The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-07-25
The Public school, System.


Editors Of The Dispatch,-I have long in
tended to say few words in regard 10 sub
ject which so nearly concerns all Of Us, and
have only remained silent so far in hope that
some ADLER pen would appear to spouse,
cause so intimately connected with our
future welfare aud deserving of our prompt
attention. / refer to the manner in which
country free schools are conducted in Louisa
and adjoining counties, and, perhaps,
throughout the State, though l canHot
speak with the same certainty concerning
others as do about those which have fallen
more Immediately under my notice. But in
those counties there is one evil attendingthe
free school system which will render free
schools almost useless as long as it does
exist, and this evil is the plan of keeping up
the schools for only five months out OF the
twelve. and some times even three. The
first disadvantage of this FIVE months ses-
sion is that the child loses entirely too much
time from school-for the average child will
in seven months forget entirely what he has
learned in his five mouths schooling, or have
such confused idea Of itsRs to render it alto
eether useless to him. This is proven by the
experience of those who have been reaching
on the plan to which alude. It is true that
occasionally you meet with parent who has
his children taught, or teaches them himself,
during the time there are no free schools;
but, as general thing, free schools are kept
| up during the winter and early spring
months, at time when fathers can dispense
with their childrens' services; and when
summer begins the schools close, and the
children are then either put to work on the
farm or allowed to run wild. In either case
the child loses what he has acquired by his
five months study, besides becoming so un-
accustomed to study that it takes at least q
month Of the next session to get him thor
oughly broken to harness again; and more
over, it is source of discouragement to the
ambitious and persevering scholar to be CON-
pelled to commence, as is often the case,
where they had commenced the preceding
session. The whole five months work be-
comes loves labor lost, and bitter disap'
pointmeht TO both teacher and scholar.
Il The other evil attendant upon this system
is the tendency it has to introduce inditter.
ent teachers into the free schools; for no one
who intends to make teaching profession
study, as it should be-can afford to lose
; seven months out of twelve, and thus teach.
ing falls into the hands of men who are en-.
gagged in other business who undertake il as
sort of make.shift-a secondary consid.
eration-and, as 8 matter of course, they
enter upon the work with secondary In.
, terest, which is death 10 any school for
as soon as scholars perceive that the
!, teacher is not Jealous in his work they
relax their own efforts, and teacher and
scholar alike sink into an Improbable apa-
thy, and it becomes their only aim to gel
> through with the session, and they leave
school conscious that five months have been
lost and nothing gained. These are some oil
the evil consequences of the free-school sys
tenn as it now exists. This is no imaginary
. picture which l have drawn, but one OBJ.
{ tanned by experience, observation, and the
testimony Of others.
Let us now look at the bright side, il
, bright side it can be said to have. Oul
school system seems apparently to be work
!, ing smoothly and accomplishing great dea
, tof good everywhere, and do not doubt but
that it is in cities and villages, and sometimes
! even in the country, where, by private sub
scription and the Peabody fund, schools art
; enabled to be kept up eight or nine months
! but we need q remedy where the population
! is too sparse to have school OF the requisite
! number of scholars to get the Peabody fnne
, and too poor to subscribe. / do not charge
any one Will uesieot VI zuuss, 'oA 'uo suPeA
visor and boards of trustees in my count.
give general satisfaction by fair distriba
ton OF schools through the county among
!. white and coIored, and by strict adherence
Ito duty in every particular; but there 4
something wrong, which is rendering vail
{ the good work they would do and subject
q Ling the State to an anndaI expenditure o
: many thousands, wit out prot uctng IN man.
= he Sfot 70 anfQpn mr. III aHv
moi, adequate to the labor and expense be
slowed upon; i. I sincerely hope some ON
4 viii suggest feasible remedy, and our Boar
i0f. Education will adopt il, for we are as cat
q he led irfsgularly or dl too. long ilte yals
Y The food keeps; Us alive but does not fatten
Il a FREsp OF EDUCATION.