The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1881-04-15
soRnY SCHOOL TEACHERS.


those with exceedingly limited educa-
tion are not worse than no teachers at
all. It ID very difficult to unlearn
what we have learned amiss. To meas.
uIe the capacity required of q teacher
by the advancement Of his pupils is q
common, but very grave and serious
blunder. Let this principle be carried
out to Its logical result, then will educa-
ton, enlightenment, progress and
civilization be banished from the land
and ignorance reign supreme. He does
not know enough to teach your chill
dren unless he knows and knows well
and thoroughly what 1t will require
them years to attain under a competent
instructor and by dilieent study.
The evil Of which our contemporary
complains not only exists, bat Is grow
Ing. Many years ago, before the war,
teachers were In too great q measure
tent Of their learning they taught with
industry and a scrupulous regard for
tho advancement Of their pupils. Be-
yond the little they knew themselves,
and knew reasonably well, or could
learn while advancing their pupils,
S1Vy 00S0O&k4 A0kOA ~ 0kk0 k0A00s0
were equally as strict and scrupulous
In Watching the efforts of the teacher
and requiring strict accountability
from their children. The old-f1eld
school teacher was not always, Indeed
but seldom, man of much learning,
but to his credit 1t can be said he was
attentive, faithful and earnest In his
calling. The little urchins of his day, |
now grown-up men, can attest how |
punctual he was week-in and week-out
In attending to their noodles and re-
quiring of them a prompt compliance
with his ssrules' and due respect for
his authority. They were taught not
only the rudiments of our Language, to
the exact spelling of even the most diff
hcult words, but the teacher consid-
cred himself responsiblef for their deport-
ment and the possibilities of their get
ting-on in the world subsequently as
men and women.
It is not all the fault of the teacher,
now, that the relations of teacher,
pupil and parent are changed,-and
grievous the changeis. "Good enough"
as the Review states it, is the too fire.
quent excuse Of the parent for sending
his children to any teacher who may
chance along "to take up'' a school.
To blame the parent for giving this as
reason for his course, may not be
strictly just, since, as is too often the
case, he Is unable out of his scanty In
come to do more than send his child to
the nearest schoolhouse, however
sorry the teacher may be, both in men,
tai and moral qualifications. The par
ent is to send his child to schooi-the
world expects it, and at the risk of
securing only ga little learning, n dan
gerous thing" the parent must comply
with the demands of his gossiping
neighbors.
|. The trouble lies in the poverty Of the
people to great extent, but much
before, in that false system which de-
mands Of an Impoverished people an
annual tax for the support of public
schools, as in this State, where one
man has to educate not only his own
children, but those of others, and is
required, under the practical operations
of the law, to send to sorry teachers, or
none at all. The blame Is not, either,
with the guardians of the law. A law
is necessarily imperfect when based
upon false premises. The lawmakers
have attempted to educate our children
In way which is proven impractical
bic. There is glare of public school
system-something for newspapers and
etump-speakers to write and speak
lengthily about-but there is lacking, in
more than ten years. trial, any solid
advancement aud the people of the
state,-th who do not think as we'll
- those who do. complain of the fail.
ure Of the experiment. The ignorant
negro, no less than his white superior.
appears to be dissatisfied, except that
he Il singalarlv proud to see his child
pack m arm-full of books to school. as
to tina contents of which both are su-
prelnely and happily ignorant. There
y . waste of energy, means aud
Thought In our Public School system