Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-02-27

wild aoimals, forms, colors uud dimensions,
manners, morals, laws of health, gymnastic
exercises, drawing and the cultivation Of
tho voice receive special attention. This
common sense knos ledge Of useful things
is vital part of popular education. ln-
stead of this how often are poor children
wearied with tho endless repetition Of
nero words; the dry and stale lumber OF
the books2"
The above is only a small part of an
extract from tho report Of the Superiutend.
en-: of Education, who quotes from an ad-
dress of Rev. I}. Sears, agent of the Pea
body educational fund. l lock upon q
State normal school to DO the only solution
to our present educational problem 1t is
certainly one of the grandcst institutions of
the nge, and not only this State but every
State should hove one If our public schools
are to be run successfully, Our present
mode Of teaching is not what it should be,
and the teachers employed arc not up to
the standard in tho u,ajority of cases,
They are deficient in discipline, methods of
impurting instruction and iu the requisite
.emount Of education The teachers ure
generally too inefficient to accom- plish any.
opo VIC OldNC nlll pIOSpCT
her educational interests until we hnvo q
corps of trained neutrality-suspicious. trained
for the purpose. A great number of our
teachers do not take sufficient interest in
their schools, cvcn to learn themselves much
but 20 on from doy 60 day with tho same
old song, without care, in haphazard
style, learning their pupils little or nothing
beyond tho words and formulas of tho
books. Generally, too, thut very class of
teachers dislike to hear of improved me
thods of teaching, for fear it may cause
them little extra work or study, or, know
lug their iucompetcncy, do not wish to
nuke struggle to rise. What the State
needs is a corps of teachers trained for the
business, and, too, teuchcrs that are wide
awake, energetic and willing to avail them
selves of every opportunityof gaining know.
ledge and rendering themselves more com
petont to fill their important position. The
question is how can We effect that change,
and the only answer that can fnd to it is
tho establishment of State normal school
for training teachers.
We cannot hope to effect the change in
Que year, but it will take timo to work up
to the proper standard. Wo will have to
proceed step by step, till We reach the dc
sired end. Every man interested
in this matter will have to put his shoulder
to the wheel and push with all his power
If our teachers were only interested suffi.
ciently on this subject they would not lie
idle and let this golden opportunity pass,
but would rise up as ono man and give our
Superintendent of Education all the aid in
their power. | think that the people of
this State will not let the chance slip;
hope to see this matter fully discussed by
the press Of tho State. Ihope, too, to see
the matter brought before the notice Of our
next General Assembly, not only by the
Superintendent of Education, but from
other sources.
This is one Of the great advantages of
the age, und shall wc make struggle to
avail ourselves of itY We should never be
idle, but ever keep toiIns onward and up
ward. We should not bo satisfied to stand
as VIC are. Our schools should DC made the
pride of the State. The literary, moral,
religious and political stunding of the State
depends upon the training and education of
its youth. Should wo not, then, use every
means in our power to raiso the standard of
our teachers to as high pitch as possiblc3
There nre numerous evils in our present
system Of teaching, and Irepcat again that
the only feasible plan that can SEQ for
correcting the evil is the establishment of q
normal school. How is this to be done?
Let the Legislature of our State do as the
Legislature of North Carolina hus ne
make sufficient appropriation TO establish
one. It will require ouly small aum, and
| heve no doubt but that we could obtain
aid from the Peabody educational fund, us
the normal school of North Carolna haa re-.
ceived aid from that source. The Legislature
could not make on appropriation for better
and nobler purpose, for by making the ap.
preparation It will he doing tho State great
and lasting benefit.
will quote the conclusion what Hon.
Kemp p. Battle, l.. L. D., President Of the
University Of North Carolina, says of tho
normal school Of that State, which is carried
on at Chapel Hill, N. G.: "rhe industry
and efficiency of the instruction Of tho
school, the enthusiasm, order and devotion
to study Of tho student havo nohie ed
results Of lasting benefit to the cause Of
education in the State. There were teachers
in attendance who had spent years in their
calling; there were tcachrs only beginning the
work; thcro those seeking to become quail
fled to take charge of schools. But one
and all, over four hundred of tho best
material in the State, gave unanimous and
earnest approval Of tho normal school,
They declared that they had their minds
enlarged and quickened, their stores Of
information and their power to acquire
other stores increased. They Of their own
accord united in memorial to the General
Assembly for the continuation of tho school
in future, expressing the decided conviction
that its discoptiuuanco would bo grand