Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1882-01-19
SCHOOLS.

tIldl inc university luDQ Has
been robbed for the support of
Prairie View Normal school,
which really was a normal
school and not branch of the
university. If this is the case.
and there seems to be no rea-
son to doubt it, some one has
committed a great wrong; they
certainly had no right to divert
the university fund from the
purpose for which it was crea-
ted. The normal schools were
a pet measure with Governor
Roberts; IN his campaign
j speeches, after his conversion
to free schools, he recommend
ed the establishment of normal
schools he would have had
| plenty of them, in order, as he
said that we might have an
abundance of trained teachers
for the many public free schools
that were to be established
throughout the state. Two
normal schools were establish
] ed-one at Huntsville for white
and the other near Hampstead
for colored students. 1t GER
tainly seems strange that the
Legislature did not make proper
provisions for their mainten-
ance. Tie university fund
seems 70 have been very con-
venient, but it will have to be
refunded, now that it has been
decided to build the university.
1t is useless to deny the fact
that there has been gross mis-
management in regard to the
university fund and that the leg
islature and the governor are
probably equally to blame for
it. The puplic school fund as
now apportioned to the several
counties and managed by the
school trustees Ct the various
school communities is, after all,
but little better than squander-
ed; the proportion for each
community is comparatively |
small and in far too many cases |
the teachers employed are al
most wholly incompetent. With
the small pay allowed the teach
ers and the limited duration of |
the sessions nothing better
could reasonably be expected; |
however, poor school and per-
haps a still poorer teacher is
better than no school at all the
pupils learn to read after fash
ion and also learn a little arith-
metlc, with this start towards
an education the way is opened
for them to educate themselves
if they have the ability and per
severence. Newspapers, the
great popular educator, are
within the reach of all; there is
hardly a family so poor that
they can not afford to pay a
dollar or two dollars a year
for weekly newspaper, and
books of all kinds are now
cheaper than they ever were
since the invention of printing.
Books are no longer a luxury 10
be possessed only by the rich;
the poorist have it within their
power to possess them if they
are economical and are inclined
that way. While all this is true
it is no reason why we should
not have more and better
schools in this country. The
school law is in need of amend
ment so that the district schools
may be made more efficient and
be kept up for longer periods.
1t has been suggested, wisely
we think, that school communi-
ties be allowed to organize and
tax themselves-by special tax
ation-for the purpose of MAIN
tanning their community schools
FOR such length of time as they
may deem expedient, or in 9TH
er words the idea is, to place
county communities on the
same footing as regards special
taxes for schools, as the incor-
porated towns and cities are.
This is a matter of deep con-
Germ to those living in the
country and having children to
educate. Children grow apace
and while this subject is being
discussed by far too many of
them are growing up in ignor-
ance and getting beyond school
age.