Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-09-27

now taught In the 1OWell DullulnS
is largely over three hundred, the
sexes being nearly equally divided.
Does anyone think it would be de
sirable or even safe to assemble that
number of young people of ages
varying from six to twenty in one
confined spot for a long period every
day without authoritative super
vision? Take the boys alone. Ev-
erybOdy knows who has observed
them that even twenty boys of
various ages cannot remain long
together without getting up a fight
among them, and when you raise
the number to a hundred and fifty,
what would that amount to but q
perfect bedlam. No parent whose
Judgment is sound would be willing
for his son, especially ifquite young,
to be in such a crowd. And when
to these hundred and fifty boys are
added an equal number of the other
sex, it is needless to suggest that
the objections are all aggravated in
a large degree.
But this state Of things would un-
doubtedly exist every day for an
hour or an hour and a half il unre-
stricted access to the playground
were given. We know how fond
children are of getting together in
crowds, and have not the least doubt
that they would begin to assemble
at six in the morning or sooner,
and that by half-past six or seven a
full half of the school would be
there, and till eight they would be
uncontrolled and unchecked in the
preparation of any mischief that
might enter their heads.
But, it is urged, they would be
better in the playground than in
the streets. Our answer is, they
would be better at home than in
either place. Is it great grievance
to either children or parents that
they should be at home together till
eight in the morning and again for
an hour or two at dinner time? If
we thought that the public schools
were to produce such a separation
as that Of children and parents, we
should look upon them as an I'M
mixed evil. The difficulty Of their
remaining in the street is already
diminished as the children get to
understand the rules, the number
of those who arrive before eight be-
ing smaller every day. Remember
that a full half-hour is the margin.
No one is excluded for an instant
who arrives at any time between
eight and half-past, and we honestly
think that by very little concert
between teachers and parents not
single child need arrive outside of
that half hour.
"But," many will say, "why
shouldn't the teachers be there as
soon as the scholars ?'' Now we
know that there is a large class of
men who look upon teacher as a
school-boy looks upon hired horse
AS an animal to be driven till he
drops, and then taken no further
account of. To such men our argu-
ment is not addressed; all we have
to say to them is that the School
Board will have to be changed
to the last man before it is admins
tered on such principles; we omit
them and address ourselves to reas-
enable men.
The teachers as at present engaged
in our public schools are, with an
interval for dinner, on duty from
eight o'clock till half after four, or
eight hours and a half. There is no
mental labor SO eXacting and wear
ing as theirs. The minute and I'M
tagging attention they have to give
to an endless variety of subjects is
incessant, and while so occupied
they have to exercise constant vigil
lance in preserving the order of the
school-room, a moments inatten-
ton to which is sure to produce an
incipient disorder which redOubles
all their labors to get it straight
again. All this constitutes q greater
strain on mental endurance than
any occupation we are acquainted
with, and we know from experience
what we are writing about. They
have not only to keep their intel
lects constantly on the alert, but to
exercise a constant control of their
moral nature, to restrain their tenn
per, to guard even their more amia-
BILE impulses, lest they may lead to
special likings, and so to partiality.
If anyone doubts the severe mental
tension required for all this let him
notice the worn and jaded expression
on the countenance of any teacher,
though he be ever so able, after the
work of the school-rOOm is over.
But his work is not done when the
school-room is closed ; he has eXer-
cises, compositions, problems, etc,
to take home with him and exam
inc there; he has to prepare his
school work for the next day, for no
teaching is worth a cent where the
teacher himself does not know to
the letter what he is going to teach
and how he is going to teach it.
Besides this, it is made the duty of
our teachers to frequently visit the
parents and confer with them about
the education of their children, to
discuss peculiarities of disposition,
to listen to complaints often unreas-
enable, and finally, most Of them
have household affairs of their own
to attend to. Beyond a question
school teachers are the hardest