Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-03-21
For the SPEC
NickerSon'S Oh arts.

LAUREL Hill, VA, March II, 1894.
Last week S SPECTATOR devotes half column
to an article Oh Nickersons School Charts.
Too much cannot be said in their favor.
Nickerson's case of complete charts which
contains charts on the newly introduced
branches, viz, Physiology, Drawing, and Civil
Government and, in fact on all branches of
our common schools except Grammar, is, in
itself, an ineXhaustible mine of knowledge
From the first to the last day of the pupils
school life, he may be fed from this fount of
wealth. We hope the day is dawning when
the teachers of this grand old county of Au
gusta will rally round the flag" and thor
oughly equip themselves for the coming fray.
What we stand in need of is more efficient
teachers-teachers. who have broader and
deeper scholarship than that which they feel
compelled to impart in the everyday routine
of the school-room. Now, that the boards
have purchased charts for the schools it be-
hooves every education-loving teacher to thor
oughly master Mr.. Nickerson's plans Tor
their own, if better and employ them to the
best of their ability. We want teachers who
can find food in these charts for the little
pupils from the day they enter school until
they have attained the age in which they may
leave its walls with their brains stocked with
such useful knowledge as will enable them to
play we'll their parts upon the stage of life,
which we are sorry to admit ar few and far
apart under the oil regime This dearth of
knowledge is directly due to the inetficiency of
the teachers and the indifference of the Fpa-
irons. Patron, the school is largely what you
make 1t. Go to your school and see these
charts for yourself. Study them and have
the teacher in charge explain them to you
Manifest an interest in the work of the school
and the teacher will have no other excuse for
bad work except incompetency. Our (the
Middle River Board furnished all the graded
and a few other schools with these charts last
year. A pupil of one of our graded schools
says he attended school the greater part of the
session, and has never seen the inside of the
case and that he was very anxious to see the
charts. He studied Physiology, but no charts
were used to illustrate the subject. Does this
teacher think the Board paid $50 to furnish
this school with chart, and that he should
| regard it as an Ark of the Covenant too sacred
to be handled? There are some teachers who
are not only guilty of not using the charts,
but of discouraging its use, and trying to instil
il to the minds of the pupils that the thing is
| humbug This will give trouble to the next
teacher who tries, and is willing to give fair
trial. Sometimes ace nOrtals ksow not gtat ece do.
Aside from this subject, there has been much
ado about vaccination. The gentlemen COM
posing our County Board did not order this to
be done to satisfy any selfish interests of their
| own but merely to carry out the State law.
These gentlemen VINO have received so much
censure, and who serve without pay, ordered
it for the common veal of the county at large,
and should see that it is carried out next year
to the letter of the law. This should have
been enforced long ago. and the people would
| have been educated to that point.
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