Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1891-08-21
Educational Department
CONDUCTED BY
PROF. ID. ~
Principal Elk Point Schools.



We are living In q time Of great advancement
In educational ideas. Unusual have besn the de-
velopments Of the last nifty years, and we have
gained an amount Of momentum which will en-.
able US to advance even more rapidly In the next
half century. This is especially true In . state
like surs, where educators are at liberty to Sc
lect from the good In systems OF other states.
aud are not hampered By tho fogyism so fire.
quentiy found in older states. But with all our
progress. teaching has not been made truly q
profession. Then. In seeking to better educa-
tional interests In our new state. tho subject
under consideration Isl Of greatest importance.
The educators Of A.atate are the conseryators OF
its school system. II they are thoroughly Inn
bued with y truly professional spirit. tho schools
will prosper In spite Of all other opposition. II
they have this zeal, teaching VIII In time BE-
come = profession. II they have not devotion
TO their calling. no one else will ever SEQ the
need Of professional teachers, and We
will never have many such. Advsnce educa-
tioually has always begun In higher ranks and
must necessarily In the future. The country
teacher usually views education from the stand
point Of 1.-THE country school, and the department
teacher often from that Of the department. True
the leader must 20 to these teachers for MD and
suggestions, nor would we detract 0nei0ta from
the high regard In which they are held. But
the leaders must be broader than adepartment,
and must have come up to position from which
they can zee clearly. mot only that teaching
should be = profession, but also how TO make
Il 20.
Saying that teaching Is not 4 profession does
not mean that there are no professional teach
ers. These We have. n ~ truely so rs need
be. But teaching will be a profession when
none but professional teachers are allowed to
teach. Good schools make good citizens and
good government. This being true, nothing can
benefit the state moro than TO have : band OF
professional teachers. This bFtngs 10 to the
aryt consideration, wise legislation. Tho
teacher should understand the method Of law
making and study carefully the effects Of Ill
kinds Of school legislation. The ordinary man.
and even the average legislator, does not under.
stand how TO enact laws Tor the interests OF
good schools and the teaching profession ts0
callcd) 20 well IS the Intelligent teacher. Then
we can better our condition very much By set.
ting the voter and the legislator right. A large
amount OF leglslating has been done IN our state
in the last two years, which we feel ~ teachers.
more than likely to bo done In the next decade.
Home Of this will influence our calling for al
time. Fortunately. most Of Il has been well
done. but there are defects which will not be
easily overcome. Let US be alive TO our inter
ests In the future. Time will not permit speak
INK OF the provisions Of the state constitution
and our new school law to show their effects on
our profession. except some features incidently.
We should make some effort ~ teachers to get
education out Of politics. So long - > man
must depend on . party for his position and b.
mAaenred hy his noltttcaI bAlief uuitA II much