The Forrest City times., 1891-01-23
EDUCATIONAL COLUMN.
V. J j. MciiWAlN, Editors.

Education is at home friend, abroad an introiuciipn, ia solitude a sulacc, in society an ornament"
 Arkansas has a school population Of 407 ,290 with state apportionmeut for school purposes amounting to | Sl50.6S7 30. Que hundred and fifteen | districts in the state have lnst their portion of this school fund by neglect to take the enumeration.
 During the year ls9o. $l .0l6.776. 26 were spent for public school purposes | in the state. leaving balnuce in the tre ,sury. June 3dth uf S6O5. 734 o2 The ,m"uh, of increases spen, M 1890 over 1889 was $43 .l67. .66 This is c,r- tainly very gratifying Thr present lndi atlons are that & mach larger amount will b- expended during the | present year. Popular education is taking fast hold upiu the minds ot the masses. Statistics show that but f.'w districts vote no sclh,l tax, while the maj riiy vote the full limit of the law.
 We feel sure the pcol,lr of Arkansas will guard their educational inter. si s with z-alous care. Let every true citi
 zen glory in the public schools of his locality and If his state.
 i It is common idea tkat the more books the pupils study. tn. more they are being pducat.i. Many pareuis ofttlneS think that their children must go through from eight 10 twelve studies every session. No mistake k more fatal than this one. and the teacher who permits or practices 1t is Violating the first principles of minh growth. An algebra. arithmetic history, or any other t-xt-bonk canMot teach. There must be something be- l hind to do the work. What is that something? Weansw-r the teaci,er-- | the living teacher. Going through Il book. or hundred b"ks does not educate. The mere memorizng of ] facts from . textbook does not rdu- cate. but the way that facts ar- sl,Idled { and appropriated educat.s. Books are only the means at securing the desired ends. X Greek grammar. tuil of all manner of lei ais and t-chnicalities. may be so taught as lo inciie in the learners the highest love for truth. manliurss and virtue. There IS no manliuess. virtue ur religion in any text K. but there may be in tic teacher who teaches it That which l HluSt CtfTS Ioltt iS Dtfilllu the bD3k
 It is in the loving. earnest. truih-lov- ing teacher himself. Teaching only is accomplished when tn. activities O! the ,.iIIids mipd are occasiuued. We are well aware that many tln not con cede this point. but are clearly oi the opinion that II is true. In ess the growing activities of the pupil aI arons' d to a healthy. vigorous growth and enlargement, then the teacher is at fault and his teaching is vain Gpd Ina, implanted in every rational mind the power lo think; generally the child will d. enough of thit, fnr it is bound to think snmrthinS. It should be the great aim of the trach-r ta dire"t this thinking along proper paths. The growing mind must do what the Creator iutend~d it sh ,uld do.-investigate, compare, think. D acliv-. F. arouse noble actions within the child. to sel ct proper objects uf thought and direct the miia of them. tn educate tue Wh de being for life. is not tlls the function of our pupli. schoos and tin. great work of the teacher? Let all read ant think