The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1895-04-25
THE DISTRICT SCHOOL.
, the Editor of this Duper:

To the Editor Of this paper:
In expressing our thoughts on a subject
1t is natural for us to make prominent the
idea of advancement on that subject.
Hence, in speaking OF the public schools
OF to-day, and running back through an
experience OF few years in the school
room our thought, OF course, is the ad
vancement.
We have better school system, better
educated patronage and, it is to be hoped
a better educated corps of teachers. We
think and hope that it is not far distant
in central Missouri when the employ
ing Of other than worthy and wide
awake teacher will be an exception.
The facilities are now within the reach
of the teacher to fit himself for the I'm
portant business of training the young
mind and keeping himself fitted.
The much abused and the none the
less neglected Teachers Institute is a
means that no district teacher can afford
to dispense with. We have not room
here to discuss it's merits, but will say
to the teacher, lay aside your prejudice,
attend honestly and purposely full ses-
sion of your county institute and then
obey your honest convictions and carry
into your school room the new thoughts
and the newly polished old ones and own
to 1t like true man or woman, that you
have profited by your application and
that the institute is not the farce that you
have heretofore claimed that it was.
10 rba, ,xn
country that is not aware Of the liberal
offer made to teachers by the faculty of
the University and then when we consider
the thousands OF district teachers in the
state and compare with 1t tine small num-
ber who are availing the nselves OF this
teachers course, We are persuaded that
the advancement is not what it should be.
But apart from this, new methods are be-
ing practiced that make school work
more pleasant and 80 facilitate work that
! the pupil may obtain in one year under
the newer methods what it requires two
years to learn, and less perfectly, under
the old. AS to textbook in use now, we
for, being an improvement on the old; 1t
is true that in many respects the Mis-
souri, textbooks have advantages while
in others they are inferior to those
which they have displaced. AS to the
adopted reader, we are not borrowing
thought when we agree with and copy
the expression Of Prof. - -, Of
Kansas City public schools, who said in
substance this, in article in the Missouri
School Journal, that the matter contained
in these books is light and trashy when
compared with McGuiiey's old series Of
readers. So also we may object to other
matter contained in the adopted books
stand and complain at his tools but go to
work and make the best OF 1t under the
circumstances. We need not confine our
selves to the text to the detriment Of our
pupils. 1t was not the intention OF that
learned and honorable school book COM
mission that the teachers Of Missouri
should for five years use just the lesson
that was numbered as "Lesson No. l." for
the first recitation and "Lesson No. ii, /"
for the second, and so on, in the exact
order and according to the method sug-
gested by the author, but they intended
for us, as intelligent workmen, TO take
those tools and by using such common
sense and information as we were sup
posed to have at our disposal, work uni
formly, and not have in the same schoo
readers from three or four different au'
thors, and arithmetics from "Smiley'
down to the present.
Teachers, we have IL In our power u
make the school better; let US do it. Le
US attend the remainder Of the teachers
course at the University. then the summe
course for teachers to the time Of thu
beginning Of the county normal institutes
and then those institutes. Let us arm
ourselves in the fall with full library o
Textbooks. Let us go TO school in tn
morning knowing more about the lessor
than we can consistently expect the pupi
70 know.
Let US teach that We may expect tn
pupil TO learn. Let US do our whole
thoughtful duty, regardless OF who get
the next school In the district, and W
will make for ourselves more peace o
mind and for our employer, . returl
for the wages paid ".
u oHs WHO HAS TAUGHT