Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-02-07
The SCHOOL QUESTION AGAIN.

We very mucn dislike TO say ANYTHING
that might prove hindrance to our public
schools, but some things are hard to get
over, especially when men of families and
heavy taxpayers come to us with what
seem well grounded complaints. The school
board surely understand that their business
as officers is to carry out the will of the peo-
pie, and, the teachers cannot fail to be
equally certain that their business is to
teach-to learn our children-to impart to
them the most practical knowledge in the
least possible time, and ,aat teaching does
not entirely consist Of discipling the mind.
A new school house was to have been built.
Two new expensive additions have already
been built within the wear. The new addi-
lions and the new house were to be paid
out OF the money the people voted for an
other purpose, in fact. Now we hear that
the superintendent Of our city schools is
urging the board TO build the new house on
the same grounds occupied by another
school building. He does this when he
must know that too many children are al
ready crowded into the same building and
upon the same Fairgrounds. In case of an
epidemic or other contagious disease, as
well as for general health. the more our
children are scattered the better. But it
seems it would be more convenient for the
superintendent and the teachers to have the
schools together. That is just what we
have complained of before. Our whole
school system seems TO have been gotten UP
and run in the interest of the teachers and
for their convenience more than for the adj
vantage Of the scolars. Every move, every
innovation, every new study, is in the in
terest OF the teachers aud not for our chill
dren. 1t looks at times as though the teach
ers. and board as well, think that the public
schools are something organized and paid
for, for their benefit solely, and that the
scholars or the parents who pay the taxes,
are the last ones TO be taken into account.
We will site an instance or two, here in our
own schools, OF late development, one in
which an extra writing professor was EN-
ployed and another in which the art of
drawing was introduced into the schools
and scholars told that in these things they
would be regularly examined and such ex-
cent Of the regular school standing. Such
bosh. The merest hunk head will often prove
an expert in drawing while the brightest
scholar may have no aptitude in that
direction. If our schools are to be run in
in the interest of teachers or of some travel
ing professor" q it is high time that we
knew it. Now, we tell Supt. Hallock, that
a. 10
and the other teachers, the people of this !
city do not want their school buildings |
crowded up together, nor the children
herded like 30 many animals, simply to save |
the legs OF professors and instructors or for |
any other reason that looks to the conven- |
fence Of those who are paid to teach, rather |
than TO the health, education and general |
welfare of our children; that these little |
ones, for whom we would suffer everything.
are huddled together and classified so much |
that they are rendered mere human ma
chimes, to be manipulated for the conyen-
fence and ease OF those who draw salaries
and are paid TO teach and not to classify
paid TO put the average child through the
common English branches in the course of
six or eight years at most, and not TO class
ify, and smatter and re-classify in twenty or
forty different directions for half life time
only to reach ''the hiys>seAoop' where four
more years must be put in in sub-junior
and Junior aud sub.senior and senior,
which in the end means,
heaYens only knows how little-surely not
more than the teachers, instructors and
professors themselves know.
The District court was called Tuesday
Judge Sluss on the bench, and a
numerous bar in appearance. The docket
is very long one, the criminal ealander
being Of unusual length. Among the latter