Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-05-15
EDUCATIONAL COLUMN,
Primary Schools.

Primary schools are the basis of OIL
whole system of public instruction
If evils are suffered to exist here the,
will manifest themselves in all the high
er stages of the pupils progress and clin,
to him through life.
Scratch the green rind of sapling, O
wantonly twist it in the SOIL" TIL,
SCARED and crooked oak will tell of thee
for centuries to come.
1t is in the primary schools that more
than half of all public instruction is i'm
parted, and large portion of the children
gathered here do not remain in scboo
long enough to pass into the higher de
partments at all. In most cities and
towns the primary schools suffer in 6
greater or less degree from the impres-
sion that the teachers occupy positions
less honorable, than those of the teachers
in the higher divisions and perhaps still
more from the pecuniary distinction that
is often made in favor of teachers in the
higher grades.
'The weakest point in the whole svs-
tenn OF American education, is it's def
cheney in thoroughness in all the elemen-
tary courses. DIT Sears
In my search for teachers to fill va.
cancles L find ten qualified to teach
Geometry, in a high school to one who
is qualified to teach Reading in primary
school; and in general, it is more diff
cult to find teachers adapted to give in
lstructions in the lower grades than in the
higher.-A. Freeze. Sup Schools Clece-
land
The best teachers are needed for pri
mary schools. At no point in the whole
course of study are the results of inoom-
petent teaching SO disastrous as at the
commencement. If utter inexperience
or desperate medicority must sit at the
teachers desk let it be any soiere, ecery
aohere, save in the primary schools: for
any where and every where else will its
ability to do irreparable mischief be
less. At the subsequent stages ofeduca.
ton the mind emerging from the state
of implicit trust in the mere dicta of the
master begins to assert itself: to sift what
it receives and find corrections when tbev
are needed-hut at the beginning the
mind takes the impress of the instruction
given with unqualified assent.
The position is confidently assumed
that the wise discipline and sound philo-
sophie mental training of the children in
our primary schools is more important
lnd more difficult than that of anv other
department.; and hence that the very best
eachers should be assigned to that most
Of duty.-Naocton B0teman, State SAINT
Illinois.
since the duties Of primary teachers
ire really more arduous and responsible
nan those OF teachers in the higher
5fades, and since most teachers would
prefer situations in the higher grades
wen IT the compensation were the same
Is that of the primary teacher, it would be
hhlcult to find reason, except in the
power OF custom, for paying the lowest
alary to teachers of the primary classes.
n st. Louis, Chicago and several cities
he salaries are alike in the grammar and
primary grades. By applying the same
Gale OF salaries to both departments the
wo positions are made equally honorable |
nd school directors are enabled to secure
or the pupils OF each grade the teachers
'est qualified to Instruct lhem.-W III
Wells, Of Chicago.