Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-12-22
IMPORTANT

----
Who Can be Members OF the Board
OF Education The Question OF
Blig1bitiGy Explained ia q Mae.
ner that May shut Ous Many
Cheeky Aspirants.
Our public schools are, or should be,
the pride Of our city. Intelligence means
power, progress and happiness, while
ignorance means crime aui all its unfor-
tunate results. In this city we have a
good school system created by charter.
The Board ct Education consists of
twenty members, ten Of whom are elected
annually. This Board of Education has
full power to control and regulate school
matters in every particular. From
the Board all the committees are
selected; committees to examine
would be teachers. select a series of
school books, present rules and
regulations for the government OF the
schools, and do ~numbsrless other things
that require an intelligent mind to do.
An illiterate and iguorsnt man is Of
course not the timber out Of which to
make a member OF the Board Of Educa-
ton. He could do nothing but vote, and
his vote would rot always be for the best
interests of Education. II could not be
expected. He could hot serve on any
important committee, because be is dis
qualified for so doing by reason of his
illiterAcy and ignorance. This fact has
become SO apparent that at a recent
meeting OF the Board the Committee on
Appeals aud Qualifications OF Members
was empowered and instructed to exam
inc as to the qualifications Of each mem
Der as be is presented to the Board.
The charter of the Memphis city
schools provides that the Board of Edu-
cation shall Rave power to Judge of the
qualifications Of its members" To give
this provision or section vitality and
force, rule No. 65 Of the Board Of Edu-
cation was adopted, and it reads as fol-
lows:
No person shall be eligible TO member.
ship in the Board Of Education Of the
Memphis city schools unless his educa-
tlonal requirements are sufficient to
enable him to judge OF the qualification
Of teachers. and OF the progress Of pu-
pills in the city schools. No person shall
be eligible to membership in the Board
Of Education who is conducting, or in
any way interested in conducting. a pri-
vate school, seminary, academy or col
lege, in the city Of Memphis; or who has
a parent, child, husband, wife, brother or
sister in the employment Of the Board,
as teacher, or in any capacity in the
management Of the city schools.
TIE above has been in existence for
several years past, bat it has been a dead
letter to all inients and purposes. At
thu last mte.ing Of the Educational
Board, in view Of the January election
at which ten members will have to be se-
lected by the people of the different
wards of the city, the old rule was re.
vived. and the committee on appeals and
qualification of members was empowered
to practically enforce it. The enforce.
ment of the rule will shut out incompe
tent and illiterate men from positions in
the School Board. If a member Of the
Board is not sufficiently well educated
to enable him to judge as to the qualif-
cations of teachers aud the progress of
the pupils, be certainly ought not to be
in the position, aud if an aspirsnt for
the Office is not so qualified he certainly
should not be permitted to take the Of
Zee. We publish the above important
rule and action Of the School Board at
its recent meeting, so as to enable the
voters Of the different wards Of the city
10 select good and intelligent School
Visitors in January next.