New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-17
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

While the taxpayers are trying to iegis.
late the High Schools out Of existence, II
may be we'll to enumerate a few features
Of the present school system. as con.
trasted with that before the war. when
:here were six High Schools. The public
schools were not then nurseries where
babies Of four or five years could be sent
out OF the mothers way to be cared for
by a teacher in a room packed with eighty
or ninety Others. The principals we're
| required to sig:dly enforce the rule that
| none under six be admitted. That one
rule had far reaching effect. 1t saved
| The rent Of mary rooms. tho pay Of extra
teachers. and prevented the upper depart
ments from being crowded with imma.
ture minds. 'foreed blooms" striving be.
yond their calibre.
IN this connection some remarks Of DR..
Holmes are to the point. Cripples never
60 to dancing schools. but crippled brains
crowd our educational institutions. where
they have no business. They must be
kept out BY rigorous preliminary exami-
nations. and then the army that is train.
ing for the fight with ignorance will not be
overburdened. as it is now. with crutches
and ambulances. 'sNature has established
caste. not impossible barriers Of rank.
but the distribution Of people according
to their capacity" Another point former.
ly enforced. now disregarded except in
general way. Was. that no pupil could
leave the school in his district to attend
another out Of it. except by change Of resi-.
dence and a transfer given. This rule
gave the Teacher power Of discipline
greater than any other means. The pupils
knew that expulsion for bad conduct pre-.
vented their going to any other school.
Now. suspended pupil finds little trouble
in entering any other school he chooses.
Another admirable rule was in re-
gard to supernun,eraries. Instead Of
a large corps Of these to supply ab.
seatees' places. but few were appointed.
and whenever the vacancies were in the
lower departments those pupils in tie
High Schools. who were preparing to teach. !
were allowed. ): willing, to fill them. with. !
out pay. for the sake of the experience and |
the ch.ace it afforded Of earning good |
reputation in advance. This made the
High School practical Normal school. |
and, out OF the money thus saved, half
pay was given to the sick teacher. instead
Of deprivins them. as at present. of all. at
time when they need it most One
thing is certain. if the next generation Of
men here are = be men Of brains. width.
culture and science. commensurate with
The progress Of the age. some good system
IT education must be maintained. as well
or the future mothers, as gathers of the
:epublic." And it is most true. "a ~.
pressed by i recent writer, that a new
has grown up in modern times
y which the advance Of nations may be
measured. ''The relation Of nationalities
o science may be looked upon as true
est Of their rank. Science is an agent of
lunaa amelioration, already powerful in
haplng the course Of the worlds affairs"
When the question is asked how does
his country rank with others in its an.
recitation OF science. We are able to make
My the most beggarly showing, and are
ven falling back. scientific activity in.
Feasing more rapidly in Europe than
ere. Science will continue to languish
this country and fall back until it takes
he place to which it is entitled in onr :
7stem OF popular instruction and con.
ects itself with genera! education and
abic opinion.