Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-10-25
ON AMERICAN EDUCATION.
Communicated.

ed in the large term of education. The
feelings are to be disciplined; the pas
sions are to be restrained; profound
religious feeling is to be instilled, and
pure morality inculcated under all cir,
eumstances. All this is comprised in
education There is an impression
abroad in the land that for one to OBTAIN
q sufficient education to enable him to
appear advantageously upon the theatre
especially Of public life-his boyhood
must be spent within the walls of semi
nary of learning; that he must become
well acquainted with and complete all
the higher branches" at a very early
age, and that he must commence
his career under the high-hoating ban
ner of collegiate diploma-with them,
the first round in the ladder of Fame
Too many persons have also imbibed
the idea that fine dress is one of the
most essential things in connection with
education, thus forgetting that the rose
of Florida, the most beautiful of flowers,
emits no fragrancies; that the Cypress
of Greece, the finest of trees, produces
no fruit, and that the Bird of Paradise,
the most beautiful of birds, gives no
songs. They should remember, 'Tis not
the army with the gayest uniform, with
glittering bayonets, aud unstained flag
merits the praise and admiration of a
nation; out It's that which has borne
the heat of battle, and whose bullet rent
banners bear the impress of hard fight.
They should also remember that
I'VE build the ladder by which we rise =,
From the lowly earth to the vaulted
skies"
While we willingly confess that dress
is one requisite to social and individual
life, an indulgence in it beyond that OF
decency and refinement is in direct oppo-
sition to the will of our Benificent Crea-
tor. 1t is an old saying that mind can
measure gold, but gold cannot measure
mind" The nobbiest suits in our
streets are worn by penniless feps, bro
ken up merchants, etc. Gold chains
dingle brightest from the fobs of gam
blers and men of limited means. Dress
up an ignorant young lady in the height
of fashion," place upon her plumes and
flowers, rubies and diamonds, paint her
face and girt her waist, and what is
more disgusting for the eye to behold
than this savage picture? Such ladies,
| am sorry to say, we meet by the hun
dreds in our streets every day. Indeed,
the time is nearing when pride will be a
greater evil than intemperance itself.
Another matter of Importance is our
county examinations. Indeed, the man.
ner in which these are conducted does,
OF at least should, concern all. The rich.
the poor, the high and the low, are all
equally interested in the prosperity of
our country, and all should step forth
to participate in the momentous cause
of education. In many respects we be-
lieve there is no other department in
connection with education that receives
less important notice than does that of
examinations. The State of Ohio COM
prises eighty-eight counties, each of
which is entitled to Board of Exam
iners, comprised of three members cbo-
sen for a term of three years. 1t is the
duty of this Board to held monthly eX-
aminations at some point within its
proper county. and to give reasonable
and impartial tests in all those branches
taught in common schools. 1t is also
the duty of this Board to grant and issue
certificates to those applicants who
"pass" the examination, and whose ag-
gregate is sufficient to entitle them to one
This, however, is not the case. No one
who is we'll acquainted with this matter
will deny the fact that they are very
often narrow and technical. | have
known persons who were thoroughly
qualified to teach the common branch
es" make entire failures. simply because
the test in arithmetic was a mere puz-
zle. And in regard to impartiality, it is
almost useless to say anything, as all
are acquainted with this matter. 1t
will not be improper, however, for me
to make mention of few important
features. Among the many devices,
the following is very prominent: When
the announcement is made in county
paper that an examination is to be held
at given place on a given day, imme-
diately the mere boys and girls begin
preparations. One, perhaps brother,
nephew or cousin, writes to an examiner
asking what branches he will have, and
asking him at the same time to send hin
the list by return mail, 50 that he (the
boy) may be prepared at the arrival of
the appointed day. The request is COM
piled with, and the would-be teacher re-
ceives 10 in arithmetic. So in grammar
and 80 in history, whereas he should
have received 80 or less in them all.
Again, we have known teachers( ?)-
young men, who did, for popularity no
doubt, accompany two or three of their
pupils to an examination, Ostensibly for
the purpose of driving, caring for the
team, etc. Not true, however. Rather
for the purpose of digging all intricate
and deep-rooted questions. Custom has
also done considerable in the way of low
ering the standard of examinations.
The habit of permitting visitors from
any and all parts of the country to be
present during the exercises is one of
the many wrongs that should be sup
pressed. 1t is many times the case that
you Will S66 plCoOuU,
as applicants; and upon interrogating
them as to their business, almost univer-
sally will they tell you it is to attend to
outdoor affairs" when, at the same
time, their sole object is to aid the one
with whom they are in company in get
ting certificate.
1t is also often the case that more
than one-half of the applicants before
the board are wholly inexperienced
know nothing about the regulations;
and who could, perhaps, receive as good.
if not better grades in everything II 1t
were not for embarrassment; another
obiectional feature is reading, and al
though we have to contend with the
public to some extent in regard to this,
MANY efficient teachers have already
begun to ignore it,. The idea of oral exam
nations in reading alone seems to be
rather an erratic manner of conducting