Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1871-12-21
Educational Notes.

EuuCahtlOftstI NoSCS.
During a trip made eastward in the
summer months, a few educational notes
we're made, with a view of comparing East
and West in as manv points as possible
OF course, a dozen schools or colleges do
not make a very good basis Of comparison
for such extensive regions, but b. obser-
walton and careful inquiry, the following
results were obtained.
In liberality of expenditure for build
ings. grounds, and other externals of a
school, the West is far in advance of the
East. Especially is this true in small
towns. The buildings of towns of three
thousand inhabitants in Illinois, are gen
orally as good as those to be found in towns
| of ten or twelve thousand at the East. In
Libraries and apparatus, in charts, models,
pictures, and other aids to school work,
| the East is far ahead of rs. These helps
are more appreciated and more used.
Teachers wages average better at the
West. The country schools of Illinois
pay fifty per cent. more than schools of
the same character in New England. The
supply of teachers for all grades is much
larger at the East. Male principles of
schools in villages of one thousand inhabi-
tants will not average over $500. Fe-
male teachers in country schools teach for
two or three dollars a week and board
The country schools of the East are far
beyond those of the West. They have
much better teaching. Where Nominal
! schools abound, where institutes are fire.
ouent. and whcreAhe ablcst teachers in
the country are employed in them, at
State expense. to give free instruction,
where numerous colleges send out their
| Young men to teach short terms, and
where the sharp competition enables
school authorities to "pick and choose" it
is probable that better teachers can be
found, and at a lower price. And our
western communities. made up OF all
States and nations, do not furnish to the
schools such material as comes from the
homogeneous population of the eastern
hill towns, where you may spend weeks
and never hear the sound of any tongue
except the pure Yankee dialect. The
people are, as q whole, better educated,
mere awake to the value of education,
take more pains to insure regularity and
promptness of attendance. visit the schools
more, and are more disposed to sustain
teachers fully and they are vastly more
careful about the character of their teach
ers. The idea is we'll established that
good teachers are to be employed, anc
sustained and retained when employed.
In the graded schools visited. it seemed
to me that there is ut the East more o
routine, o mechanical, ~lifeless teaching
Our graded schools are yet on trial. Ou'
teachers are inventing and experimenting
and perhaps it is not too much to say, arr
doing better work, because they are dis
satisfied with he results obtained. Ih'
consciousness that our communities are t.
be educated along with the sehools make
them the more a~nxious to achieve success
Every enthusiastic western teacher seem
ON the alert fo- improvement. In TIL
East the enthusiasm is expended in work
ing a system considered as already perfect
There is a confidence really sublime II
the minds of some eastern teachers tina
their systems are as perfect as 1t is give'
to man to attain. A veteran in the pro
fession said to me '.Our schools hav'
made no real progress for FIVE years. W.
have q fine system, and the system is run
ming itself. Nobody has any enthusiasm
the machine moves on. and teachers ant
pupils with it." The blessed Flaw o
compensation" may be seen here-it !
our good fortune to be called to labor a
pioneers rather than to enter into the 10
bou of other men, and growth and devel
opment make up for lack of polish and nm
ish.
One thing which always impresses
visitor in the schools of the East is tn
|. general knowledge of the pupils. The
know a great deal outside of books; the
have more books at home, read more ps
peis, travel more. see more manufacture
hear more lectures. and are more ashau
ed of being ignorant Of common thipl
than most pupils With %. While In e,
book Rotations. particularly 10 matte
MATES, they are not superior to ours, the