The Russellville Democrat., 1883-02-22


hand is worth two ID the bush" and
hire him 10 tsaclsa three months
school or course he knows nothing
about tile methods Of teaching 81
school. yet he enters his hercnlean
task with an ASSUMED dignity tbatI
would do credit to'a duke. Very
likely numbcrol Lie patrons arc
there and 60 home well pleased with.
his demeanor. BIT here the teach
ers trouble begins. He knows moth
ing about managing a lot Of mis-
chievous boys aud girls. He does
the best be can as fars as he knows,
no doubt but the trouble Is, he Goes
not know enough However, he
manages to get through the three
months some way or other, he does
not care how. OF course NOT, it is
the money he is after, not the diffu-
SION Of knowledge, and the result is.
he does no good, in fact does harm
for he has taught the children ideas
that it will take some good teacher a
long time to erase from their mem
ory and the district is minus the
money that was intended for teach
err. This little drama enacted time
or so the voters begin to realize that
it does not pay TO have a school. -
They have had two or three schools
taught, their children do not learn
ANYTHING and consequently they vote
down the school tax as burden too
heavy to be borne. Are they TO
blame? They have paid aud dearly
too to have useful knowledge dissem
mated among their children, and it
has not been done. 1t is these veri-
table evolves in Sleeps clothing
that destroys all educational enthu-
siasm IN a district by robbing them
of their money, for they give moth
ing in return. If you want to see q
school go to ruin and fast at that
let the directors begin to hire second
and third grade teachers and you
will not have long to wait. We want
to see the standard of education
raised in Arkansas. il has been a
laughing stock long enough. We
want the third grade certificate en-.
tirely abolished and the second il
not abolished greatly modified. Il
has become too easy for man with
the "gift of CAB" to dupe the dircc-
tors into hiring MIN, and it is nc
trouble for one that can read and
write to get third grade certificate
Our present representative is identi
fed with the school interests of the
state, he being school teacher by
occupation. 1t is TO be hoped thai
he or some other member will take
the matter into consideration and in
due form place the matter before the
legislature. 1t is very likely thai
some teacher struggling hard agains,
adverse circumstances Of fortune
will not like the tone of this letter
There are many very worthy young
men just starting out IN the great
battle Of life, that during summer
vacations teach some village schoo
to get funds to continue their course
of study in college. This is very
complimentary for them. yet at the
same time they are doing one of the
greatest imaginable evils; that o
destroying the school interest in tht
rural districts. If there is any QUE
thing we want to see advance more
than another, it is the cause of edu
cation. 1t was Pope who in his
"Moral Essays" wrote:
'Tis education that forms the common
mind,
just rs the twig is bent the tree is in
clined.
Those who have desire to teaci
the "young idea how to shoot" SHOULD
ponder well the above lines not for
getting they certainly will be hele
responsible for all the EVIL they may
do. We have penned down aetna
facts that are constantly ocearins
and which are constantly drifting II.
further away from the temple o
knowledge, and soon we will hardl,
see supplicant at its shrine miles:
the evil is speedily checked. Your:
for the advancement of education.
CATO.