Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-11-19

ucational work than has been accord
ed it, or those engaged in it, in form
err wears. Teaching is now called a
PROFESSION. Forty years ago it was
not even digniied by sach distinc-
ton. In 1880, Thomas Smith Grim
Ike. in an Grafton before society in
Yale College, speaking Of the division
of stu lies and the graduation of
schools, said: 81 would distinguish
the four ranks thus, with view to
the character of instruction and its
object The school would give a
COMMON education to the working
classes. The academy would furnish
respectable education to the man of
business. The college would afford
LIBERAL education TO the gentle
man. The university would yield a
professional education to the clergy
man, the physician, or the lawyer, or
an. ACCOMPLISHED education for the
scholar"
Although Grimke was one of the
most advanced thinkers and great
hearted scholars of his day, yet no
where in this catalogue OF schools
and studies has he left so much as
niche for the teacher Of the common
school. Coming down a few years
later, the standing of the common
school work is signally illustrated in
Horace Mann's report as Secretary
Of the Board of Education in Massa-
chusetts for 1S47. The temper of
the times is shown in the very fact
that scholar so eminently wise and
advanced as he could say: 1.-The ex-
pediency of employing larger por
ton of female teachers was first ur-
ged upon the consideration Of the
towns and districts in 1887. The
suggestion commended itself to their
Judgment and reasonableness. I'm
der certain limitations the expert
ment proved eminently successful.
The light emanating from each years
experience showed the ground Of a
safe extension. The greater demand
has led to greater supply, that is
to those increased qualifications
which enable female teachers to keep
schools for which they were before
incompetent; and the remarkable re-
suit is, that the present number Of
female teachers is much more than
double that Of males" Further OIL
he gives the reason for the great dis
proportion between the employment
of me n and women as teachers. He
says: Let this change. be regarded,
for a moment, in an economical point
Of view. Now, the average wages of
male teachers, inclusive Of their
board, was $32.46, and the average
wages of female teachers, also inclu-
sive of board, was $l3.60, and the
average length of the summer and
terms varied but a small fraction from
four months each year" In justice,
however, to Horace Mann it should
be said that he Indignantly protested
against such abominable niggards
illness,
In 184S Hon. Abbott Lawrence
made donation of $50, 600 for the
purpose of founding scientific
school at Cambridge.
| In the letter announcing this do
nation the following expression oc-
ours: elementary education appears
to be well provided for Massachu-
setts." And in a memorial in be-
half ofthe three colleges-Harvard,
Amherst and Williams--presented
to the legislature about the same
time, and signed by each of the three
Presidents of those institutions, it
is said: "The provision in Mass
achusetts) for elementary education
seems to be all that can be desired,
or that can be advantageously done
by the legislature The average
salaries of female teachers through.
out the State at the time these dec
larations were made was only 1856 q
month Exclusive of board }, which
as the average length of the schools
was only eight months, would give
to this most faithful and meritorious
class of persons, but $6S.4D year
The whole value of the apparatus in
all the schools of the State was but
S23. 1926? and the whole number Of
volumes in their libraries was only
1889, or an average Of but twenty
:, five volumes for each school.
Here again you listen to Horace
Mann. In his report Of lS47, after
charging upon the theory that there
are certain elements in every human
character fitting their possessor fol
!. usefulness in some honest work
4 he proceeds: Now; think we have
; abundant reason to believe that sufli
cient number ofpersons bearing from
the hand of nature this distinctive
image and superscription ola school
teacher, are born into the world with
every generation. But the misfortune
is, that, when they arrive at years of
discretion, and begin to survey the
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