The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-01-13
OUR SCHOOL.
Editor Exchange:

begun, and during the present week,
the tedious task of grading, classify
ing etc, has hcen accomplished.
This work, however, has not been as
thoroughly executed as is desirable,
and through no fault Of our own.
The Directors ,mpower the Princi.
pal, which is very proper, to grade
the pupils as he deems best. In the
! public school course we have enforced
our regulations rigidly, and while il
may meet with some opposition al
present, we are convinced that it will
give ultimate satisfaction. In the
| High School we have humOred some
paternal and maternal whims to the
detriment of their children's welfare
Until the people of Milan learn to
put the matter entirely in the teach,
ers' hands, their children will continue
to make failures, and the school will
be complained of.
1T we were tn refer the school to a
great many people here, doubtless
they would adopt about such set Of
rules as these:
1st. Each pupil shall select his own
room for study, and recite to the
teacher he likes best
2nd. The childrens parents shall
appoint their studies and grade them
as they think best.
3rd. No teacher shall correct IA
pupil for misbehavior, but must re.
port to the child's parents, who may
punish 1t or not, as they think best;
and so on ad Libitum. That is one
cause of school failures here in the
past. Parents are allowed to have too
much voice in matters in which they
have no business. In no other school
is such the case but in our distracted,
disrupted, fidgety little town of
Milan.
Now, parents, do you be silent for
one month, and trust implicitly in our
judgment, and we guarantee success.
We are not presumptuous enough to
NEEDLE in your merchandising, or
your own particular vocation. This
is our profession, and we know more
about it than you 10. Now let us
tell you again, we expect to establish
course of study, and if you don't
wish to conform to it, then you had
better send somewhere where you eau
regulate your child's studies.
Our shool has opened under fatter-
ing auspices. AS disagreeable as the
weather has been, the enrolment ut
present is one hundred fifty, and the
prospects are bright for much larger
attendance. We believe at last that
the dawn of Milan educational
millennium is at hand. The clouds
are breaking, and through their rift
ed columns we see the sunlight of a
GLORIOUS day. The illfounded preju.
dice against the free school system is
fast dying out, and ere long we hope
to see our town come forward in a
unanimous declaration for u supple
mental tax. The hope of the rising
generation and the future welfare OF
our country is depending upon us.
The present incumbents in the re,
sponsible Offices of church and state
must soon Yell their places to the com
ing candidates of our children. How
} vast then is the duty we owe to pos,
terity! How our hearts swell with
emotion as We glance over the youth
ful faces assembled in our college hall,
and reflect that from some of these
, tongues the magic tones of eloquence
may thrill the mighty heart Of the
universe; that in some of those brigh,
eyes may sparkle the fires Of a poetic
genius that shall ripple its sweetness
on the ears of listening ages. We
as teachers are proud to he able to
devote ourselves to the task of direct.
ing. watching and bringing to light
this God.g,ven talent. Aud, were il
in our power, we would line Main
street for ten months in every year
with Milan's children, OH their way
to quench their thirst in the Pierian
fountain, FREEi
JOHN G. LANGsroS.