Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-06-15
aEiIPTIIS APPEAL
TUESDAY, 50: JUNE 10, 1875.


9IEoDAhs "A ANf
the PROGRESS OF EDUCATION
From every section OF the country our
exchanges come to us burdened with the
commencement exercises Of public and
urjvate schools. The patriot and the
phiIanthropist have abundant cause for
rejoicing at the educational facilities
which are everywhere to be found.
There seems to be q generous rivalry
be .ween many States IS to which can
perrect the most efficient system Of edu-
cation. The interest taken by the pre- 8
aud the public in our annual school eT-
ercises show that the enemies OF pOpu-
lar education have been forced 10 yield
70 the enlightened sentiment OF PFC
gre,s. It is evident that there Is pub
lie sentiment in every State in tie
Union which demands an efficient school
system. This is a subject which the two
great political parties fear to touch. Tie
Radicals claim to be the party OF pro-
gress, the special friends Of popu-
they Will support all measures
tending to educational advancement.
The Democratic party is equally
as Jealous; and il one ,.or two Demo-
cratic States Of the south have not as
efficient system as they desire, it is not
from any opposition to education, but
because a robbed, plundered and bank
rupted people are unable to endure the
taxation necessary to establish such
system as they want and will have 80
soon as they CAM free themselves from
the oppressive burdens Of the memorable
tax-gatherer. In every part Of the
country there seems TO be a universal
impression that the trueIpolitical econo-
my is to foster,::by every possible means,
such instrumentslities as tend to make
our people more intelligent, virtuous
and useful. Economy is q necessity;
but to retrench the means Of educating
the children of the State is to cutoff the
flow Of blood,from the heart. L. knowl-
edge and learning prevents crime and
taxation, it is the highest duty Of states.
menship and the safest economy to
make education as free as the air we
breathe. The masses must be
educated in the public schools or not at
all. This is the lesson of all history. He
WHO would endesvor to decrease the ef-
fcieney Of our school system is an enc
my TO his race and traitor to society. |
But we are reioiced to see the spirit of
education pervading the people in every
par. of the Union. The press is enlisted |
on this subject, and everywhere educst- |
Ors are comparing notes as to the man
there may be much diversity of opinion. |
President Eliot, of Harvard college, has
prepared q thoughtful paper for the last |
Atlantic Monthly, in which he MAIN
tains that "there is no economy in mass
ing pupils in large buildings, and teach
ing heterogeneous bodies homOgene-
eUsly; no gain in decreasing the |
number Of teachers to q given mass
Of scholars, or in substituting superin-
tendence for teaching. He holds that all
teaching "under ten years of age should
be ia the hands Of women" but COM
plains of the degradation of any profess
sion or business which, as a rule, is en-
tered only temporarily, an objection
which in the practical operation Of
teaching in this country applies with as
much force to men as women. He pro-
poses tTo lines Of policy, "the securing
70 the teacher a valuable consideration,
10y making him or her more secure in
the position and salary" In case of the
brightest children Of poor parents, Presi-
dent Eliot would have their education
continued to higher grades at the
public expense. He says:
It is a common mistake to suppose
that it is the teachers duty to treat all
his pupils alike, to give as much time
and thought to one as TO the another, or
If any distinction IL made to take the |
most pains with the duIlest. Now, on
the contrary, the true duty of a teacher is
TO favor and help to the utmost the
bright children. While he ought not
to neglect the duller children, he should
take the most pains with the finest Of
his material.
This position is absurd, and will not
be sustained by the country. The I
brightest children" generally need no
help. They take care Of themselves.
1t is the dull, plodding BOBBY that needs
the fostering care Of the teacher just as {
the sickly, rickety, deformed child needs {
more OF the mothers sympathy, care and l
than the healthy child. Preco. :
city at school is no evidence of genius, {
Tor we see demonstrated every day that I
some OF the greatest men that ever i
dourished have been the dullest boys at 7
schooi, while some of the most preco-
cious children have lived to be the dull
est men," AS the Baltimore iSu, ;
says: "The public school is not to en- :
genius, but to root out stupidity. 9
The true test Of the success of a com.
mon school is not how many bright =
scholars, but how many billiards does it
turn out. The fair and mediocre scholars
VIII make safe citizens; it is the billiards .
VINO VIII become the tools OF crima. :,
urnish the Jesse Pomeroys to our tails :
ma state prisons, and the paupers to the .
1t is the imperative duty .
u the school authorities to keen =
lose watch on dull pupils. The natural :,
endency Of teachers to polish their y
jewels, so that they may take =
Ugh honors in the next grade, is suf. =
icienuy active to need no stimulation :.
rom President Eliot. But no teacher =
hould be permitted TO accumulate hon. =
rs from his brightest graduates without :,
isving set beside them his success in u
eachlng the hardest cases. To with
raw public education above a certain T.
Inc from the masses, and reserve it for -
'enius, is PROFESSIONALLY Inconsistent =
With our Institutions "
@-1.-.z.s-.-a A
SAVE YOUR WHEAT. "