St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1893-07-01
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The teachings and wisdom Of tn
past prove beyond controversy :ha
all nations desiring perpetuity o
government must be based upol
the education Of the masses, in or
der to have an intelligent apprecia
ton of the rights and privileges
of citizenship. When people ar'
educated they know their rights
and will dare support them, eithel
from civic or military encroach
ments.
The great philanthropists Of The
world, encouraging this fact, have
made the nineteenth century .
monument Of munificence. In our
own LOUISIANA we have . McDo-
nough and Tulane. These prince
ly requests to education are fraugh,
with much thought and reflection
to the living, as to the best and
most economical means Of reach
ing the masses Of the people.
Great colleges and universities are
erected by individual means, by
those who are the fortunate pos
SCISSORS of much worldly goods.
This fact itself suggests that the
great masses are left behind be-
cause they are poor.
Sympathy for ignorance appeal
ed to intelligence, to formulate
plans and adopt means by which
the great mass Of people might be
educated.
The Christian statesmen through
out the world have agreed and pro-
mulgated the free school system as
the best aud only means Of reach
ing the poor, which history, down
10 the present day, has confirmed.
Louisiana harmonized with this
idea, and to-day we have a good
free school system, yet there are
many evidences of weakness, which
time and experience viii relegate
to the past.
The Louisiana school system,
like her judiciary, is the most ex-
pensive Of any state in the Uuion.
In the school system, from Gov
ernor to Secretary (called Super
intendent) Of parish school boards,
every man has his say, and for this
say must be paid out Of the funds
to educate some poor
child.
The State Superintendent, with
his salary of $1,000 and perquisites
could readily be substituted by .
$1,000 clerk in the Auditors or
Treasurer's office.
Our many parish superintend-
ents, with their salaries Of $500 and
$500 . year, is another unnecessary
Of the children. 1 believe
the parish school boards meet four
times during the year. A good
clerk, at $40 per day, would do al
the work, and leave . little more
money for the children.
sob! but" says an enemy Of
"we must have . super
to visit the schools, and
watch the teachers, and instruct
hem in their duties.'
Now let common sense answer,
low much benefit is to be derived |
~ the superintendent to notify q
eacher to have everything on dress |
'arade. on a certain day for his in
pection. However, this is the
act in the farce, and must
'e tolerated.
The great and only need Of our
rec school system is more money,
ever officers, and then school
cards that will place teachers in
according to ability and
ompetency, as graded BY q legal
Examination; school boards not
imilar to the present one in our
arish, that made the ignorant and
'nocent blunder Of placing teach
rs in the highest positions, with
lird grade certificates, and then
i've the finishing touch, pass q
that no teacher should (,
employed in such positions who
id not possess q first class certifi- ,
ate. The condoning Of such &C
ons by words is . worthy inten-
on to do right to . public con.
ence.-Children's Friend, in Al
Town Talk. y
- a
The latest statistics show that q
ere are now more than two hum .
"A n Al L r