The Russellville Democrat., 1883-02-22
Education.

AS lue SuuJcEt Vi tuuCdliOh 10 "
never varying Importance to both
the old and young, and as it scarcely
ever receives the attention shat
should be devoted to it, we cannot
refrain from Offering few thoughts
on the causes that retard the prog
ress of it in this state; the editors
generosity concurring.
We shall confine our remarks ex
cluslvely TO the rural districts, as
that is the place where most Of the
evil lies. The principal evil that at
tracts ones attention is the letharey
into which some districts have fallen
in regard to this all-important sub
ject We say this is the principal
evil for we have frequently noticed,
and with no small degree of regret.
that in the most oS the rural dis
tricts there seems to be general
luke warmness on this subject. =
Among the farmers an idea is preva
lent that is as erroneous as it is in
credulous, that there are no need of
them educating their children, SIM
ply from the fact, they say, that they
are bound to be s'hewers of wood and
drawers of water" and they see no
prospect of their children rising to
any higher level. 1t is very proba
BILE that they have given their chill
dren the full benefit of a three
months schooling to third grade
teacher, and because they did not
graduate in that time they are dis
heartened at the prospect of them
ever learning anything, and conse-
quently they SIT down on the stool
of do-nothing, and let the golden
moments that are so precious to their
children fly by UNDECIDED. Their
children grow up in ignorance, mar
ry and are doomed to a life of servi.
tude in the cotton patch simply be-
cause their parents did not take
enough interest in their future well
fare to send them to school. Per-
laps be may after while, Rip Van
Wrinkle like, awake to the fact that
he should have given his children a
better chance and all the excuse he
can offer IS swell / didn't" Any
parent that has no more ambition for
their children than to see them grow
up ignorant and uncultured to be OF
no benefit to society and only a
drudge and slave while they live is
not fit to be "lord Of the household
TO say the least Of it, and there GER
tainly should be some kind of com
pulsory law to compel snch to send
their children to school. The gen
eral decentralization Of education all
over the state is entirely due to the
lack of enthusiasm on part OF the
voters in keeping up a school. We
have oftenn noticed that in adjoining
districts that have exactly the same
opportunities that one will go on I'M
proving all chances for advancing
its educational interests raise money
enough to build commodious and
comfortable school house with all
modern appurtenances thereto, the
other will by failing to attend their
school meetings gradually go down
until finally they will awaken 10 the
fact that they have no school simply
because they did not have interest
enough In educating their children
to keep up one. Ask them why they
have not got school and they are
dumb. founded. This is no over
drawn picture for we have frequent
ly seen it verified. We do hope to
soon see the day when all parents
will be awakened to the proper I'M
derstanding of the necessity of edu-
eating their children, for without the
parents being interested in the cause
education can never advance. AS
general thing the parent is not in
terested enough in the childs studies
to even examine him to see how he
is advancing, and gets mad when the
child comes home and tells him he
wants a new book. A parent should
never intrust all the teaching, both
moral and intellectual, to teacher,
yet it is sad fact that many of them
do so. There are very few teachers
that teach morals to any consider
able degree in the country schools.
Yet the confiding parent at home
goes on in blissful ignorance of the
tact never for the first time realizing
the fact that his child will never be
educated unless he is interested NOR
ally as well as intellectually. They
may become learned but not truly
educated.
One cannot help mentally asking
why is all this? Why are the people
so iukewarm as regard the educa
ton of their children? What cause
brings about this eficct2 The qucs-
ton in general sense is easily an
swered. 1t lies IN the fact that too
many are teaching in our public
schools that are no more fit to teach
than hog is to occupy palace. 1t
is all summed up in these words: we
have too many second and third
grade teachers and not enough of the
first. There are too plenty OF the
first grade. but it is a fact that sec
ond or third grade teachers nearly
always gets the schools. Some one