Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-01-19
Maine Educational Board.
SECOND DAY-TUEsDAY.

of the death of Rev. A. II. Abbott
Voted, To raise a committee of three to
present the name of candidate for the office.
Messrs. Glidden, Hicks, and Luce were ap-
pointed as the committee, who presented the
name of A. II. Abbott of Franklin County,
who was unanimously elected
Mr., Abbott accepted the office, thanking
the Board for the honor conferred
The topic of discussion was ''the transfer of
the power of employing district teachers from
School Agents to S. S. Committees"
The discussion was participated in by near
ly all the members.
Voted, That the topic for discussion to-
morrow morning be "Text Books.
Abbott of Hancock, Plummer of Penobscot
and the State Superintendent were appointed
to present this subject before the Legislative
Committee on Education.
Adjourned to afternoon.
afternoon Session. The exercises Gem
menced with the reading Of an essay on our
Common Schools, by Mr.. Hathaway, County
Supervisor of Somerset. He would speak on
the common schools in Maine He would
consider LIST, The common school as it ought
to be. 1t ought to fit the pupil for the ordi-
nary duties of life. The privileges of the
common school should be extended to ALL
The welfare Of our country is not secure with
out this. The colleges do not perform this
work and cannot. People are not qualified
for the exercise of intelligent suffrage without
the education of the schools.
The art of reading is of the utmost impor-
tance-it is indeed the medium through which
every other thing is known. The art of writ
ing the English language in good round
hand is important. All that is necessary Of
arithmetic should be taught. English gram
mar, the art of speaking and writing the
English language correctly and intelligibly-
and geography, must not be neglected. Do
not stuff the mind of the child with minute
details, but let the instruction be of general
character.
These four branches should be invariably
taught. Botany, anatomy, physiology, and
other studies may be brought in, as time may
principal studies.
Secondly. the common school as it is 1t is
the glory of our land but it is not what it
ought to be to us. We find no perfect schol-
ars in any of our schools. The progress of
instruction is measured by the amount gone
over, and not by what has been thoroughly
learned.
Thirdly, the causes Of existing defects.
There are several obvious causes Among
them is the scarcity of competent teachers
This is more important than any other cause.
To have good schools we must have good
teachers Our teachers have brains enough,
but they fall short in many of the requisites
of good teachers. There is an imperfect sup
ply of good text books. He thought State
uniformity would obviate the difficulty An
other cause is improper school accommoda-
tons. Some districts have no houses, but
hold their sessions in private houses.
Fourthly, what can be done to remove these
defects and make the common school what it
ought to be to US? This is the question of
the hour. He offered many valuable sugges-
tons, among them. the training of teachers
in the Normal schools. Those teachers who
avail themselves of the advantages of these
schools are decidedly superior to those who
do not Raise the practical standard of quail
fication; the legal standard is already high
enough. The remissness of parents in re-
gard to sending their children to school was a
great difficulty, but he thought compulsory
law would not work. 1t would look well on
paper but would not prove practical If the
schools were made what they ought to be, the
indifference would be diminished and the
children would of their own accord attend.
Thorough inspection by the State, and not
merely by the towns, would help the schools.
The county institutes thus far had been sue
cess and were great help. From what had
been said he argued that our growing State
needed all the help of an enlightened and edu-
Gated people, and that the perpetuity of our
institutions depended upon the right develop
ment of our brain power.
The next exercise was the reading of an
| essay on Moral Instruction by Mr.. Sleeper
County Supervisor of Aroostook county. He
said that good moral character was the basis
of success and usefulness. The chief object
| of education is to make good and useful citi.
| zens. To give skill to bad men is like giving
| swords to maniacs. Moral principles mus
| comprise the basis of education. No educa
| ton can be useful to society unless it is found
| ed on moral principles. To neglect this is tc
| do injury to the child intellect. Moral train
ing must not be left wholly to parents; they
do not have time for this work; this should
mingle with instruction in the arts and sciences
| in every school. The teacher should have 8
heart alive to produce lasting impressions
upon the child's mind. A good mode is to Sc.
| lect word or sentence and place it upon the
blackboard, to illustrate the lessons under
consideration. He gave several examples.
| There is too much truth in the charge that
our schools are Goddess. Not one word o.
moral instruction is impaired by the teachers
He attributed most of the dishonesty in the
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