Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1875-04-24
OIJR PuJBLIc SCHOOLS.

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Schools of West Va, during the year
ending August Slst, 1874, were $7O4,-
1916. q This is large sum and yet
may not be complained of in view OF
the purpose it aims to accomplish. The
above amount embraces both the cost
of teachers and buildings. The salaries
of teachers this year amounted to S4oo,-
43O.S4, being an average tuition per
pupil of s.. SO, estimated on the basis
of the enumeration. The cost per pu-
pil. based on the actual attendance MAS
S444. This shows the suicidal policy
of the State in not adopting a rational
plan of compulsory education. 1t is
settled fact in our form OF Government,
that the public mind must be enlighten-
ed. mus: be educated. This is the only
security against the fearful results of
ignorance and anarchy to which our ma
ton is fearfully inclined. We have in
West Va $4,000 youth between the
ages of and 2l, and how many under
6 years of age we do not know. Now
let us suppose that nothing should be
done for the next ten years in the way
of free school teaching and what would
be the result? Those children who
are now 10 years old would then be 20,
and those 6, 16 We ask our thought
full citizens to imagine the mental, more,
the moral state of these minds! Every
one knows that it takes an army OF
teachers constantly at work, and at
sacrifice of labor and anxiety of which
to a great extent parents even are lgno-
rant, TO keep the youth of the nation
out of barbarism. The tendency of
suspending the schools can easily be
detected in the fact so well known to
teachers, that children after vacation
of two months return TO school forget
ting to a great extent what they had
previously been taught-and what is
more, with habits of mental and moral
dissipation, which only severe school
drill can even imperfectly correct.
Could the experiment of suspendin1S
our free school work for ten years be
made. our people, especially the labor
inc classes, whose children depend
mainly on free schools for instruction,
would be prepared to realize low much
we owe to a State system of education.
In regard to intelligence there would be
two classes, CD the educated whites
whose wealth enables them to place
their children in select or foreign
schools, and (2) the ignorant whites
who are ignorant as class because
they are poor and are poor because they
are ignorant
The state of the case is that we are
expanding two thirds Of a million OF
dollars to educate the youth of our
State, and yet that purpose must be ac-
complished at any cost, or as state
We must take on the hazards incident
to low degree of public intelligence
and morals Against this result, Amcri-
can legislation has ever been aiming to
protect the country, and its most sue
cessful means of doing so has been the
state systems of free schools. AS a
State West Virginia has passed the
point of controversy on this subject by
establishing her free schools and
providing for their efficiency. But yet,
such is the relatian of free schools to
the State that their management and
value depend almost entirely on the
people among whom they are organ
izcd. The singuIarity of the case is
that the schools must create the very
school interests and sense which are
essential to shaping them properly into
efficient action This is for the most
part 10 be done by the efforts of compe
tent teachers. Too often it is the case
that School Boards, and Trustees too
are afflicted with old and effete notions
about schools, and what is worse will
not allow themselves to listen to better
ideas They never read a book on
school management, or take paper, or
stop to think that they may be mista-
ken, and that instead of aiding the
school, they are positively in the way
of its success. 1t may not be the case
in majority of the schools, yet never
thelcss it is in many instances, that if
the teacher were left to his own judg-
mcnt in the management OF the school
and were not annoyed by the crude
ideas and spleeny dicta,ions of an in
competent School Board or Trustee,
the school would be better taught, and
would be far more successful In many
instances, all the School Boards or
Trustees know about teachers, they
learn bv catechizins their children at
home. The law directs them TO visit
the school and cooperate with the
teacher, but they do not do it. The
people have appointed them school Off
GERS, and this implies an effort on their
part to know something about school
Economy, but they are and remain as
uniformed as they are about the Prin-
cipia of Newton. They spend not one
cent for a school journal or any book
for the needed information. With this
spirit and this verdapcyt the teacher Of
ten has to contend, and overcome it he
must, and succeed he must in spirit OF
all obstacles or fail in his reputation IS
teacher To do it he needs rs much
grace as Paul on Mars Hill and as
much gile rs Nathan in admonishing
David. But the cases are comparative
" few where things are in this afflicted
condition. AS general thing our
school officers employ teachers because
they thin; them competent and wish
not only 10 learn the best methods OF