Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-12-11
LOST.
THE END.
Closing Exercises of the Teachers As
ISOLATION.

Teachers Institutes 10 he Established
An Educational Journal TO be Pub
Iished, and Many Other Desirable
Objects TO be Attained.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 10.-The Association
was called 10 order at 9:45-Dr. Smith, of
Columbia, in the chair.
Prayer was offered 10y DR.. Inman, of this
city.
The Chairman announced a number of
committees TO visit the various schools of
Nashville.
TEACHERS INSTITUTES.
Prof. Stark having been appointed TO ad-
dress the Association on the subject of
Teachers Institutes, began by asserting
that the great need Of Tennessee to-day is
an adequate supply of well-tlained teach
erS. Ii is impossible to organize and estab-
lish valuable system of popular education
without them. The world has at length
learned one great truth: GAS the teacher
is, so will the scholar be-" and men are be-
ginning 60 understand the corollary Of this
truth: "POor teachers are worse than no
teachers" This last truth is little under
stood. | fear, in Tennessee. In many
places, cheapness is regarded rs a more i'm
portant qualification than special fitness for
the work Whoare the persons teaching
no, not teaching, for such persons cannot
tedch-but who are the persons hearing
the lessons and whipping the children in
most of the schools of Tennessee? Boys
and girls who have shown some smartness,
but are too young for any other work; in
some instances they are inspired with the
worthy ambition of earning little money
10 pay the expense of attending college.
In other cases, your teachers are fairly-edu-
Gated young men, who enter the school
room as a temporary means of relieving
pressing wants, while they fit themselves
for some other profession. These ambitious
Youngsters never trouble themselves with
the study of methods Of instruction or
with making any special preparation for
the labors of each day. They are very
careful too to tell you that they do not
think of making school teaching a business,
whereas they are in fact degrading one of
the hottest works of earth into a mean,
money-earning business. In other schools
it is even worse, for there we find some
miserable, incompetent creature who has
failed in everything else and concluded to
teach school while waiting for something to
Turn up. These men are mere drudges, fit
only 10 be hewers of wood and drawers Of
water. They are utterly devoid of the
fine spirit and enthusiasm Of the true
schoolmaster. In their opinion a child is
an odious, restless little thing that must be
treated sternly, kept still and made to learn
its lessons.
Of course there is no teaching, no wise,
loving guidance, and hence no education, in
such schools It is all mechanical routine,
merely a dull mind-killing hearing Of les
sons not understood either by teacher or
pupils.
The people of Tennessee must be brought
to see the folly, the criminality, Of putting
their children into the hands Of such unfit
teachers. They must learn the true value
and dignity of the teachers office. They
NAV learn a lesson from Prussia. Sixty
six years ago that country, defeated by
the French. deSOlated and impoverished,
entered earnestly and literally into a wise
system of popular education, training
teachers at the expense Of the State and
compelling the people to send their chill
dreT1 to the schools. We all know the
amazing results: wealth, power, victory,
foremost place among the nations Of the
earth in all that constitutes true greatness,
and finally triumph over France, after the
most brilliant campaign recorded in history.
A wise education, purchased by liberal
expenditure of money, has accomplished all
these grand results.
Let us learn the great principles that
have guided them in their action:
1. The necessity to the growth Of the
State in wealth and power, and to the
highest attachments in civilization, that
education should be not only universal but
of the best sort.
.. That this necessity OF the State, and
the natural and no less sacred right Of the
individual to the means Of development,
constitute demand upon the government
for the employment Of all needful material
resources and the highest wisdom for the
realization of this universal and best edu-
cation of the whole people.
3. That such realization is clearly I'M
possible without the agency OF great pro
fession. cOncer;edly, wisely and ZeaiOuSly
devoted 10 that special work.
i. That such profession is only pos
sible through the adoption Of measures cal
culated to make it at once honorable, Sc
cure and independent.
These principles have been established
by the experience Of the Gemanic States.
From a close study Of ample facts and sta
tistics. relating to educational movements
i'm all parts of the world, make The broad
induction that. as a condition precedent to
all true education, the office of teacher must
be made professional, permanent, remuner-
alive and respectable.
Now the all-important question arises:
How shall this he done? The Germans
have answered this question too, in their
wise. practical way, by the establishment OF
professional schools for the special training
of all persons who purpose becoming IN
str1ct0rs OF children. For instance, IN the
little Kingdom of Wurtemburg, 'those as
hiring to the office of teacher, must cave
notice of the intention Of following that
pursuit. and, after two years preparation
for a course of normal instruction, to which
they are no. admitted until seventeen
years of ace. must here complete a three
wears course under an excellent mas
Ter; and then, having served TWO
wears as an assistant in an ap-
proved public school, may strand
The chance of passing examinations that
admit them to the honor of teacher III
charge of an elementary school, Ii
Raden. a teacher must first graduate from
normal institution aud serve three years as
an assistant in public school and thel
after nassing Il Gpal examination ana re
ceivinG a verdict " hVery capable he cal
secure the position OF teacher in a primary
school of the lowest grade. "hen h,
reaches this high position his honor and
dignity are duly recognized and ms instai
lafiop into the sacred duties Of his office IL
made the occasion Of a civil and religious
ceremonial. Having thus become am OH
Ger of the State and abandoned all thouShu
of any other career, he is supported by me
State. The salary is cerainly 100 small
but ALWAYS keeps him above WANT; ana
increased as the teacher gains eXperlenci
and becomes more valuable. The state
never abandons him, but supports INN III
sickness and old age, and when death cali
him away. his wife and children are amply
provided for by pensions.
Thus teaching, in all the States OF Ger
many. has become permanent, hono'abi'
nosifion. into which no unframed man
however learned and however eminent il
another profession can possibly enter. Non'
INT teacher is allowed to do a teachers
work No man can reach the high place,
in the profession except III ih'
regular line of promotion. Even blshol
y0uld not be considered qualified to te&ci
he primary school in the obscHresI Niliase