Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-04-20

mh6 1y
The scho6i Bill Before the City Conn.
ell.
To the Union and American.
After Cur system of public schools has
been perfected by Che best school men to be
found, and under the fostering care Of eur
most intelligent and liberal citizens who as
Boards of Education have controlled and
directed them, is it not singular
that it Is thopshs necessary to pro-
pose legislation In Vie City Council,
intended to produce radical changes IN the
system? Is there any reason why the pres
ent efficient board should be ignored? Do
not common courtesy and practical wisdom
alike dictate that these matters should be
left to themP Are they less likely to know
what the good of the schools and the pub
lie welfare demand, than those who have
had no experience as teachers or managers
of children, and who have not even become
acquainted with our city schools as visitors,
but must receive their impress
ions from hear-say? Gould not
ahy sdyisable new feature be
incorporated upon the system by suggesting
to them, more judiciously then By agitating
it where it produces discussion that dis
turbs the comm unity and demoralizes the
pupils?
But progress" (?) in your issue OF the
18th inst. insists upon respectful consid-
CITATION of this proposition and let US see
what there 4. in 10.
Section of the bill proposes to substitute
suspension or expulsion Tor c0rporedt (cor-
potaN punishment. If the author Of the
proposed Amendment had informed him.
self he would have found that tbs is
the practice already, about to the same ex-
tent that he seems to desire it. The super
intendent in bis annual report for 1871, I'M
der the head of discipline, says, quoting
from the book of rules: "The teachers are
directed to resort to punishment only after
milder treatment fails" and pupils are re-
quired to observe the rules, or to submit to
the penalties affixed, and their places are
forfeited If their parents object to this.
Teachers are uniformly required, under
his orders, to sbsGain from the in
fiction of corporal punishment, till
it is the last resort, and even
then upon The verbal statement of the child
that his parents do not wish him punished
be is sent home. Teachers have been re-
CURED too as an additional precaution to
make record of the date, name Of child,
kind, and cause of every punishment in
flicled.
Section 2 proposes that teachers shall
be dismissed for subjsctiDs children to
physical constraint such as walking on tip
toe, sitting with arms or hands il unnatural
pastures. etc. From long expert
ence in the schools myself and
from undoubted evidence as to what is now
done in them, do know whereof speak
in saying that the insinuatiOn which this
contains is as groundless as it is unfair. No
one whose mind is unclouded by prejudice
will believe for q moment that the enlight-
ened ladies and gentlemen who are employ
ed as teachers in the city schools have been
guilty of inficting cruel and unnatural pun
ishment on the pupils under their instruc-
ton. The head and front Of their
offending is this They have
adopted as expedients for securing
orderly schools some simple, general
regulations to be observed by pupils when
changing classes, ETC., such as requiring
them to leave off the boorish habit of tramp
ing heavily on their heels, and the uugainly |
and disorderly one of swinging the arms,
striking in every direction, dropping books,
etc. To deny to, teachers the exercise of |
such discretion is 10 put it beyond their |
power to control their schools, and would |
have the effect Of reducing them to little /
ess than disorderly mob.
Sections three and four provided for abol- |
shing the High Schools. The only pretext |
urged for il is that of false construction |
attempted to be placed upon the provisions
If the State school law, (see sec. 81 y |
whereas it may be seen from sec. 81, that
t is expressly provided that such schools
ire to be established as a means of perfect i
ng the grading and elevating the standard
If scholarship.
Will Progress ?" or some other friend /
If the measure tell us just whai they
propose in the seductive substitute
which they dub normal school? The av-
rage age of pupils finishing the seventh
,rammar grade is l3a years, and without
my knowledge of composition and rhet-
'ric, and no higher mental training and in
eHectual discipline than that attained up to
bis period in their progress, will they be
ualiled to learn tt divine art of teach
ng, and to tske upon themselves
s not the High School itself as
God q normal as we can have. OF the
1rps of go teachers now employed, 20 are
'upils OF it, and Is Of them its graduates-
il of them approved for attsinments and
viii the proposed substitute
urnish within ten years thirty per cent. of
re teachers needed, equally well quail
led?
Section 5 contains the only legitimate
natter for action by the Council, and |
While we do not propose to discuss it, it ia
'ossible that the schools might lose
more than would be gained by its /
.dGption. The thing is already under the
ontrol of the City Council, and they need
'nly to exercise proper discretion in elect
Dg members of the Board of Education to
,uard against anything Objectionable in
b direction.
So much for the merits of the bill; but |
we're its provisions necessary it is start in
! ruinously wrong direction for the Coun-
il to interfere with the management of
he schools. This has been del
gated by the State and by /
he municipal authorities heretofore to the
Board of Education, and to prevent hasty |
md injudicious action it has been wisely
provided that only three of their number
hall be annually elected.
The plan of organization of these schools
vas originally copied from that OF the most
approved systems elsewhere, by such men
s John A. McEWen, Rev. Charles Tombes,
Z. j. Meigs, DR.. J. B. Lindsey, Hon. F. b.
Eogg, DR.. W. K. Bowling, Hon. E. b. East
md DR.. j. w. HOyte, aud remains un-
hanged except in minor respects.
If the schools are to be subjected to all |
be transient changes which political or
Ocal agitation may cause in the constitu-
ion of the City Council, they may as well be
polished at once, for they will no longer
e, as they now are, the pride of the city.
CONSERVATIVE,
ATTEST MARREFS By TELEGR APH /