, 1884-03-20
THE ESTI0>

~tSJ Juan AErHIFEL 400. w l.
Eu-. ARGUS. Some. NoU know, are
prom" To- ue a little pre'Ical at open
Ir- -ITIu-. 80 bear with me n l observe
10y VIZ ot preface, that "balmy. sunny
+ Apr. l. about e. greet us with It's sweet
cheering u-luriucucr-s-theo opening Of buds
/ and uf II wrrs. and the songs OF happy
warbler- and wlthBl the reasSemblng ot
our merry Young i',kS. within the long
deserted walls o.. oar several district
schools throughout our falr aTChIrc.aGo.
Allow N" q word II regard tn cur
sehool-.
Not with ii cenSorious or too critical,
hut rather a kindly spirit. would refer
to certain weak and lame arGumeutscom-
monty adluced 10y the thoughtless and
UuWI-". aS To- the selection Of tcarhers
for oUr country district schools. Such
erroneous views too frequently result
IL the Employing Of uuficdged and in
efficient tutors 10 the lasting detFiment
of tn" scholars. 1t i argued, when
school funds are limited ii l. best to en-
PIDy u cheap teacher, one satisfied with
poor pay, So that the meager funds Will
SPIN out, and thus Squeeze therefrOm six
months tuition, instead of having the
fund absorbed IN three months by EN-
plOyIng more competent teacher one
who has learned her profession" An
other foolIshly remarks, that "as long as
the teacher keeps little ahead of the
scholar. its all that is necessary"
Others t''3roUH be WiSc'' say the in our
district schools we have but the primary
grade, and it is unnecessary to spend so
much money In the services of an ac-
complished teacher. With other such
ridiculous statements and brainleSs ar
guments. all proving incontrOvertibly
that the like know as little about school
management and the principle of true
education, us the profession knows of
them. 70 save few dollars they would
place beginners in tLS art of teaching in
charge of our schools, arguing that in
the country we have but primary classes,
forgetting that III the primary grades
the foundation of Il good education must
he made-ifmad at all, and to this work
should be brought teachers of the great
est ability, cOmbined with the largest
successful experience. Better and more
profitable months schooling conducted
by a thorough teacher, than a years
teaching (so-called) by an inexperienced,
uncultivated and comparatively ignorant
tutor. 4 poor foundation is invariably
iaId by an Incompetent teacher-poOr
work In the beginning makes poor work
IN the ending. Good work in the low
er classes alone makes work possible
in the higher.
The one implies the other. Besides
as has been asserted) a primary edu-
cation Is about all the instruction that
the children IN our country schools ever
get. If SO many of cur youth are to have
90 little training, is it not important
hat 1t be of the best quality! But ac
3ording to the wisdom of the sages re
ferred too, the young Miss who has yet
to learn the very Tudiments of education;
the art of instructin, inspiring and dis
ciplIniDg others, Is brought face to face
with our young. each, "as sensitive to the
touch of master mind as frost flower,
to sunbeam" Here the disquietude of
the inexperienced teacher.is only equalled
by the unrest of a room full of vacant
minds.
Ignorance of the art of imparting
knowledge, Is here pitted against igno-
rance of the art of receiving it, and the
outcome can be neither learning or disci-
plipeA But, never mind this" (they
say} "don't trouble so much about the
learning the discipline-all that is sec
ondary consideration-it's the cheapness
of the thing that we are after-the teach
or who can spin oGt the school funds the
longest" Quantity rather than quality
you know" If we did not employ poor
teachers in some of our new district
schools, we would be unable to accumu-
late fund sufficient sto employ an ac-
compllshed teacher, and thus lose our
part OF the eapportionment" We reply
then unite rather than multiply you1
districts. Better have one good distric;
than a dozen poor ones. Taite rather
than multipiy!for one good efficient
teacher is of greater service than doz
en- incompetent.
Better by farz-for the children-to
scatter the funds to the four winds oi
Heaven, than give tithe to cheap, in
efficient trainer of the youthful mind
Change then the order. Put the best
disciplined teachers with the least dis
ciplincd children, and 'you are putting
the former where they can do the mes
good, and the latter where they can re
ceive the most. The process of putting
| inexperienced teachers in at the base o.
the system has been tried, and it is MOI
satisfactory. OBSERVER.
1t has been well said that the primary
department in any large educational in-
stitutlon is most Importation the theory
that everything depends upon starting
pupils Alright. On the same ground, the
country district school, having the same
relation to the higher branches that the
primary department in a college does tc
the higher departments, great care sho1
be taken to hire none but the very best
teachers for country schools. We heart
lily endorse the stand taken in the fore.
going by our correspondent
SHVDDUE~ ~r1Xura