The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1895-01-12
EDUCATIONAL COLUMN.
Edited by
L.O. BRUMFIELD, Lockport, La.
INSTITUTE OR
ASSOCIATION.

! . 49, 49, ~
once IL year in the capacity OF I'D IN
educational topics by those who are
able TO handle them-.aose who de-
vote Il large portion of their time every
summer to institute work. There Is
not Il teacher in the parish. who has
attended these Institutes, who has not
been more or less benefited hy them.
and has returned to his school full of
new life aud new energy. amt full
yes, more than fuIl-of new ideas and
opinions gathered from these discus
siops. which he hastens back to his
school room to put into practice.
Unfortunately this inspiration, these
ideas and opinions. have come too
late. In IL few weeks afterwa,d his
school is dismissed Tor a two months
vacation, AID he has not had time to
adapt anything he learned at the in.
stitute to his school, for suggestions
made by others usually need adapting
before adopting. What suits one
school may not be exactly adapted to
another and so the teacher loses
much taat he learned at the institute,
q b1 iol Jli w Il - ~
his school before vacation.
When school reopens. the life and
enthusiasm instilled into him by the
institute have gone, and he drifts back
into the same old channel.
We will not attempt to say that these
annual Institutes are not il great hene-
tit, for they are: but would it not be
Il still greater benefit, if we coul have
u monthly institute convene, say on
the first Saturday of every month ?
Better still would it not he a greater
benefit to the teachers and the school
interest generally, it Lafourche Parish
We're divided into two institute dis
tricts and We had an institute monthly
at Lockport and Thibodaux.
These monthly institutes are provi-
ded for by the School Laws of the
State of Louisiana, but unfortunately
our Parish Superintendent has never
organized these institutes, the law not
being mandatory.
Teachers, did You ever read the
school laws of your State. and did you
ever notice that the word MAJ Is used
in the law when it has reference to IL
school officer, and that shall is the
word used when referring to IA teacher.
Section "a Of Act No. ST. adopt Il in
1888, is as follows:
''The Parish Superintendent man
devote the first Saturday of each
month, during the time the common
schools are in session in the parish, to
holding institutes for the improvement
of teachers in their qualifications and
methods of teaching, and for the dis
cussion of topics pertaining to the
advancement of the public school in
terest in the parish"
Section 80 of said act provides for
appointing institute managers where
there is more than one district in the
parish.
From this it will be sect that tie
Parish Superintendent has all legal
power necessary to orgaplze these in
stitutes.
We believe that the reason why they
have not been organized already, is
because it has been doubtful whether
the teachers want the institutes.
We believe they do. We would dis
like to believe otherwise. The teacher
who does not take an interest in an
institute, who does not take an inter
est in everything that is for his i'm
%provement aud the Advancement of the
educational cause, is in the wrong
business, and we do not believe they
exist in Lafourche. The teachers are
only waiting tor some one to take the
lead.
We are compelled to attend an ex.
animation every year. AS we'll might
we abolish the examination, aud give
as an excuse that the teachers do not
want them, as to refuse to organize
monthly institutes tor that reason.
We are told that kan nations are
not only a test of what we know, but
that they will force us to improve our
selves and rise higher in the profess
sion, because the examinations will be
made more difficult each year. We
submit it to any right thinking person
IT it will not improve the teachers
more to attend an institute once each
month and hear educational matters
discussed and take Il part III the dis
cussions, for eight months, than TO
attcnu an examination Tor one or Two
days each year.
we 90 NOT eXantln aslons,
but We do believe that. if we are not
to have both (tlie examination aud the
monthly institute). the institute would
be II greater benefit to the teachers
and the schools.
Institutes have been organized in
other parts of the STATE, and are doing
Il great work. Eaucatinn In Louisiana