The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1879-07-25
Educational Department.

eatioually the most advanced, are So
perior to ours.
Isl. They are more carefully inspeet-
cd.
The local school officers seem to be
generally selected with reference to
their qualifications for the place, aud
the inspectors are specially prepared,
for their work. They have fewer schools
to look after than our superintendent.
Their tenure of office is for life, or
good behavior, and they are held TO a
strict accountability by superior ofi'
GERS.
2ad. Their course Of study as better.
They do not have so mach
abstract grammar and arithmetic IN
their schools, or so much detailedge-
ography; bat, vocal music. and the sle-
ments of the natural sciences. Many
of them make special application OF
the natural sciences to agriculture,
horticulture and domestic econeny
More teaching is done without the
text book.
Bird. Their terms are longer.-lhe
schools are almost everywhere opeOior
nine or ten months in the year. :
4th TIE teachers hare made s-2sore
special preparation for their toerk'--
They are, for the most part, either
graduates of normal schools, or they
have served an apprenticeship as pupil
teachers in a school under the dlrec-
ton of master of Acknowledged skill.
As a class they are more learned than
American teachers. They have, also,
whatever advantages arise from con-
slant employment, and permanent
situation"
The above is an extract from the
report Of Prof Wichersham, who at
tended the Paris Exposition and paid
particular attention to the exhibit of
schools, school officers &c, &c, lie
afterward shows that our schools excel
theirs IN many particulars. But our
object is not to inquire after the excel
lent part of our school system, but to
hunt up the defects aud find the RENE,
dy.
True, we feel proud of our system
as it is, but if we can eradicate the
faults Of the system and retain work.
| Why can we not select our local oti-
GERS with reference to their quaifica-
lions? Are there not practical aud ex@
perienced teachers enough in the State
to fill the offices of State superintens
| dent, missioner, and examiner? Are
there not enough good men in every
district for trustees? Can't we elect
men to fill those positions who are
competent? Can't We compel these
men to do their duty under the law.
Our school law says the supeHnten-
dent shall devote all of his time and
/ attention to the duties of the Office.
/ Can that law be enforced? Tie law
says the commissioner shall WHIT the
/ schools in the county. Do we enforce
this law? The law says the tustees
I shall visit the school We haze law
enough if we would only enfore what
We have. By remedying our FIST evil
we can also remedy the second The
school officers select the books to be
used in school. If we had practical
teachers for school officers, they would
4 recommend practical studies 70 our
legislature, and l think we wSfa have
no difficulty in having our resent
course changed. la fact, our best
teachers are now teaching drawing, 70.
cal music aud the elements of the nat
ural sciences, although it is not in
strict compliance with the law. If we
will make our schools better he peo-
pie will make them longer The legis
ature has already made provisions for
local taxation to lengthen the public
schools. Improve the public schools
until you convince the people that it
is their interest to lengthen them and
you will have little difficulty in voting
this local tax.
Our fourth difficulty requires more
thought than all the others. We have
no normal schools. Our prorata is al
ready small. Our politicians are al
ready discussing the probability Of in
creaslng the tax. Must we reduce the
small amount the children now receive
in order to raise a fund to build and
maintain a normal school, or can we
depend on our Legislature 10 raise q
fund for that purpose? Hero is the
great need of our school system. W.
need better teachers. | think | risk
nothing in saying seventy per cent OF
our teachers never saw normal school
Many of our professional teachers new
er attended one, but the great mass O.
our teachers are not professional; they
are mere adventurers. How can We
expect our public school system to ac'
- of
school officers are chosen with 90 view
to their fitness for the Office, and {
large per cent of our teachers know
nothing of their profession? Our State
boasts of her law school, and therefore
feols proud of her lawyers: she ha
many medical colleges, and therefore
takes pride in recommending her Doc
} tors; but she has no normal school ant
} humbly hangs her head when you men
! ton her public teachers. Have on
teachers made the proper effort to rem
edy this matter? Have they asked ou
: candidates whether they are 10 tavo
or opposed to normal schools? If not
J let us go to work. Let us begin now
and let our law makers know that W
are IN earnest. by all means, let
l have normal schools, that we may hav
7 better teachers.
SPELLING.
r How do you teach spelling? Do yor
t form the pupils into large class, cal
them up every evening. draw lin
r across the floor and have them ''to
nry
, which our father trod." Do you hav
a regular head and foot to this class
and give "head marks" to those VIII
9 arc head when the lesson is flushed
/ Do you have the children spell u-n
? un~i-n-un.i in t-e-l-un>instel>l-i> li> un
e Observation-Disclosures -b>i>lNb
}, Observation-Disclosures : Ii -gl
: bil~i-t-y-ty~un>in>tel>li>gi>bil-i-ty IN
, intelligibility? Well this is certalnl
a I tho linn bopora1 Quf doe