Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-06-12

this office on or before the Both inst.
WM. ii. CALDWELL,
County Aud
Our High school
AS the recent action of the School
Board in the selection OF teachers for
the coming year, is making considera-
BILE discussion concerning our High
School. would like Messrs. Editors,
to say something in its favor.
In a town OF this size, it is very diff
ficult to maintain large High School
properly graded. Many parents are
sending their children TO Private
Schools here, or to Denominations
Schools elsewhere. don't wish to de-
tract anything from the merits of pri-
vate Schools. If they are better than
the Public, il is The right aud duty OF
parents to patronize them. OF course,
our High School cannot equal some OF
the long established Private Schools in
the East, or even, perhaps, in our own
State, but there are disadvantages in
sending away, The expense is great,
and what is worse than all else, the
child is away from the parental con-
troll. | will make this proposal to any
one, who prefers the Private School
system. / will select four scholars,
whQ have attended our High School
for the past two years, and be may Sc
lect four who attended, Private Schools
either abroad or at home. the right TO
be examined by competent teachers or
educated people, and predict it will
be found that our High School schol-
ars will rank far ahead of the others
as sound and thorough scholars, and
especially as sound thinkers and rca-
soners.
ii is alleged by some that sufficient
numbers enter our High School, but
from dissatisfaction with teachers, or
want of good instruction they soon
cease. DO they leave more than in
other gradess How many who enter
the lower Primary drop off before they
reach the first? How many in the
intermediate reach the Grammar p
The tendency is to drop-drop--drop.
The higher the grade the less the num-
Der. How does our High school com
pare in this respect with those of other
cities.
l have before me the School Reports
for 1872. of Columbus, O., and SPRING
field Ills:
The average number belonging to
the High School in Columbus, was
1899.
The average number belonging TO
the High School in Springfield, was
200.
In each place, graded into four class
es. In 1872 there graduated in Column
bus, ID; and in Springfield IA. show
ing not more than one graduated in
every five that are sent. The same
rule will apply 10 other places. In
our School, however, the tendency TO
quit before the completion Of the
course is not much less than it was
three or four years ago. am not able
to compare the present condition with
that Of six or seven years since, as the
School Registers cannot be found. II
would be hardly fair, TO make The COM
parison as the grade was much lower
then than now. There are two causes
to lessen the number now attending =
Frst-After Mr.. Hastings resignation,
several scholars who were in his class,
left, as Mr.. Horner had not time to
hear all the classes, and the School
Board did not feel justified in employ
ing an Assistant then. Second
Within the past year, we have receiv-
ed only four scholars from the Gram
mar Department.
u
mess about the High School. 70 a
stranger visiting our schools, going
from the lower Primary, where every
thing shows activity, so or 80 scholars,
where there should be but GO, the chill
drcn reciting in unison, and singing or
going through their manual exercises
at short intervals, thence to the High
School, where there are 30 pnpils in
room seated for 20, most of the schol-
airs studying quietly and others recit-
ing In low tone, or working at the
blackboard, the change is as from
festival. to funeral. This cannot be
avoided where there are SO few schol-
ars, and to those acquainted with
schools, it appears natural and right.
wish to convince our citizens, that
for thorough instruction, our school is
second to none and that of those who
enter, as few leave as in other places.
/ know 1t is the desire of the School
Board to make it much better. TO do
this they need the co operation of par
ents. There should be more scholars
in the High School. They will probab-
ly have to employ two teachers for the |
coming year, and it would be much |
better to fill it up from scholars of the |
proper grades, now attending else
where, than to lower the grade by !
filling up from the lower rooms. Our
schools will open next time with new
Superintendent, whose work will be
entirely supervising, and with corps
of teachers seldom equalled for ex-
cellence, and parents will have every
reason TO expect that their children
will make greater nro0rnsn than aNar