Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-12-18
COMMON SCHOOLS.

The Richmond Enquirer gives ut
terance to the following views touch
ing the common school system and it,
beneficial results. 1t says:
"Our Southern people were deeply
prejudiced against the public school
system at first, although we believe il
is now popular. Many arguments
were adduced to show the superiority
of private schools over public schools;
but, conceding this, it does not meet
the case. The ground on which the
common school system Is rested Is not
that the schools are the best that can
be conceived; not that they are as
good as private schools, or as denomi-
national schools; but that they do
what the others do not do, and cannot
do that they educate the masses OF
the people. A gentleman of fortune
may believe that it is best to educate
his children at home, under
his own eye; or number of
gentlemen may prefer the en-
kpf0ying of a., teacher, and have a
select school; or an Episcopalian
may prefer to have church school,
where the Bible and the Thirty nine
articles are taught; or Presbyterian
may prefer a church school, where the
Bible and the Shorter Catechism are
used; but after all these special
schools are established-What is to be
done for the rest of the children? The
poor cannot afford to pay the tuition
fee, and the establishment of four or
five denOminational schools in small
town or in the country, to represent
all the denominations would be an
impOssibs Sty, because they could not
be supported. The consequence is,
the denominations, in order to secure
q good school, must meet on some
common ground. Another popular
objection against a public school sys-
tenn is, that il occasions q fearful in
crease of taxes. OF course it does
but the amount previously paid in tU-
itiOn fees by the parents is saved; and
we have little doubt that it costs no
more TO run the public schools than to
support the private ones. The amount
collected is the same, though it is col
lected in a different manner; and
the number of children educated is
doubled.
"It is a remarkable fact that In Con-
tinental Europe the northern king
doms (excepting Belgium and Russia)
have national system of education,
while the Southern States are without
it, or have very inadequate and i'm
perfect system. In Italy, Austria,
Greece, Spain, Portugal, MoldO- Wal !
Iachia. and Turkey, there is little pro-
vision for the education of the masses. |
In S3xony, Prussia, and all the
smaller North German States, in Dem |
Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, |
and Holland, nearly every peasant, |
male and female, can read and write. |
In France there are twenty-three ILL |
terate cOnacripts in every hundred.
SIN England good deal has been |
done by the government for the sup
port OF schools Of late years. The pro- |
portion of men who could writo in |
creased from tWo-thirds in 1912 to |
three fourths in 1866; and of women,
from half to two-thirds, in the same |
period. In 1867 the average number |
Of children in attendance on these
schools was 978, 900. The psrliamen-
taFy grant in the United Kingdom |
for 1866 amounted to S649 600. In |
Scotland there were in 1867 nearly |
10000 children IN the national |
school, but the Church has the main |
control Of education in that country
and as nearly all are Of one faith, this |
is managed without difficulty. No |
ara better educated than the |
scotch. In ireland there were in 1866 |
on the rolls glO,Go0 chlldren-the 'av-
erage daily attendance being BIG 600. |
''Iu Russia education is very back
ward, only one million children being |
ar the natIOnsi schools.
"The fact that the Germans are the |
best educated people in Europe is a
complete reply to the common re-
mark that public schools do not fur
nish the best instruction. The public |
seheel systen is universal IN 9erma-
ny, and EDUCATION is not more getier-
ally difFused than in other countries |
where the system does not prevail, /
but the standard of learning is higher
than In any. part Of Europe"
We hear tnat in our Virginia cities. /
End 10 great extent in the country,
the common schools are already super |
seding the private ones, and they are |
spoken Of as excellent Institutions.