The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-02-25
FoR TIE CLAR,oN
Public Education.

mat rial interests in which the Englis
were confident of success. The Britis
! felt their defeat keenly. At once
4 meeting of the leading manufacturer
: was called and the situation discussed
The almost unanimous opinion was 81
: Is the French schOrls that hare defeate
: u.s. In a short time after the sam
/ grade of schools was established in Eng
land. The French themselves are SUI
, pressing the disgrace of defeat and th
, loss of important territory in the France
German war, which defeat and loss tn
, French acknowledge was accompliShe,
by the German school master raihe
than the needle guns. 1t i UNIVERSAL,
, true that in we'll managed system o
public education, the State receive
more than she gives. The State is thr
real beneficiary. Look at the New
England States. Each one has system
of generous public education older thar
the State. In spite of a barren soil anC
4 severe climate those States exert
leading influence upon North American
affairs, support the grandest institution,
of learning on the continent, and there
are, and ha been the homes of the
greatest American authors. Why is
I
opportunities of public education in
Mississippi answer.
In your columns of a recent date is a
communication by Enquirer, headed
! "Public Schools" in which he certainly
would confine the State to very narrow
limits IN public education, and in which
he prefers some grave charges against
officials whose duty it is 10 pay cut pub
| lie school money, and against Legislators.
| He says that the constitution and
| the laws are fiagrantly violated" in the
| expenditure of the public school money.
| Why are not proceedings instituted
| against these violators of law? Enquirer
may be mistaken. | leave this matter
to be answered or explained by the
uperintendent of Public Education,
Gen. Smith, who is in possession of all
the facts. But that part of the com
munication that defines Euquirer's posi-
| ton as to the extent of the States duty
in maintaining a system of public edu-
cation, is so out of harmony with the
educational systems OF all enlightened
States, that it ought not to go unchal
leBged His language is, Ito extort
money from the citizens by taxation, to
educate the children of others beyond
the point requisite to discharge the
duties of citizenship, is doten ,ight com
nunism. a good rudimentary," (the
three Rs, education is an ample quail
fication for the duties of citizenship"
What standard of Ethics does En-
quirer use? 1t is not found in the history
OF Education in this country nor in
Europe. | have examined with some
care the educational systems of about
all the States in this Union, and find
that the curriculum of our free public
schools is not an exception us to its
mprehensiveneSs Indeed in those
States that support the best free schools
the curriculum is only limited by the
capacity of the teacher and the advance
mant OF the pupil. This is just what it
should be-
1t may be important just now to state
with precision what IS taught i'll the
public schools of some of the other
states. In New Ioik candidates must
pass thorough examination in the fol-
lowing named branches: Reading, spell
Ing, writing, grammar and analysis, com
position, geography, outlines of Ameri-
cen history, arithmetic, elementary
algebra; and plane geometry, or Latin.
They, the teachers, will also be expected
TO have general knowledge Of book
keeping, rhetoric, the natural sciences,
linear and perspective drawing, general
history, general literature, methods.
school economy, civil government, and
school law. In Indiana are tn. Sc add-
tional to New York: Sol d geometry,
Latin, embracing four books of Ciesar's
Commentaries, and four books of
In Illinois, in addition to the common
branches, the teacher is examined on the
elements of plane and solid geometry,
atomy and physiology, botany, zoology,
astronomy, chemistry. In Florida:
And that frst-class certificates egiven
to graduates Of RorBaat sch9ois and t.
eminently successful teachers of the
second class"
In Iowa first-class teachers are ex
amined for diplomas in geometry,
trigonometry, chemistry, zoology, geoL
ogy, astronomy, political economy,
rhetoric, English literature, general
history, and such other branches as the
board of examiners may require" In
the District of Columbia: Each wear
a number Of applicants, not to exceed
twenty, are put in training for the pub
lie school. They are selected by com
petitive examination from among the
graduates of the high school After a
year of training the normal pupils
receive n certificate equivalent to one
of the second class"
These quotations could be extended
indefinitely. They are designed to
,how the extent of public education in
other States. Bat these States have
vastly more than / have stated here
They have comfortable, often costly
school houses built at public expense.
aggregating hundreds of thousands of
dollars annually in many of these States
their schools are well graded, and their
teachers in the high schools, paid from
- 600 to g, zoo, salaries. Their school
tax is sometimes more than one per cent.
aggregatiug millions of dollars a wear
for school purposes. Ours is limited to
threetenths of one per cent. So that
the man who pays taxes on one thousand
dollars pays three dollars for the educa-
ton Of his children And for this three
dollars he may send his children, no
difference how may, to school four
months. In fe1c of our schools very
few pupils are studying fer of the
more advanced branches. Take these
pupils out of the schools and the
expense of keeping them mp would not
be lessened one cent. We would have
the same number as now, and the pay
of the teachers the same. Then what
would be gained7 Enquirer would not
dare propose a reduction of teachers
salaries. All. the only result would DC
to punish few bright boys and girls
.ol ha1r - &
which they could not legally receive anv
benefit in educating their children. and
for which no good reasn could be
given.
Sometims authors use un,reighed words
/ hope that this may be- true as to the
use of communism" here. Enquirer
certainly does not intend to charge this
wholecountry and enlightened Europe as
guilty of communism. deliberately. |
suspect that an odious word is used in
connection with a public institution to
depreciate it in the public mind But
is not public education an institution
by the people, aud of the people and
fer the people?' In every sense it is
their own.
But there is broader view to be
taken OF this subject. The State all
around us are increasing their educa-
tlonal facilities. They are supporting
Normal Schools that the teachers in their
public schools may be trained profes.
sionally. They are earnestly working.
Ii mississippi is to renew her youth and
bound forward with her sister States ii,
q career OF prosperity, her educational
policy must be liberal towards the
masses. For the State must lock TO the
masses Tor her real prosperity. her real
wealth. Whenever a State has NOT
tresources enough to meet her own wants