The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-03-09
COMMUNIC.4TIONS.
The Bill on Public Education
TO The EDITOR OF TIE NEWS.

TO The EDITOR OF TIE 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 Ior the promotion of both
mental and physical education.
The prominent feature of that 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,
ficatiOn for teaching in the schools to all per-
sons who pass satisfactory examination" :"
This, according to US, is not satisfactory.
Fer 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
State 10 go to Columbia to pass their examina-
ton?
In every State where public schools are in
existence, there is normal school where per-
SONS are trained to teach in common schools.
1t was so in this State before the war. If our
legislators intend to dispense with normal
securing good teachers; otherwise the intended
reforms will never take place, an,. abuses will
be more fragrant than ever.
Public schools are supported by public
money, and the public is entitled to know how
teachers are appointed and remune1ated. Why,
then, not prescribe that tho examination of
teachers shall be made publicly, as is done
with the doctors and lawyers. This should be
done for every branch of education. The pub
lie would be satisfied that merit, and merit
alone, only preside5 OF the appointments of
teachers, now that it has turned fashionable to
be o teacher. Nepotism, tavoritism and po
litical influence must be excluded from public
schools. Teachers must be appointed and
paid according to their own merits and quail
fcations. But at any rate their salaries must be
sufficient for their own support; otherwise the
profession will be confined to class OF per-
sons who have other means for their living.
This would be creating monopoly for the
benefit Of persons in good circumstances.
II ladies' are entitled to be teachers, this
must not be to the exclusion Of gentlemea.
But where is the gentleman who will be willing
TO teach in public schools. if he cannot make
his living by it; when his salary is not equal
to half OF the wages OF the lowest laborer,
whose habits and living are not expensive
In the said bill not word is said about the
physical education Of the children. Will the
superintendent and his commissioners ever
body and mind7 Will they look for the devel-
oped muscles and vigorous frame of the body,
as the precursor OF support and actual aid to a
well balanced intellectf
Will they prepare the young girls for future
wives and mothers, and the boys for muscular
and we'll developed young men?
Mems sdaa ar cor.pore sGno is an axiom which
has hitherto been ignored, especially in the
coCamon schools Of this country. Zoo often
the intellect is stimulated at the expense OF the
body. Modern physiology teaches Us that every
intellectual effort, every emotion of the heart,
depends for It's perfect healthfulness upon the
minutest parts of our physical frame. This is
true especially for what is termed the nervous
system. If put out OF order by over-stimulat-
ing it at school, soon the frame Of tie child
goes wrong. and see che consequences.
The child, if eaeer to learn, becomes the
favorite OF the teacher, who stimulates him to
WIN the prize at the examination; his parents,
ignorant OF the physical laws, allow him to
study till late hours. They are proud TO see
the name of the child in tho local papers as
having gained the prize OF his class. " When zen
the ciiifd anahes ITs n1ttn0ngnt IL noI Vi hie
morning prayer, but OF his lessons. He swal-
lows his breakfast. and off to school runs the
poor victim, hall tired and weak from sleep dis
turbed by dreams of lessons. lost and gained
There the children are crowded in large build
ings generally not sufficiently ventilated; the
forenoon is spent in an atmosphere entirely un-
fit for human beings to live IN; alternately e1-
posed to q sitting heat or chilled by open
windows raised from time to time, in order that
teachers and pupils might monentarily breath
with comfort.
How do they spend the short recssses allowed
to them2 Do we find in our common schools
any gymnasium or exercises conducive to the
development Of the body, as is done in Europe?
The Grecian and Roman Republics were more
wise than is the modern Republic of America.
There shildren were compelled, not only to
learn how to read and write, as provides our
bill on education, but girls and bows had to
appearin the Agora and partake Of bodily e1-
ercises.
Let'us not foreet that common schools are
attended by children Of good families, and
there are many in that category now days
who caneet afford to supply their children with
the implements required for the physical edu-
CATION of their childlen. Uponthe State there
isincumb ent the duty to provide for them, if
the new order Of things is true to the mission
it prochims to have to protect and advance the
the matter. L. DUBos.
Charleston, March a. 1869.