Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1871-12-07

with comfortable school houses, in whicl
are employed over ten Thousand teachers
imparting education and knowledge t.
over six hundred thousand children.
The last crowning condition in tn,
fundamental elements of onr educationa
| system requires that tuition shall be free
and equally open to ALL
But it must be remembered that the
simple Organization of these Institutes are
worthless, unless they are rendered at
tractive by practical educators, and large
ly attended by all lovers of an advanced
system of our public schools. Those In
stitutes are, in word school, in which
teachers are instructed in all of thes best
and most practical methods of managing
their schools. l have mentioned our
Normal schools as being an Institution
highly cnmmendable; but there are many
teachers who cannot attendthose schools,
and in the establishing OF our annual In
stitutcs, a passive substitute is provided.
They are established by the State, and
money furnished our examiner for defray-
ing expenses, and procuring the best
teachers as managers during the week,
money we get. How necessary then, that
all teachers attend, and thus increase the
Interest and spirit of the occasion. There
is deficiency here, on the part of many
teachers, which has strong tendency to
damage the public schools of our county.
| Our educational fund is now more than
six million dollars, collected from the
different Revenues of the State All of
these funus have been blended for our
common school education and for schools
equally open to all,
The poor orphan children, and the mil
lion of poor children are thus cared for,
educated and rendered ornaments to the
society in which they reside by the liber-
ality and benevolence of patriotic State.
And now, Mr. President, and fellow
Teachers, while have been noting briefly
a few of the many excellences of our
hat the general free school system con-
templates success, in all of its DEPART
ments, we must also admit that many
defects and stupendous errors, exist in
the general management of our schools.
On selecting teachers, great care should
be taken by examiners IN securing per-
sons, not only of intellectual qualifca-
lions; but also Of moral and religious
qualities. Morality and religion consti-
tute the only true clements of society :;
and how can the man or woman, clothed
with immortality and evil habits be sue
cessful in training up the young and ten
der MINOR in the paths of virtue and le-
.i.ian.
That there are such persons holding
teachers certificates, 10 teach in our COM
mon schools, is unqucStionabe, and this
Calm is one of the great defects con
have q regular and uniform system of
common schools, employing gradation
in the course of study. from the primary
through the Intermediate to the high
school, thus acquiring Il sufficient pre-
paratory course for the college and uni
versity. And while our public schools
are admit; I'd by al liberal and intelli-
gent citizens, as being highly commend
able, il is fact that many important lnin
ciples provided for by the general assem-
bly,. are totally disregarded by all
Parents are greatly to blame for the
failure of many Of our schools. Punctu-
ality and regular attendance are indispen-
S;ble to any school, and the neglect OF
this is chargable to the parents.
Another defect is clargabie to Township
Trustees and school examiners funds
are appropriated them for visiting their
schools, and inspecting the workings OF
! their teachers, suggest improvement, in
struct them upon the more recent i'm
provements adopted by the State Board
of Education, making known to him his
great responsibilities and obligations.
And now fellow teachers, let us be
honest with ourselves. and the public
and axamine our own department fol
there if a defect chargable to our profes
sion that we are guilty of the omission
of, many important principles which woult
largely increase our success as public teach
ers
/ We are the present representatives o
those young and tender bodies, whicl
arc fast springing up into man and wo
manhood, to fill important positions o
both church and stale in coming time.
How important then that We qualif,
ourselves for that great work before us
that il may add lustre to oar profession
and lasting excellence to the free schoo
system. as
The law, as before mentioned, contem
plates (but few exceptions) all that
necessary to the final and Ultimate SUI
cess of our school system And when b
faithful management and hearty co-opera
ton Of teachers, weishall have secured th
confidence Of the public, and the cooper
alton of parents with teachers, teacher
with superintendents,- and superinter
dents with the State Beard of Education
then we shall have reached that perio
: contemplated over hundred years arc
which declared that education should 3
without charge and equally open to al
The Develo pment of the Minl
t There are probably few wintelligent teach
|, ers who have ever taught Geograph,
: who have not felt, in q greater or less ds
j gree, the want of more efficient means (
e presenting il to the minds of the young
), for it must be admitted that few, if an
# branches of common school education II,
i fceive so large share of,the pupils tim
l 80.