Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-05-05
WEEKLY CHRONICLE.
THE COMMON SCHOOLS.

Wis Views in Regard the State Educa-
tionaI system.
The following has been issued by the
State Superintendent of public instruction:
CIRCULAR.
On entering upon the duties Of the office
of superintendent of.public instruction in
the State Cf Tennessee, 1t may be considers
ed proper and necessary that | should, in
some way, indi, ate the general line of
policy that will guide me in the execution
| of these duties. In regard to the part cular
details these will from time TO time, be
| given to my associates in the several coun-
| ties, as circumstances may indicate the
necessity. At present while issuing this
circular containing the late amendments 10
| the school iaW, | take the opportunity to
hint in few words snd in very general
| way, my views and hopes IN regard to this
! great and i'm portant portion OF the Work
| that lies before us as state.
| AS in all the practical affairs of life, men
! 7 eed es often to be reminded OF truths
| already known, as 10 be informed of new
obvious facts, some Of them almost in the
| nature of axloms, which will be regarded
| as guiding lights IN the admin tratlon OF
| all sffairs connected with this office.
]. Tennessee is passing through crisis,
| in which there is manifestly Wrapped up
| in the potentially Of current events great
! grand and glorious future-s future that
| will find Tennessee in a very honorable
| and prominent position in the front rank of
| great States. A great State filled with an
| Intelligs Mt, prosperous and happy people.
2 a truth that is fairly, fully and most
| eru phatically established by reason, history
and Scripture, Is this, that all genuine
social prosperity must depend on intelii-
gence and virtue. By the term would
| dc y nd IF nith
icel, financial or religious, as companies,
nations or churches, and the foundation
| fact in ali true prosperity must ever be
| intelligence and virtue. This is the law of
nature and ofGod.
3. Another truth equally clear and cer-
| tain is tbs, thut the int ligence and virtue
| of a State must depend on the quality and
| degree Of education among Its people
| Education makes habbs, habits make
| character, character makes people and
| the people make the natl n and ali its real
| worth.
| 4 Another truth noless certain, is this
taat the success of any system of education
| must depend Cd the p0ssesSi, n and ri ht
u-e Of the means necessary 10 ;his end.
| What, then, are some Of the means inn
| portan5 and necessary to education in the
| schools?
l Teachers who know what they are
called TO teach, who have skill in Commu-
nic4ting knowledge and tact in developing
power, who feel deep and abiding inter-
| est il their work, an ton0st determination
TO succeed.
2 Parents Who feel some true interest in
the education ofiheir children, who have
some reasonable appreciation of its neces-
sity and who are honestly wiling to afford
every reasonable encouragement to both
pupils and teacher.
3. Pupi who will be regular and pune
: tajr ID 11yf,n "A of
| Of the school and hungry for knowledge
| who love work, love play, and take delig t
| in every proper thing in its time and place.
| 4. School officers who know the law in
! it letter ard is spirit, who are deeply en-
| thusod with the vocation wherewith they
are called, Who have the tact, the enter
| prise and the public spirit that can and
will lead public sentiment into a higher
| plane and purer atmO phere.
| > ScuOol. houses thai are large, clean,
| cheerful, com Portable and we'll ventilated
Neither the physical, intellectual nor
moral culture If dark, dirty, dismal,
sutft eating dungeon can be beneficial. AS
| tue spirit is eff cted and Influenced by the
body, so The whole man is moulded and
fixed by bis surroundings.
. SSEte II and uniformity in grades.
classes aud text books In many schools
more than ha'f the tuition is wasted and
lost by the absence f these. The average
SuOuEL tl lulLlOHin the state may
be doubled, and consequently all the
benef of the schools doubled by the
adoption of c ear, well defnei system OF
g-gding and chasing, with h rigid uniform.
it.
I. A schoo! fund that will afford the
| entire support of the average schools for
eigh mon rs in the year, that will pay
teachers a salary sufficlentto warrant them
IN An exclusive devotion to aching as a
profession, and a life business.
| g. A legislature that has the patience,
| wisdom and virtue sufficient to enable it TO
let we'll enough alone even though every
| body knows that the we'll enough is not
| perfection. 1t is far better to suffer some
| inconvenience from an Imperfect law than
| to suffer the ur certeinty, the confusion and
| depression that must 10 low from eternal
| changes. When people climb to a higher
! plane, they mus. feel tat the foundations
| are fixed and TelIab bic.
| In order to secure these means and theic
operation in the degree of efficiency tn It
will lit Tenne to u h gh grade of pros
! perity, it will be the duty OF every school
officer, every friend of education, and every
| one who desires the public good, to think
| talk and work with and for them. with
| that patient, persistent determination that
must and will organize success We mu
| agitate in season and out of season, keep
| teen, before the people until the reason,
heart and conscience of all Tennessee is
baptized with deep, thorough going. all
pervading, educational enthusiasm. Much
has already been accomplished in this good
cause by the wise, patient, withful eff RS Of
my honored predecessors, Col. Leon
Trousdale and others, but there is still a
vast unfni5 he'd work before Us that calls
loudly for the best efforts of every true
| patriot Let us, then, one and all forget>
ting the things that are behind, unite our
heads, hearts and hands in one great effort
20 make tennessee enc of the brightest
s.ars That shall never shine, unstained, IN
Gltnmed ard glorious in the old flag of
o'ateS. ihese thoughts may indicate in
some measure what regard as the peculiar
mission thst providence has committed to
me In TINS office, and the hope l feel ir re-
gard to It's execution. now most earnest
~ trust that IN all this work I NAV have
an interest in the prayers ofsll good neo.
pie, and the hearty co-opers ton of syerv
patriot and friend of humanity
Respectfully yours, WIS DoK
Here follow the acts in regard to the
schools passed at the recent session of the
general assembly,