St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-07
OUR PuBLIC SCHOOLS.

DupllS SOhOOlo III SeoeSt hoPo'
KIEHLE's last biennial report is espe-
cially interesting because of its review
of the operations of the various amend
ments made to the school law by the
last legislature. 1t likewise contains
many valuable suggestions with refer
ence to remedies yet TO be applied for
existing defects.
The new law requiring a state mill
tax levy has been in practical operation
one year, during which one assessment
and two semi-annual distributions have
been made. Because the GLOBE was
an earnest advocate of this law, 1t Is
particularly gratitied toreceive from the
state superintendent an unqualified
statement as to its successful and salts
factory operation. In his interesting
discussion of this law, and the prlncl-
pies involved in its operation, Supt.
KIEHLE takes precisely the same view
taken by the GLOBE, when urging the
passage of the law-that property shall
be taxed for educational purposes.
There is no other theory upon whlc h
the common schools can be maintained,
except that the public welfare requires
that all children shall be taught the es-
sentials of good citizenship, and be pre-
pared for life of usefuln eSS. lntelll-
gence and virtue being essential to good
citizenship. and the basis of arepubll-
can form of government, the state must
make provision for the education of its
youth. Assuming that this principle
of government is finally settled in the
convictions of the American people
argues that the state has not only the
right to tax its property for the support
of common schools, but tits its bounden
duty to do so. So far has this cOnvic-
ton impressed itself upon the public
mind that thirty-one states and terrl-
tories have already incorporated the
principle of assessing state tax into
their school laws. During the last year
the fund from the state mill tax amounted
to $50. 900. which was distributed among
the various counties upon the enrolment
for this year.
The new law providing for the distrl-
button of libraries among the public
schools meets with favor, and the test
of one year fully suStainS the claims
urged for its passage. superintendent
KIEHLE says that where the people
have been interested and have ordered
books for their children the effect has
been wonderful. He is informed OF
counties largely Scandinavian, in which
the districts are generally supplied with
ho nff of oil tbiC he
says, is that these children are rapidly
becoming interested and informed in
American history and literature. That
means they are becoming Americans.
Goodhue is the banner library county,
having ordered forty-seven OF the entire
number of libraries furnished for the
state. Olmsted county comes second,
with its order for thirty-two libraries.
In his discussion of some of the de-
fects yet apparent in our system OF
popular education, he suggests that there
are some things in which the authority
of the state should be expressed with
out eouivocatiOn OF indetiniteneSS. Rec
ommending such legislation as will.
il his opinion, favor these important
ENDS, he suggests, first, that our COM
mon schools be thoroughly American
lied; second, that they must be taught
by persons having education and practl-
cal skill: and third, that the children
should be required to attend school.
In regard to the first recOmmen-
dation, Prof. KIEHLE holds that
there are three things that should
be said OF every good man:
First, that he loves his home; second.
that he fears God; and third, that he is
a good citizen. The special training for
the two aforementioned qualifications
are found in the home and the church :;
but it is TO the public school we must
look for special training and instruction
in the lessons of American citizenship.
Hence he argues that the English Ian
guage, being the language of this coun-
try. should be taught thoroughly. 1t is
the language of our business and social
life. 1t is the language of our history,
our laws. and the only vehicle of Ameri-
can ideas. Hence, if the youth of this
country are to be Americans, they
must learn to think and speak in
the language of America. In his
previous reports Supt. KIEHLE has
fully discussed his second proposition,
that the schools must be taught by per-
sons having education and practical
skill. He thinks that the common eX-
cuse of poverty for the employment of
inexperienced and uneducated teachers
no longer holds good. The increase of
the current school fund and the length
ening of the school term justly require
that those to whom are paid public
funds for educating the youth should
give valuable consideration in educa-
tional results. 1t is possible that the
superintendent will encounter more
opposition to his third recommends
ton than to the others. The pro-
priety of compulsory education is
vet question in the minds of even a
great many of our foremost educa-
tors. And even if its propriety were
universally admitted, there is still
a smack of despotIc government about
it which is repulsive to the American
mind. This recommendation was sug-
gested by the fact that, while the census
of persons in the state between the
ages of five and twenty-one is nearly
10000 more in 1888 than in 1887, the en-
rollment in the public schools this year
is about $1,000 less than last. 1t is esti-
mated that the total receipts and ex-
| penditures for the current school year
will amount to So, 496,2S2.