St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-08-24
Education.
The NJ o. Picayu7ee has this to say ::

The NJ o. Picayune has this to say
The Educational Convention assembled
T - Rnston Yesterday passed resolutions fav-
wing the Blair bill, recognizing the rapid
strides RECENTLY made in the cause of edu-
oat;on in this State and recommending
treasures for the further development of
educational facilities. The convention
condemned in strong terms the laxity dis
nlaved all over the State in enforcing the
pavment of the poll tax which is by law
devoted to educational purposes.
This poll tax has been dead letter for
wears. but would, if enforced, furnish de-
cided increase in the revenues of the
schools. The collection of the tax presents
serious difficulties, which can only be re-
moved by further special legislation on the
suhiect and the matter is of sufficient con-
sentence to deserve attention at the hands
of the next Legislature. Either the
law should be repealed or some practi-
cal method of collecting the tax should be
devised.
The convention takes very advanced
position in the matter of the qualifications
of teachers. The resolutions adopted urge
the passage of law to protect the people
against educational impostors by fixing a
professional standard, as is done with other
professions. There can be no question but
that every effort should be used to prevent
unfit persons officiating as public educa-
tors, but the times are not yet ripe for any
law that would restrict the privileges of
parents to have their children educated
where they choose, or their right of super
vision over such education. The fixing of
an educational standard is matter of con-
siderable difficulty, being much disputed
problem that has claimed the attention of
some of the most enlightened countries of
Europe for years, hence the solution is not
to be attempted off hand.
It is this interference by the State in the
affairs that belong to the family and the
individual that constitutes the chief objec-
ton to the Blair bill, which proposes that
the General Government shall vote large
sum of money for general education. Ii
this money be voted, it will be upon condi-
tons which we can scarcely hope will be
acceptable to people who do not wish to
be enslaved to the National Government.
When che government undertakes to die
tate and supervise the education of all
achildrsn, there is no Init to the functions
it may assume in regulating the lives OF
citizens. Already it is proposed to con-
troll the details of what the people may cal
and drink. Add to this government con-
troll of education, and we are not far from
national regulation in matters of religion
and conscience.
The subject of education should be left
to the States, and the height of wisdom
would be reached if the State would ad-
dress itself to the task Of insuring to every
individual complete knowledge of the
arts of reading, writing and computation
The State is struggling and straining. te
teach few hundred of it's children ancient
tongues and high-sounding ologies, while
thousands of its citizens yearly grow te
maturity unable to read or write. If every
adult in Louisiana could read and write
that would be crown of glory to the
State, but these are neglected, so that
few may know specifically the dead Ian
guages, and few snowy sciences. We
are only concerned to establish high
schools and colleges, while the rudiments
of learning are not thought of.