The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1890-07-10
A PLEA
FOR FEWER SCHOOLS AND BETTER ONES.

The generation which is fast passing
| away was generation Of pioneers whose
lebors were the telling OF the forest and the
substitution Of the homely plants Of az
riculture for the fora of nature, hence
Drawn was more in demand than educa-
ton and culture. But now the times are
changed and new condition render educa,
ton more necessary
That the common schools do not accom-
plish wha: they should, what the times de-
mand, is patent 10 all and one of the
reasons, the incompetence of the teachers,
is also plain to all and to none more plan
fully SO than to some of the teachers them
selves. 1t is the purpose of This paper to
show how much of this difficulty may be
overcome Now, the trouble with the pub
lie schools is that there are SO many of
them tina: the remuneration is so small
that few men of talent and ability will en-
gage in the profession only as a stepping
stone TO something more remuneratve.
There are in Cobb county seven thousand
children of school age In county so
thickly oLulated and so prosperous as
Cobb county, the banner county of the
State, schools might be maintained, which
would pay salaries sufficient TO command
the services Of able teachers There need
be no more than one school to every five
square miles, and even in many country
communities there are over one hundred
children Of school age in this area.
If the people ofevery community would
lay aside all prejudices and unite in build
ing good, commodous, comfortable
schoolhouse at the most easily accessible
location, furnish it with maps, charts,
globes, musical instruments and all other
such helps, elect good competent teacher
and give him their undivided support,
school could be maintained that would be
an ornament and an incalculable benefit
to the community. This is not impractical
BILE for there being fewer houses to build,
the burden would be divided among
greater number, and the burden would not
press too heavily upon any one. As'it is
there are too many little side schools
taught in uncomfortable houses for the
public term only, whose only recommends
ton is that the teacher will teach(?) for
what the public pays. This is premium
on mediocrity and discourages ability.
If there were fewer schools it would fol
low according to the doctrine of the "sur>
.vival of the ittest," that the most compe>
tent teachers would secure the schools and
the least competent would be forced to
retire or accept positions as assistants UNI
der more experienced and efficient teach>
ers. Another benefit from having fewer
and larger schools would be, that they
might be divided into two or three grades
and each teacher would not have such a
variety of subjects to teach.
1t may seem to the uninitiated, an easy
task to teach forty or fifty pupils, ranging
in Advancement from the alphabet to
Trigonometry, but he who tries it will find
that he has task, compared to. which,
cleaning the Augean stables would be but
a pastime. We have all heard orators in
their rhetorical flights prophecy Of the
happy day when there will be church on
every hilltop and school house in every
valley" Beautiful as the sentiment sounds
it is, as tar as the school house is con>
cerned, as misleading as it is euphonious.
We do not need more schools but better
ones. The school days of a generation are
short and it behooves US to take time by
the forelock and,by improving our Schools
give the young men and young ladies, the
boys and girls of Cobb county, better OPP
portunity OF acquiring the preparation
which they so much need to fit them for
the demands which society will make upon
them, and, we also need TO remember, that
while we need better teachtrs,it does not all
depend upon the teacher, but much de-
ponds upon the people.
WALTER MCELREATH.
Lost Mountain Ga, July End, 1890.
DTTUNy mo UnTrDCET