Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-05-10
FRIDAY MORNING. MAY 10. 1878.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOL DEFECTS.

FRIDAY MORNING. MAY 10. 1878.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOL DEFECTS.
It is not unusual to hear complaints of the
public schools, just as in other days it was
not unusual to hear them about the old
field schools and private schools, and as you
may hear to-day of the private tutors, and
of our colleges. The number Of complaints
has been, is, and always will be in proper
ton to the number of scholars in atten-
dance and the number of parents who take
a natural pride in the. aforesaid scholars.
They are not confined to any State or sec
ton of the Union. We are not surprised,
we say, on the contrary it is very natural
and in accordance with the free institu-
lions of our country that freeman. and
yet more especially free woman, should
have his or her say. We have heard some
very strenuous objections to the Augsburg
confession, and we once heard gentleman
say candidly of the apostles creed that he
didn't think there was much in it. What
such critical person might have had to
say of the plan of salvation we only failed
to learn from hesitating to press our in
quiries. We would not for moment sug-
gestithat there are not causes for complaint
in so great and widespread system as our
public schools, but we would suggest that
the remedy for many of them lies within
reach of the compliments themselves.
For instance. if we would recollect that it
is quite impossible to obtain a fifty dollar
education by the payment Of one dollar
capitation tax unless somebody or other
fills up the gap of the forty-nlne dollars it
would temper our asperity; or that some
of us for the rather cheap rate of six dol
lars school tax, educate as many children
as we give dollars If our people would
recollect that to ask one man or one woman
to fallow the minds, and SOW the seed and
tend the educational growth for forty chill
dren, and produce a perfect crop in each
mind equal to crops which have bad ten
times as much labor spent on them, they
will agree that it is rather unreasonable.
Another cause, which leads to COM
plants from the very originators of it.,
seems to us to be the fact that the prolific
matrons of the State are making one tire
mendOus effort to convert the public
schools into nurseries. Little tots who
Grant dress themselves are bundled off to
the public nursery to be kept from being
stepped upon at home, and to keep them in
order, women of ability sufficient to enligh-
ten children of a reasonable, age are de-
tailed. Unquestionably the man who IN
troduced the words from five to twenty
one years Of age" into the school law
should be shot if there was any law for it.
Actually the average age of the six hun
dred scholars who attend the public
schools in this city is only ten years-leav
ing room for how many tots do you think?
The county is slightly better off, its av-
erage age icing twelve. This mental stew
ing of such tender brains is thoroughly
wrong though of course there is some ex-
cuse for it. and not always bad one. Many
of the matrons IN Virginia are poor and
have to labor and public nursery is a
luxury to them, but the fact that our
schools are thus perverted from their pur
pose use should be taken into account by
the grumblers.
AS to the degree of education some of
the complaints are provokingly absurd.
Leaving out professional teachers, we
would not hazard much if we stated that
many of the compliments are not
qualified critics of the advancement Of the
children in the public schools. We have
forgotten too much-we who were taught
twenty years ago. If we had not, we could
supplement the teachers efforts by home
instruction and remove all ground ofcom-
plant. Somehow there is a mistaken idea
that the public schools should have cur
riculum that ends at the threshold of an
university. 1t is not so. These schools are
peculiarly the peoples schools and they
are intended to make sure that every child
of average ability, shall wnen he leaves
them, have a fair English education to go
into the world with. He can make him
self what he pleases after that for he has the
tools to do it. If he is the son of rich
man then he can get the college course by
paying for it, but the first education is a
necessity that every poor mans son must
have and it is the concern of the people,
not in the sense the demagogue uses it,
but the people as composing State, that
he.should have it.
Compared with the other public schools
in the State, the merit of the public
schools of Staunton, in the eyes of those
qualified by general knowledge of all,
stands in light that is gratifying to our
people. Their excellence is too well known
we hope to be affected by the fact that
Tommy Tompkins doesn't 'get ON very
fast, or that his little sister Julia Tomp-
k ms isn't advanced enough. This is prob
ably sore trial to the Tompkins family,
but doesn't stop so large machine as the
public schools. It might possibly be that
Tommy Tompkins would not "get on'' if
he had a university man as private
teacher, and that his little sister is of SIM
liar mould.
Vice President Boyce of the Shenandoah
Valley r. r. Co., was in CharlestOWn Fri
day making contracts for cross-ties, and the
work of laying the track will commence
there about the 18th Of this month and
proceed at the rate of half mile day.
The completion of the road from Martins
burg to Front Royal is expected by No
vember 1st. The whole road from Mar
tinsburg to Waynesboro in Augusta coun-
ty, 143 miles is to be completed and equip
pad in three years. The Messrs. Satterlee &
10 of Phjladelnhja the contractors agree