The news & observer., 1897-02-23
THE EDUCATIONAL QUESTION.
Mr.. Thompson Discusses the Subject of
Public Schools.

Mr.. thompson lJlScuSStS t1ls oubJSNt W
Public Schools.
To the Editor: In desiring space in
your paper in which TO express few
thoughts relative to North Carolina edu-
cational interests, | trust 7 may not be
considered presumptous. / have been en-
gagged in the educational work twenty
years. about three years Of which time
having been spent in teaching public
schools in the rural districts. There
fore. what little / have to- say relative TO
the question under consideration is based
upon practical experience, and close per-
sonal observation. That the common
pnblic schools of the State constitute
the foundation of our educational sys-
tenn is true That they have done a vast
amount of good in giving the children at
tending them at least "a partial knowl-
edge of the rudiments of an education,
in aiding many of the older boys and
girls to fit themselves for ordinary prac-
tical life, and in ceating in others desire
for a more thorough and complete edu-
cation to be obtained only in the higher
institutions of learning, is also true.
But it is generally admitted that our ru-
raj public schools are not what they
should be- There is room for much inn
proyement in many particulars. | will
suggest that improvement could be made
and should be made in regard to the
length of term, the attendance, the fa-
cilfties or means of giving the most and
best instruction in: the limited time, the
selection of teachers and the general su-
peryision of the schools. The present
Legislature should appropriate money
enough, or provide a plan by which
money enough could be obtained to run
at least a four months school in each
rural school district. or course an eight
months school, supported by a general
tax, and sufficient local taxation, is real
ly the kind of public school that is need
ed in every school district throughout
the State, but the masses of the people
will have to be more fully awakened and
thoroughly aroused on the subject Of
education, before we can hope to secure
an eight months school. In regard to
what / consider the second necessary
improvement, namely, the attendance, |
shall simply state, without attempting
to discuss at length the question, that
some practical means should be provided
by which a better and more regular at
absolutely need a compulsory system of
education The State provides means,
however meagre, for educating her child
rem in order to make them better citizens.
The children should be compelled to avail
themselves of the means provided. The
fact that only about sixty per cent of the
white children of North Carolina be-
tween the ages of five and twenty-one
4 Ifo cnhn 1y
is Il stigma and a slur upon our State,
which should be entirely wiped out by
our present Legislature. AS TO the most
efficient means of giving the best and
most instruction to all the children IN the
school district, / will suggest that the
school term of four months, or whatever
length of term, be sub-divided into two
terms of equal length. Let one term be
taught in the winter by a competent male
teacher, and the other in the summer or
early fall by a competent female teacher.
Let the winter term taught by thor
oughly competent male teacher be con-
sidered high grade school which all
the advanced pupils, boys and girls, IN the
entire school district may attend. Let
the summer term taught by the thorough
ly competent lady teacher be considered
primer school, which all the small child
rem and those taking only primary stu
dies may attend. This arrangement
would require only one building for both
schools. In the average country public
school no teacher, however competent,
can possibly give justice to all his pupils
On account of having so many grades
Of pupils, or pupils in so many different
stages of advancement, it is matter of
impossibility for a teacher to do justice
either to himself or his pupils. The next
improvement that should be made is in
the selection of teachers. More than half
the teachers of our country public schools
are not qualified to teach, others haven't
education enough, and still others who
are not morally qualified to teach child
rem. Improvement 10 greatly needed
along this line. How to obtain some
thing better, or in other words, how to
mako our r,IraI nuhlic gchaols mara af