Mexico weekly ledger., 1879-03-06
Unity the Work.
BY J. FRANK FREEMAN.


That there is a manifest lack OF
unity of action between the schools
of our county and state, is apparent
to the most casual observer. From
experience and observation, l feel
warranted in saying, there are as
many systems of instruction as there
are schools. Every school is a law
unto itself. That this state of things
ought not to exist, is, also, apparent
to every n What we want and
what we must have before our schools
can be raised to a standard common
surate with our national and financial
growth, is unity of thought, concert
of action, and cooperative co-opera-
ton. The Teachers Institute
must form the basis of all this work.
If this be true, how earnestly, how
persistently should WI bring our
hearts and souls into institute work.
A frequent meeting Of teachers, an
interchange of thought, a laying aside
OF prejudices and partialities, an earn
est endeavor to arrive at truth, is the
only and sure means by which unity
of thought "a be obtained. Con-
cert of action is conspicuously de-
pendent upon the institute. 1t is
not necessary to have an uniformity
? of text books; but it is absolutely
necessary to have a prescribed course
of study, before unity of action can
be obtained. The course of study
should-be given by a State Institute.
In order, therefore, that q perfect
union should be had, l would favor
the passage of a law compelling the
teachers of the State to form them
selves into County, District and
State Institutes. Among other things
the State Institute should have power
to prescribe a course of study to which
every teacher should be made to rig
idly adhere. The adoption of text
books, being necessary to a perfect
union, / would favor the repeal of the
present law regarding text books,
and, give the right of adoption to the
County or District Institute.
A commissioner should be elected
in each county (and two when neces-
sary) whose duty should be TO see,
by actual visitation, that each per-
formed his duty well. He should be
paid a stated salary and be required
to give his entire attention 20 his
work.
Cooperative cooperation may be
defined as: a working together fol-
the same end. This, then, should be
an important theme with the Insti
tute. For what are we educating the
youth of our land? Some teachers
seek to instil into the minds of their
pupils the fact that it is necessary
only to become "~educated" (mental-
ly) to make them fit and ready to
grasp anything of their own choosing
to make a livelihood without physi-
cal force or mental or moral exertion
and, in short, to be a kind of mental
God for others to worship. What q
farce!
1t should be the aim of every teacher
to inculcate principles of morality, to
teach his pupils to know and feel their
dependence upon their fellow-man
and tn .ir God to teach them to real
ize that all cannot become Websters,
Clays, Calhouns, Astors, etc. and,
in short, TO have them realize that
whatever may be their surroundings
in life it is their duty to love and
honor their calling, and by so doing
serve a righteous God.
When the teachers of Missouri shall
have attained to this unity of action
Missouri will shine forth a bright con
sky.