Nebraska advertiser., 1870-01-20
COMMUNICATED
Schools.

We notice in one Of your late issues
letter from an individual terming or
naming himself "Edux," on the sub
ject of 'iSelect Schools" and we wish
by your permission, to review some of
his arguments on that vital and all
important question. We feel deeply
interested in this cause. We have
labOred in it for years, and we believe
there is too much at stake to leave
such infatuations and frivolties go un-
answered i'm a sheet of so wide and
extensive publication. Hence, we
will hold some of the weightiest of
the gentleman's argument up before
you so that you may see what his hy-
pOthesis or base is and first, he pre-
sents the interrogation ''are trans
cient schools" beneficial or injurious
to the cause of education? We would
inquire what is meant by a trans
cient school," In the first place, we
understand transcient school to be
one conducted improperly, incom-
pletely. And again, a transcient
school is one that passes around from
place to place, such as horse tanners,
&c. The first we believe to be inju-
riOus; the last profitable if conducted
by energetic men. We hold that ev-
cry parent should see well to the in
terests of their children in point of
education. We would rejoice to see a
high school in every four districts,
and one in every town if possible.
And again, we rejoice that the people
are awake to their own interests, not
trusting to pedagogues; also, to man
age their children's many interests,
for there are more who labor merely
for the dollars and cents than who la
Dor for the substantiatiOn of the va
rious high schools and public schools
throughout our own country.
Here we claim is the sole cause of
the failure Of the schools referred to.
We are sorry that the gentleman
has a poor opinion of Nebraska, but
he will find the same impediments
in other States with more age than
ours. I have had the privilege of Wis
iting eleven States in my life time,
and 1 can say of truth, that found
none more alive to the cause of educa-
ton than the young State of Nebras-
ka. "Give honor to whom honor is
due" is my motto. Every parent ap-
pears to be alive; every child seems to
be invigorated with a zeal to press
forward to the mark of his high call
ing. If teachers would labor to earn
the remuneration they do receive in
time, the standard would be raised /;
but it is a lemantable fact that many
teachers do not try to earn what they
receive, hence there is poor encour-
agement for an increase in the wages.
And again, let us see what an Ac-
ademy implies. He remarks that
we must have a large audience room
and at least two recitation rooms"
which we believe to be a sophism; !;
and we would only refer him to Prof
Reeds School Report, of Edinburgh,
for the use of the word Academy.
He defines an Academy as place Of
learning; a place of education in its
broadest sense. Hence, every public
school is an Academy which is prop
erly taught and properly conducted.
I would naturally suppose by the re-
marks that n demand for greater wa
ges was his object, and that he was
a candidate for a high school or an
Academy.
1 believe that teachers can be OBJ
tanned for less pay than $500 per year,
and that contingent expenses would
be less than $500 per year. We don't
propose to support these schools
wholey by tuition, but by taxation,
which the people are more willing to
pay than railroad tax, and which
they deem more profitable. We re-
mark that these problems have all
been worked out long since, and hence
they are not barriers in the way.
Now, let us see what a select school
is. 1t is one in which the pupils are
select to study certain branches, such
as grammar for instance, and then
count your costs in this and where are
you? It requires just as much to pay
your teacher. 1t does not lessen the
incidental expenses in the least, by
calling it q select school; nor does it
naturally follow that an institution of
this kind must, of necessity, be kept
open twelve months in the year.
We contend and do aver that itmat-
ters not what we call the educational
enterprise. If It's properly conducted
it will rebound to the future awaken
ing of greater interests in the cause of
general education, and that it will
arouse an enthusiastic spirit of emo
tional ambition in the hearts of our
youth, male and female. That they
may become efficient scholars, we only
ask an unprejudiced perusal of our
reasons for establishing such institu-
tions, and we are not forgetful of the
decision.
n HETTEppp ANrT