Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-09-13

at 75c per month, or tUo dollars Jor
three months, in adUance, NTH the
privilege of changing pOSto6ice,
PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM OF KEMPHIs
At the last meeting of the city school
board the finance committee submitted
a report of some length in which it is
stated that the teachers were last paid
off in June with borrowed money; that
there is not a dollar in the treasury, and
that there is an outstanding debt against
the board of 1874 "a. Also, that Col
ouel I. J. Leatb, the superintendent, has
generously RENTED D thousand dol
lars of his salary to aid the schools
in their present financial difficulties.
The hope is expressed that by close
management and close collections the
schools may be continued as in the past.
The outlook is certainly not very en-
couraging to the teachers, most Of whom
no doubt faithfully earn their salaries.
The question naturally arises whether it
would not be practicable to modify our
system somewhat and reduce expenses
within the limit Of prospective income
without impairing the utility and useful
ness OF the schools or departing from
the true theory of popular education at
the expense of the State; whether it
would not be better to give more thor
ough education in a few branches than
to 20 through the farce of farming out
graduates from the high school every
year who are not always we'll prepared
to enter any frst-class college.
Taking for granted the benefit to con-
munities of common schools it does not
follow that the State or even a city
should undertake to educate the whole
site population up to a high
classical standard. Such q policy car
ried QUITO its logical consequences would
make a nation Of dilettanti, of lawyers,
doctors and preachers, scientists, college
professors aud white-handed scholars,
provided the masses were 80 adapted and
inclined. Much valuable time is wasted
in forcing pupils through numerous
branches of study for which they have
no particular taste or talent, and never
use after they get out of the schoolhouse,
If not conscious Of imperfect education
at once they soon discover the homeops-
THO thinness of their learning when they
come in contact with really educated
people. Ashamed of their education az
ter having once gone out into society
aud the world they attempt, nine times
out of ten, to conceal instead Of over
coming it the rest of their lives. The
defect and the fault begins with parents
and teachers in the manner Of teaching
the rudimentaly branches. These are
often skinned over in a hurry in order
to have the name Of studying higher
branches. How utterly defective and
loose our system appears when com
pared with that of Germany, in which
the pupils advance slowly step by step,
learning everything thoroughly as they
90 along, the young men rarely be
ing allowed to graduate until they are
t~wenty-four or five years old. Yet the
masses do not expect to enter the
learned professions; the most of them
will be farmers, merchants or mechanics.
II they can read and write correctly, un.
derstaud the English language aud com
mon arithmetic and know the history o.
the country they can with ordinary ca
pacity aud common sense not only gel
through the world successfully, but MAKE
a passable appearance in the best soci
ETY., and fill positions Of usefulness anC
honor with high credit. There is a
much h%umbuggery in education as il
patent medicines, and so called gradu
ates often deceive themselves for a time
as we'll as their parents aud the public
Fortunately for them their educationa
requirements are rarely put to a NOR
crucial test than the last public exhibi
ton, for which they are usually vel
drilled. How few of the boys of tn
present day expect to follow a pursui
requiring a knowledge of the classic
and higher mathematics. Those VIII
do should not expect TO be educated q
public expense. The common school
we're never intended TO fit boys or girl
for college or calliugs requiring class
cal aud technical knowledge, but merel
the ordinary avocations of life, such a
forty.nine out OF fifty will of necessity,
not choice. adopt. The experiment ha
been made in cities, Memphis anon