The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-02-02

" sseat dssidsratua,, II Ia tho voiss pt
reason and experience that they must exist
before education can be performed in the
best possible Manner In Jan. 1910, the
Rev. DR.. Fl. H. Kavanaugh, the second SUI
perintendent, reiterated similar views.
Among other things he says, "a school for
the instruction OF teachers is necessary to
system of public instruction" In l842 Rev.
DR.. Smith, third superintendent urged upon
the attention of the Legislature the impor-
lance of making limited experiment OF at
least one normal school. In l843, Rev. Mr.
Brush, fourth superintendent; in 1874; Rev.
DIR. billiard, fifth superintendent; and in
1852, Rev. Il. j. Breckenridge, d. D., LII.
D., sixth superintendent, urged substan-
TALLY the same views. ''<
Gen. John Eaton, Commissioner of Edu-
cation of the United States, in letter to
me of the 18th inst, says, Wherever a sys-
tenn of free or public schools has been es-
tablished, there, also, public normal or
training schools have been been found in
dlspensable."
The fact is that all men who have direct
ed their attention to this subject regard
normal schools as necessary outgrowth OF
public free schools. They are the head, di
recting, methodizing, guiding the great
work Of popular education. They are the
heart, pouring a current of vitality through
the whole common school system. They
are the centre, radiating light and warmth
in every direction. They are to our free
schools what the base of operations is to an
invading army; for from them are continu-
ally drawn fresh supplies of we'll prepared
teachers to fill the ever increasing demand.
The experience of Nations and States
proves their necessity. The testimony of
thousands of educators shows conclusively
that they are productive of the best results
To all oppositions, doubts, cavils, objec-
tons, the unsanwerable reply is, they have
been tried and they are success.
Ii they are not important, yea, neces-
sity to public free schools, then the ex-
perience of hundred years and the obser-
walton and maturest reflections OF our
wisest men must go for nought
ARE TRAINED TEACHERS NEEDED?
1t may be said that the public free schools
do not need trained teachers. Let us see
What is their business? They have under
their care those who in few years will COM
pose the great mass OF our population, and
"ei &" eAAhS VAASi diC III tiIC
| state, and, consequently, the most suscept-
lble to good and bad impressions. At no
other period OF their lives can they be so
easily directed in the path which will be to
their interest and that of the whole COM
munity. Well trained teachers are neces-
sary to this work.
Again, the great mass Of them, nine-tenths
or more. will have no other schooling.
There is no college, male or female, for
| them. Even if the magnificent State fe-
male college should be erected, not one girl
in thousand can attend it. 1t is therefore
the more important that these common
schools should be taught in the best man.
ner possible. Well trained teachers are
necessary to this.
Again, as now arranged, the most of our
public free scfE6is continue only four
months of the year. So the great mass of
our children .have the benefits of only our
free schools and for only four months of
the year. Can you expect good work to be
done i'll onlytfour months, and that by an
unframed teacher, when, in fact, nine
months and well trained teacher, are
needed for the task. Considering the mass
es to be taught, their plastic age, the i'm
portance of the work, the shortness of the
| time, well trained teachers are necessary to
| the work.
Using the illustration of another, if the
features and limbs OF your child were to be
remodeled, would you call in an unframed
artist to do the work? How much more inn
portant that he who Is to train,,the mind and
heart OF our children, should be we'll pre-
pared
Teaching is an art founded on science
That scienceii as broad, and deep, and
high as human nature, human conditions,
| and human relations" Luther said, Of
were not preacher, would be teacher"
A great American divine has said, 81 put
the Teacher higher than any profession,
higher than the lawyer, higher than the
minister, higher than the statesman" If
he were teacher, he might change Luther's
proposition thus: "If were not a teacher l
would be a preacher" But what kind OF
teacher did Luther speak of? What kind is
above the lawyer, the minister, the states
man? The one that can be picked up any,
where and at the lowest price? Who says,
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