Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1883-09-13
rne CRY scmooiLs-.a CRYING EVIL.

The city schools opened on Monday. We
but more especially the attention Of parents
to the fact, that as ut present organized,
there IL very poor prospect OF ever secur.
ing our children an education In the pub
lie schools. The graded system, or at least
the graded System OF Kansas, is simply q
system OF growing your children up in ig.
norance. In order to secure uniformity OF
grades and minimum Of labor, or for some
other reason, the schools have been graded
and graded so that from the time child
enters the primary departments until grad
uated from the highest grade covers nearly q
decade of years, or the third Of lifetime.
II IL simply ridiculous. So far rs advance
ment is concerned; SO far As acquiring q
common-school education, or even receiv-
ing the necessary preparation for entering
a University or college is concerned, 1t would
be better to send your child six months each
year to a country school. We asked q lit
tie boy, the other day, how long It would be
before be could graduate from the Wichita
high school. He answered: ''Six years will
he the shortest time possible in which I can
graduate, because they only promote once
year, and there are six grades, courses, or
classes above me now" A fourteen-year-old
boy, going steadily TO the Wichita schools,
would be man grown before passing the
highest or last grade, and then nine times
out Of ten he could not pass such an exam
ination as would admit him to the freshman
class OF any first-class college or university.
Ii is not to the policy of anordiny teach
ers a steady job that we urge objection, so
much As the scheme OF practicing the same
teachers so long on the same set OF scholars.
They hold our children 30 many years in
their grades and intermediate grades, that
another set are born and reared and crying
for places in our already over-crowded
schools before the first set gets half way
through. And it is not against our teach
ers or superintendent ms individuals that
We complain. for they, no doubt, average
well with the teachers throughout the State,
but it is against a machine system which
makes no distinctions, but grinds the bright
and dull alike, along through the same I'm.
ending course, a system which discourages
the capable scholar but fails to encourage
or prompt the dullard; system which
drags and drills whole generation for sew.
en- or ten years OH q course OF studies that
any average scholar should master In two
hour in life that there is no time left in which
TO seek liberal education. And we defy
all the teachers in the State 10 either sue
cessfully or feebly contradict the truth of
these ayerments.
We haven't time this week to 20 further
into this matter, and only offer these sugges-
tioDs with the hope that parents may ques-
ton their own children. We are erecting
great substantial brick buildings, employ
ing twenty odd teachers and going down
every year, and we ask you for whatf
The teachers for the present term have
been assigned as follows:
First WaId-Eifth and Sixth grades, Mrs.
Alice Sites.
Fourth grade, Mrs. A. b. Craven.
Third grade, Mrs. Carrie Sites.
Second grade, Miss Estella Woolard.
First grade, Mrs Ada Embree.
Second ward-Fifth aud Sixth grades, Miss
sallie Bidwell.
Fourth grade, Miss May Guthrie.
Third grade, Miss Ollie Bolts.
secood grade, Miss Flora Walker.
First grade, Mrs c. NJ. Doran.
Fourth Ward-High school, Miss Josie
Reynolds.
Seventh and eighth grades, Mary Nicely.
Fifth and sixth grades, Lizzie Ross.
Fourth grades, Miss Kate Rush.
Third grade, Mrs. Mary West.
Second grade, Miss Addie Brook.
First grade, Miss Matte Wood.
East Of Railroad-Third grade, Miss Grace
Bdwell.
First and second grade, Kate McNabb.
Christian Church-Sevcnth and eighth
grades, j. ID. Caldwell.
Principals-High school, Miss Ella Wood.
First ward, Mrs. Alice Sites.
Second ward, Mrs. c. NJ. Doran.
East OF railroad, Miss Grace Bidwell.