Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-04-08

eTs, within the last ten years. But Inls
rate of payment was not maintained, and
these good teachers went TO the villages
which were willing to pay liberal
school tax in order to have good school.
4. These schools need and must have
supervision. In no private enterprise
is such neglect manifest as is seen in
the maintenance Of the country schools.
1t is often the case that no two schools
in the township are taught the same
subjects of study. One teacher pushes
penmanship, another rides mathemat-
ical hobby, third is devoted to the out
side of some science, and so on to the
end of the list. These teachers are re
responsible to no professional inspector
in fact, these schools never have been
inspected, and, without inspection and
authoritative supervision, cannot have
good product.
Grant but the first of these four wants.
and the other three will surely be at
tanned, as they have been in the villages,
without the mandate of the statute.
Lebanon, Ohio. J. F. LUKENs.
FIRST among the needs of our rural
schools is greater liberty, not license nor
neglect, but liberty secured by law. That
is not a state of freedom where the sub
district is held in subsection either to
the tyranny of the chronic grumbler or
to the spirit of ultra-conservatism. The
DoaSted home rule of eur sub-districts
too often degenerates into base sub
lection to the loudest brawler. In such
case the teacher is almost powerless to
begin any reform, much as it may be
needed. A recent occurrence in Blank
county illustrates my meaning. An
active, enthusiastic teacher wishing to
train her pupils to read and speak read
ilv in public as well as to transact the
business of a public meeting in an or
derly manner. devotes an hour each
week to literary exercises in which the
pupils take their turn as officers. This
pleasant little variation from the daily
routine does not seem to be "fraught
with danger to the republic" yet two or
three patrons (?) make bitter CON-
plants and even threats because the d.
rectOrs, do not put stop to such inno>
vations.
The township as an educational unit
is small enough to respond readily to
the wish of the majority when real
abuses need correction; it is also large
large enough to give steadiness of gov
ernment and fair trial of reforms. In
a majority of sub-districts all true pro-
gress is checked by the frequent chang
es of the teachers. A new teacher can
make no considerable reforms in three
months, even if he has had thorough
training for the work. If, as is too of
ten the case, he goes into the school
without any previous preparation he
can do nothing more than adhere stead
fastly to the traditions of the district,
"serve out his time" as they say of
convict. and leave the place to one of
equal experience. A we'll organized
township would have tendency to rem
edy this evil; the good teacher would be
kept long enough to know his ground,
and then he would be encouraged in the
necessary work of reform. such sys>
TEN would ensure a survival of the best
and not merely of the ftTest. AS it now
is, too many active young men who give
promise of becoming the best teachers
grow tired of moving three or four times
years and so quit the business or seek
employment in a graded school.
Yet the clouds are broken by some
rays of light. Within the last twenty
years there has been very general im-
provement in school houses and furni'
ture, and, in many places, some progress
in the schools themselves. We now
need closer union in order to bold the
ground already gained, and prepare for
more rapid advances.
In my opinion, no other single meas
ure can do so much to remove ignorance
and petty tyranny, and replace them
with law guided by intelligence as the
formation of township districts.
MARTIN r. ANDREWS.
Marietta, Ohio.