Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1897-09-10
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The Greatest Need of
Our Public Schools.
ARTICLE NUMBER FOUR.
Communicated

Truly has it been said that the
public schools are the arbiters of
national destiny. From their in
fuence go forth not only that body
OF men known as the common peo-
pie, whose privilege of exercising a
voice IN the government comes as a
blrthright, and who are the strength
of our nation, but also men who are
destined to lead in affairs of State.
To reflect upon this fact, and along
with 1T to consider the potent in.
iiuence exercised by the public
schools upon individual destinies
awakens one to fuller sense of the
great responsibilities that attend
the mission of the teacher of the
public school.
In general, the greater the respon.
slbllity, the greater is the dignity
and remuneration of position; the
greater the trust, the more impera.
tive is the demand for efficiency in
It's execution. But there seems TO
occur departure from the general
rule in the case of the public school
teacher. There can be but few
greater trusts reposed by one man
In another than that with whose ex-
ecution the teacher is charged. To
hlm is entrusted the training of the
plastic mind of youth, freighted
with enormous possibilities; to him
partially belongs the laying of the
foundation for a life's work. Offer.
ing, thus, as it does, golden oppor-
tunities for noble work, the pro.
fession has its corresponding respon-
sibilities.
The work of the teacher is com
poslte In its character; his profess.
ions partakes OF the nature of their
professions. It is like that of the
physician in chat he is expected to
observe the laws of hygiene and is
to some extent responsible for the
health of the pupils under his charge.
1t is like that of the lawyer in that
he is charged with the enforcement
OF justice between the subjects of
hls government, with the teaching of
due regard tor the rights of others.
and a faithful obedience to all nee
essary laws. 1t is like that of the
minister, in that the teacher, though
primarily charged with the training
OF the intellectual man, is, to a de.
gree, responsible for the develop
ment of the nobler nature-tLe NOR.
al and spiritual man-and yet the
Importance of the work of the teach.
er is not fully appreciated, the great
ness of the trust reposed in him for
execution is hardly realized, his re-
muneration is not commensurate
with the responsibility of his work
the profession, as a whole, does not
command the respect and admiration
1t should command. These things
ought not so to be-
Where lies the fault? We believe
It'll is, IN a measure, attributable to
those who compose the profession
1t is a fact-deplorable though ii
may be, and yet in honesty to be
conceded-that there are but few
other professions which have a
greater number of poorly equipped
and unqualified men and women in
them than that of teaching. The
writer is not Blind to the fact that
the standard of the profession, along
with others, is being raised, and that
advancement is being made, though
perhaps slowly. That which is de
sired is TO awaken consideration
among the individual members oi
the profession, and arouse them to
indiviual effort that will hasten this
progress.
The standard of q profession is
raised not SO much by outside In.
fuence as it is by the men who com
pose it. The members of a profes
sion make it what it is. The great
ness of the individual goes to make
up the greatness of the profession
to which he belongs. BY making
personal advancement he thereby
advances his profession. Each teach
er should cultivate a steady and
progressive spirit Of improvement,
If the work of the school was good
last year be not content unless it is
made better this. Let the teacher
study his works let him pursue some
systematic course of study outside