The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1888-04-05
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
LETTER NO. 3.


Article7 section 7 of our Constitu
! ton is as follows:
"No county, city, town, or other
municipal corporation shall contract
any debt, pledge it faith, or loan its
credit, nor shall any tax be levied, or
collected by any officers of the same,
except for the necessary expenses
thereof, unless by a vote of majority
of the qualified voters therein
If, therefore, any county, city,
town or other municipal corporation
desire to increase its school funds by
taxation, beyond the Constitutional
limitation, it must ask for and secure
from the General Assembly a special
act submitting the question to the vot-
ers. A majority Of the qualified vot-
ers will decide it.
By such special legislation, public
schools are on permanent basis, their
terms extending to eight or nine
months per annum, in Goldsboro, Raj
eigh, Durham, Greensboro, Winston,
Reidsville, Salisbury, Charlotte, and
Asheville.
In Fayetteville and New Berne
similar excellent schools are conducted
by the use of the general public
school funds supplemented by private
funds; and in Wilmington the public
schools are supported entirely by the
general public school funds. All of
these schools have gradually grown in
efficiency unit! they command the re-
spect and patronage of the people,
and are illustrations of not only the
possible efficiency and safety of pub
lie schools, but also Of the cheapness
OF education for all the children when
communities take hold of it in good
earnest and supplement their public
school funds either by taxing them
selves or by private subscriptions
These schools will bear the light of
investigation, and it is hoped that
as their light is shed abroad other sim
liar schools will be established
1t is not for me to say to what eX-
tent the people are able and ought to
tax themselves for schools l may,
however, with propriety say that, as
a system of public schools is fixed in
in our Constitution and as whatever
is worth doing at al. is worth doing
well, it is the part OF wisdom to add to
the funds already set apart by the
aud the statutes a suffi-
cient amount Of money, as fast as the
people are able to bear it to make
the schools what they ought to be in
town aud country. Good schools will
command the respect and support Of
the people inferior ones will hot and
ought not. The remedy, however, for
schools rests with the people.
| say in TOWN AND COUNTRY, be-
cause as rule the country child has
in some respects much advantage of
one living in the city even in an edu-
cational point of view, although the
country school term be shorter. Edu-
cation is not merely, or perhaps prin
cipally book learniug-not merely
knowledge of Reading, Writing Ar
English Grammar, Geog-
raphy, History, &c, &C., which the
BOY or girl may carry into everyday
work; but education is development
IF BRAIN PowER-a development of
Ill the faculties of the mind along
With physical power and knowledge
If facts. Our young people must be
ought to THINK, REASON and OBJ
SERVE for themselves, and any process
hat secures this result will educate
hem.
There is much discussion now about |
and industrial training in the
public schools, and the leading ar
,ument in its favor is that in the ex-
,rcise, mental and physical, of sDofNG
WORK with the hands the young peo-
,le are not only developed physically
,ut are taught to reason, think and
observe for themselves, and in a pract-
cal way to apply what they learn
rom books. The very process their
minds must be subjected to develop
Ill their powers. Now this process
he boy on the farm is put through in
he work that farm life requires. The
armer who requires his boy not only
o do the ordinary work in the field,
,ut also furnishes them with black
ninth shop and wood shop, and EN-
,ourages them to make repairs of
arm machinery, sharpen plows, make
axe handles, and any
hing they may desire to make, is
giving them very valuable education.
He is making them REASON. THINK
IND OBSERVE. A boy cannot drive
/ nail, scribe board and saw it to
he scribe, make toy wagon or DO
my work without being MENTALLY
developed as well as PHYSICALLY.
Many men who have comparatively |
title book-learning have large brain |
bower and make valuable citizens and
marked success in life work.
What | have said about farm life
or boys has equally strong application
% girls. There are SO many things
o BE DONE in field and house that
he hands and brains of the girls also
nay be kept busy, and with equal
advantage to their mental and phys
cal development.
OF course | do not mean to dis
book learning, but | mean to