The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-12-04
Public schools.

To the Editors Of the Herald aud Mail:
The private subscription schools Of the
country, of all grades, as we intlmated IN
our last, have utterly failed, and always
will fail, to educate the children OF the
masses. In the State of Pennsylvania in
1871, with all her educational appliances,
her normal institutions, colleges, high
schools and public schools, with $4,000
teachers, the average daily attendance
was only SCI, lSS out of a scholastic popu-
lation of about 9O0,OOOl And of this
population" says the State Superintend-
ent, there are found abSut $4,000 neg
lected children in the cellars and garrets,
the streets and alleys of our cities and
towns, employed in our mines and manu-
factories, or running wild IN country
places" Of these ), lS9 were received
into the two houses of refuge, between the
years 1860 and 1870, average age about
thirteen and a half years, and of all re-
ceived into the house of refuge, only
about 200 could read and write we'll
This ignorance-produced crop of vice
aud crime, CONTINUES the Superlntend-
emf when more fully ripened, is harvested
by our jails and penitentiaries.' The
county of Maury has a scholastic popula-
ton of IL ,425. The average daily atten-
dance in all our public schools land 1t is
about the same in Pennsylvania IS IN
round numbers, 5000. If Pennsylvania,
with a population double that of Iennes-
see, finds in the cellars, garrets and alleys
other cities and towns, or running wild IN
country places, $1,000 neglected children,
and only 200 out of 5000 in the houses OF
refuge who can read and write well, may
We not reasonably conclude, that at least
70 900 ofsimilar character could be found
in Tennessee, and that a proportional
crop of vice and crime when more fully
rintned will be harvested by our jails and
penitentiGries? ! give these statistics
hat every one may see the magnitude OF
the task now in the hands of the educa-
| tors of the State. There is work enough
| for every class of schools, and every class
| Of teachers-for every minister OF the
rcrnel and all the moral and religious IN.
/ T,7-nces ne can, in any way, bring to bear
mon the minds Of the psoP!e-tor every
| fond parent around the treslde-tor eve,
/ rv rood man and woman, at all tunes ana
| in all places There is more work than
all can do. There should be no feelings
| of jealousy or want of confidence, IN any
| class of educators. 1t is the policy OF
| the School law to encourage and sustain
all permanent institutions. In the Ian"
| guage of Mr.. Wickersham. State Superlh-
| tendcnt of Pennsylvania, our common
| schools need the help OF the colleges
/ need their learning need them as objects
! towards which to direct the aspirations! OF
| ambitious pupils. If we aim at nothing
but a common school education, our edu
catioRal interest must move forward on a
low plane and the intellectual condition
of the people will be characterized by q
dead sea OF mediocrity. Il Our col
| leges need the help of the common school:
need their strength their warmth-neac
them as streams need fountains, as the
! sculptor needs marble. This expires: y
the relationship with great precision. The
old-fashioned academies are disappear
ing, the public schools must nov become
the feeders of the seminaries and colleges
and many little governor, in remote an'
obscure par:s Of the country, will maxi
hi- debutin the public schools, and thence
through the colleges 10 the capitol a
| Nashville. MORE ANON