Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-02-20
THE TRAINING SCHOOL.

purpose is to afford better instruction
for the children of Marathon county
| Twelve thousand persons of school age
need good teachers, not in the interest
OF the teachers, but that they themselves
may be fitted for life. 1t is a common
saying of parents that they want their
children to get living more easily
than they have been able to do, and for
this reason they send them to school.
1t is plain to all that mind trained and
informed can better cope with the
problems and the competitions of
modern life than can the undeveloped
mind
Sixty thousand dollars spent yearly
Marathon county is proof positive that
the people believe they will help their
children. Is profit and loss account
of this expenditure kept Is there a
balance on the side gain or loss? Are
the pupils helped or hindered? If
they are all forming good mental and
moral habits and acquiring solid and
useful information then no other in
vestment in the county pays so large
dividends. If they are forming habits
of inaccurate thinking and slovenly
statement; if they are getting misin-
formations if they are becoming listless
or lazy, disrespectful or disobedient,
vile or vicious, then may not only the
money be lost but the school may be an
injury or curse.
1t is not possible to guard againt all
mishaps. Cases occur in most counties
where it would be better to close the
school, forego the money due from the
state, and save that raised by tax in
the district. Who is looking after
these things in this county The
County Superintendent can not get
around in time to find out all the mis-
fits If a school is a failure or worse,
what is being done to lessen or stop the
evil The loss of money is little COM
pared with the loss of opportunity and
character. The school days of youth
are the opportunity of lifetime. Once
lost they can never be recalled.
Can your teacher read fairly well,-
well enough to make an item of news
in the paper ineligible to an ordinary
audience Does he teach the simplest
and most necessary parts of arithmetic
SO that the pupils reason correctly,
work. accurately, and state the process
es fully and fittingly, orally and in
writing I? Does he know the common
est facts of geography and appreciate
their meaning can he tell the parts of
speech in easy sentences, give their
properties and relations, and write
respectable letter? Has he the faculty
of teaching easily and effectively? If
not, is he not blind leader of the
blind ? Teachers come to the training
school who can do none of these things.
They have no mastery of the simplest
elements of the subjects they attempt
to teach, and no idea how to present
them How can your children prepare
for life under such teaching as they
| can do
Not many feel able to give their
children higher ed ucation. Give them
a good common school education and
they can get it for themselves. The
means of getting it are now so plentiful
and so cheap that any bright, healthy
child can obtain all he wants, after he
has mastered the studies which the
district school must teach. Going over
them is not enough. The pupil must
know principles and processes, causes
and relations. 1t requires power to
think correctly and state accurately.
If anyone wants his boy to have a
better start in life than he did, he
should see to it that he has good
school at home and is kept in it. If the
the boy has in him the making of man
he can then shift for himself The
training school can not at once furnish
all the teachers needed, but it can help.
With the patronage it deserves it can
soon meet your needs. 1t needs the
encouragement and assistance of par
ents and school boards. No school can
guarantee all its pupils, but this one
will give its approval to those only who
have fair knowledge of the studies to
be taught and some appreciation of the
problems involved and methods of
solving them Our pupils testify that
both study and instruction have new
meaning to them, and they are now
working with increasing zeal to meet
1 the opportunity.
The common school studies as now
taught occupy more time than those of
the high school ard college combined.
They form the basis of an education, put
much of the time spent upon them is
wasted With properly trained teach
ers much more can be better done in
less time, and the pupils better fitted
for higher studies or for life's work.
The time spent in common schools is
the least useful for other purposes and
the best for acquiring an education.
hence it should not be wasted but the
most should be made of it. The
terms should be made longer and the
best possible instruction should be
afforded so that the boys and girls may
have better opportunities in life. Is
your school doing all it ought to do for
your children This question demands
the thoughtful attention of parents.
The training school is meant for your
children. If il does not in time reach
them it win miss its aim.
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Percales rrhite roods Iaces eTnhrold.