The Florida agriculturist., 1884-10-29
The Truth About It.
OFFENDING THE LITTLE ONES.

knowing that the Rural Nec- Yorker is
not confined to narrow limits in its work
of usefulness, take the liberty to speak
through it's columns few plain words
to country people about their schools.
The thoughts might more properly go to
journal devoted to schools and educa-
ton, were it not for the fact that such
journals do not reach the homes OF the
people with whom | desire to cOmmuni-
cate.
First, let me state succinctly some
radical errors that crop out everywhere
concerning rural schools
l. 1t is desirable to get the maximum
length of term of school work for the
minimum amount of money.
2. The number OF days in the school
s1aultitelied h,' the ,,ull1ber of hours
per day, determines the value of the
school.
3. Money used in rendering school
premises attractive, is wasted.
t. Children regularly attending coun-
try school, are quite safe in their moral
development.
5. 1t is natural for little girls to be neat
in their appearance and manners but
boys are rough, must have full swing
and be dressed accordingly.
6. AS soon as children. can walk to
school they should 90, SO as to be out of
the way and because they can do moth
ing of value at home and the teacher is
employed to care for them and instruct
them.
There are many other errors in my
catalogue, but these are the ones | wish
to talk about.
In buying sugar iC is proper for us to
seek the place where we can purchase al
best advantage, and when we buy cane
sugar, we do not wantit to be so per cent
glucose. But we all know there is very
little difference any where in the price
OF pure cane sugar, and for glucose pri
ces we can get pure sugar 1t is true o
teachers also; we may pay for a gooC
one and find we have spurious article
but we know full well that for the price
of a poor teacher it is rare to secure
secure evenly good ability in countr,
schools, is to have permanent salar!
that shall be paid for the work to b.
done; but find this rarely the case.
The average school officer begrudge
the time spent by the teacher in occupa
ton outside of teaching classes in tn,
schoOl-room; and in a majority of ou
schools the measure of the teacher
work is the six hours of teaching pc
day. This is all wrong. There is bette
work to be done outside than in tn,
school-room, and it is that in which tn,
good teacher earns good wages. In
school not far from me the teacher spen
half a day in the woods with the school
teaching the little people how to us,
their senses with precision, and found
upon drawing her pay, that this half day
was deducted. Another instance know
where the teacher closed school for thu
purpose of spending day at the count,
fair with the pupils, thinking to accom-
plish more for them under his guidance
than by holding them in the school
room. The district board called it in the
final reckoning ga lost day." Until We
can rid people of the notion that recitins
lessons is all of country school train
ing, we shall secure very inferior tuition
want teacher to have and exercise
common sense, even if he cannot stand
at maximum figure in his examination
upon the technical construction of a
complex sentence, or upon the ever
mont rule' of reckoning interest. But
we shall scarcely get this qualification
until at least measure of it is employed
n by the people most interested in the in
7 struction of the children.
One of the most discouraging features