
ings generally not sufficiently ventilateS the
fs for human beings to live IN; alternately ex-
posed to sitting heat or chilled by open
windows raised from time to time, in order that
teachers t.; a and pupils might momentarily breath
How do they spend the short recesses allowed
to them2 Do we find in our common schools
any gymnasium or exercises cenduciee to the
9eveiopment ct the body, as is done in Europe?
The Grecian aud Roman Republics were more
wise than is the modern Republic OF America.
There children were compelled not onlv ia
learn how to read aud write, rs provides our
bill on education, but girls and bows had to
appear In the Agora and partake Of bodily ex-
Let us not foreet that common schools are
attended by children of good families, and
there are many in that Category now q iavs
who cAnnct afford to supply their children with
the implements required for the physical edu-
caton oftheir childien. Upon the State there
the new ORDER of things is true TO The mission
It proclaims to have to protect and advance the
tho matter. r, DnI3oa ~
Charleston, March 4, 1869.