The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-19
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

I'LL EUDIlO 0OaOOu6t
The Journal has not changed its position on
the school question in the slightest degree,
nor abated one jot of its opinion upon the de-
velopments that have been made during the
past two weeks. What we object to, and the
only thing we object to, is the attempt to
switch off important matters upon side
track. The journal insists that it would be
of no possible value, and would be likely to
be fraught only with mischief, to have an in
ant against the superintendent, that
the latter had retained incompetent
teachers at the request of commissioners.
The matter of competence and incompetence
is a relative one, and the teacher that Mr..
Mills might deem incompetent Mr. Tarbell or
the members of the committee on teachers
might consider competent. Besides, Mr.. Mills
has shown the nature of his feelings toward
the superintendent, and a fair consideration
have to say against Mr.. Tarbell. We insist
that, because of a petty quarrel between the
superintendent and assistant, the schools of
indianapolis should not be in
volved to their detriment, which
would certainly be the case were the qualifi-
cations Of teachers to be subject to review
by public inquisition. 1t would demoralize
the schools, destroy confidence of pupils in
their teachers, and could result in no possible
good.
But there are important and vital things
which demand the attention of the board.
If an investigation is to be held, let one be
had which goes to the merits of school ad-
ADMINISTRATION and which will not involve teach
ers and pupils, who are innocent parties, and
who are in no wise responsible for what may
be wrong. Enough is known to make it certain
that the schools have been 'run," not by the
board or by the properly appointed officers,
but by some other influence, and to an inves-
tigation of that it would be well for the board
to apply itself. The professor of history says
the president of the board concluded that the
history of the war should not be taught, and
that when this was reported to the super
intendent the suppression of the study was
continued. The president of the board feels
so sensitive about the matter that while in the
chair he INDUCED in language and cpl
thet which of itself units him for
the position of the chief head of the school
system of the city. Here is matter for inves-
LEGATION, if the board wants to investigate.
Such an inquiry will involve no one but the
board and the officers, and will not necessarily
extend down into the school-rooms.
The school board proposes to go ahead with
the erection of two new high-school buildings,
part of many people. There is demand for
more accommodations in the lower grades.
The board is deeply in debt, but the
cry for elementary. education is unheeded
in order to give more scope to the High-school,
into whose walls only per cent. of the chill
dren ever go, and which certainly cannot be
supported or defended upon the plea that from
it graduate number, be that number large or
small, of these afterward employed as teachers.
Here is room for investigation, for self-exam-
nation on the part of members of the board
and in this and in other like directions the
journal is exceedingly anxious that
the board shall go as far as is
necessary to make the public-school system
answer the purposes of its founding. The
Journal wants thoroughly efficient schools for
the children, and for all the children-not for
few. 1t wants these schools conducted on a
fair basis-the education to be free, impartial,
and comprehensive. It does not want the
schools controlled by any 'ring" spirit, OF by
any one man, or by any two OF more men. 1t
wants a school board that will be alive to its
whole duty, will understand its sacred trus-
teeship for the public, and that will not allow
its personal whims or prejudiees, or pride to
stand in the way of the progress of school
system which shall embrace all children who
want the rudiments of good English educa-
ton
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