Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-05-04
OUR CITY SCHOOLS.

III WV OAhI N
school in existence at the Market
street school building. That is to
say, it is anormal school "so-called."
There are four teachers employed
in it. They have from ITO to 125
pupils under their charge. These
pupils are youths Of both sexes,
aged from twelve to twenty years.
They are being taught Greek,
Latin, German, French, algebra,
geometry, chemistry, philosophy,
geology, history, and all the higher
branches that are used to polish an
education. There is none of that
special "training to teach" in these
schools which ordinarily constitutes
a normal school. On the contrary,
those pupils who intend to become
teachers are placed under the
charge and care Of one Of the prin-
cipalS of the graded schools. Her
small class is the only portion of
the city schools at all enti-
tied to the designation Of
a normal school in the proper ac-
ceptation of that word. The curl
GUS inquirer will now wonder why
this classical school, with four
teachers and over a hundred pupils,
is called a normal school. A little
investigation by our educational
commissioner shows that the mis-
homer was given to that school in
this wise: A few years ago, when
our Board of Education had, or
thought they had, a full treasury, a
male and female high school were
established with a corps of teachers
and run at an expense Of from
ten hundred to twelve hundred
dollars a month. The cost and
utility of that school was discussed
by the best and all the citizens Of
the city. A very little discussion
developed the fact that a very large
majority of our people did not
favor the idea of attempting to
polish and finish the education Of
our children with the school fund.
The result was a demand made
by public opinion that high
schools should not be con.
tinued at public expense. In
stead Of conforming fully to this
demand our Board of Education,
assisted by a willy superintendent
conceived the adroit scheme of con.
tinuing the high school under the
name Of a normal school, and the
scheme has been carried into effect.
This is a plain statement of the
case. Without expressing any opin.
ion as to the propriety or correct
ness Of the act, we make the state.
ment to call the attention Of thC
present Board of Education to tn
fact that the same public opinion
still exists in Memphis. If the
will consult it they will find that
very large majority of our people
believe that no dead languages, o,
higher branches of a finished edu
cation should be taughtin our pub
lie schools. And burdened as W.
now are with taxes and debt, min
men out of ten in the city will say
do away at once with the expens
of a classical school, AS we hay
before announced, the question
now fairly and fully befol
the Board of Education. J
ought to be acted upon an
settled at their next monthly NEE.
ing on Monday next. 1t is to
hoped that they will be governe
in their conduct by consideration
of a sound and healthy econom
and a due regard for the popula
will. The persistent continuanc
of what is so generally regarded a
an unwarranted and useless expen
diture of school moneys will pre-
woke hostile legislation, and eau,
the charter Of the city scho is
be repealed. In this way the who
city school system will be merge
into the State system, and IL
Board of Education, in %consequen,
of its own obstinacy, may becon
functus oficio.
MISSISSIPPI LEVERS.