The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1872-02-22
The School Tax.


limited space will permit US Only 10
give a few extracts from that por-
ton of Capt, G's, speech which dis
cusess the question in a purely fl
nancial aspect, to the exclusion Of
that portioa which SO cloqueutly ap-
pealed TO the highera and nobler im-
pulses Of an enlightened people in
.behalfof popular education. Capt.
Garrett said;--
FELLOW CITIZENS or ELkToN:-
The following snecdOte Is often
told to illustrate the characters
peculjaritics Of different nations;
When some new measure is pro-
posed, the Frenchman speaks first,
and asks, Can yon demonstrate
ity' the American says, VIII it
pay?" the Englishman hears them
through, and inquiries, e" Has it been
tried?' Let us bring these qWes-
tions 10 the investigation of the pro-
posed School Tax" l know of
no better test 10y which it can be
tried. I shall consider the first
two questions together;
First" Can it be demonstTa-
tedy" and " Will it payf" There
are two ways in which it may pay:
Ist by afording better schools; 2d,
by costing less money. To ascer-
tain whether it will afford better
schools, let us examine our present
system, and see if there are any
lmDeI fectiuns to be cured. Let US
suppose 4 teacher, n competent and
able teacher, to open school in any
portion Of the county with thirty
scholars. Each scholar, to be well
taught, must recitc not less than
four lessons per day; two in the
morning and two in the evening.
If no two scholars of his thirty can
he classed together, to hear each
scholar four lessons he must hear
100 lessons a day--a task which no
teacher can perform. But in such
school the teacher would be able
I to make a better classification. He
would probably have three or four
scholars Just beginning to spell and
read. If he hears this class four
lessons day, and gives 20 minutes
! to each lesson, this will require one
hour and twenty minutes. His
next class would probably consist
of 5 or seven, who are further ad-
vanced in reading and spelling. and
are beginning Arithmetic and &C.
ography. They viii require -four
Rotations of 80 minutes each, OF
! two hours. His next class of per
haps four or five will require still
more time, so when he reaches the
! higher grades, some two or three
1 advanced scholars viii require as
much time, perhaps, as all the rest
of his school. 1t is easy to see
/ thatsin sucn n prOmIscuous assOrt-
ment Of scholars from q a. b. c.
to the higher branches, that it is
! impossible to reduce them to such
| classification as will enable the
teacher to afford to all his scholars
the attention they should receive
He is forced either to place some
scholars in classes where they
should not be placed, or to slight
some Of his classes, or to reduce
the number Of recitstions, or to linn
it his school to a smaller number
In the latter case, to secure his re
Enumeration, he must raise his rates
/ Besides, in a school Of the charac
ter which I have described, the
troubles of discipline are quadru
Pied The discipline which suit;
larger boys does not suit small
ones. In addition to this, we mus
remember, that a good teacher
| Should always look over the lessor
beforehand, and mark out in his
mind the method TO be pursued al
the recitation. How can he dc
this if his work is spread over 81
much ground? lie will be forced
to extcmporizc, where he should bC
carefully prepared.
The remedy for all these evils i;
1.-The Graded School" which
shall now examine. Giles county
has q white scholastic population
of about 2,4O0 children, and an area
according to Mr.. Killcbrew, o
about $50 square miles. SuppOst
the county to be divided info ten
districts. Each district would con
tain IS square miles. Suppose {
school in the centre of each dis
trict No person residing in the dis
trict would be distant from til,
school more than 1 40 miles, ex
cept those living IN the corners o
the district, who would not be dis
= tant more than 8 % miles. Tn
average district would contain
about 240 children. Suppose then
all to 90 to school. Place owe
them five teachers, and you cal
now grade the school. You coul'
have ten grades of scholars, cacl
Craze consisting Of scholars in tn
same class, and numbering no
q quite %. Put each teacher il
5 charge of two grades. Let us Loo
into the primary department.
consists OF two grades. TIL
teacher can hear his first grade o
% boys, just beginning to spell an
| read, lessons a day, and easil
f give to each 40 minutes. This wi
consume three hours. His seeon
grade would occupy the same time
> Thus in six hours he can easily III
! struct so scholars, slight none, a
. ternate their lessons, so that eac
class will have 40 minutes to stud
while the other is rcciting, and ca
p give sufficient attention to writin
, and other miscellaneous exercises
now too often neglected. il you eS
anime the next grades you find
t similar system pcrvadiug them. III
, teacher hears but eight recitation
, per day and can easily prepar
every lesson beforehand, and tn
same discipline applies to eachseho
, ar. Is not this superior system {
p schools? There can be but one II
ply. Let Us now examine the COS
I The rates of tuition vary in difiel
= ent parts of the county. We ma
. safely say that the average through
= ont the county is 81 per month fC
4 each scholar. This s $40 a yea
!. If all the 2,4O0 children of tn
....- 80 49,, o., --.b,.,1 oil fho ,-aor III