The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-04-16

THE PUBLIC SCHOOL PROBLEM.

OOA4CspDANACASNN VI AAN
After a rather ]protractei silence,
again enter the lists. I have been
waiting % see how the drO fell. The
Legislature has experimental on the
school law, and while t, perhaps,
made some improvements, it il
guilt, of some blunders
To be plain about the matte, they
who would be free themselves must
strike tue blow. All the turmoil
and parti,an bitterness of the last
camIai n has developed an interest
in education never before witnessed
"a least, not for the last twenty
years. But nothing short of pOpu-
lar taxation will ever raise the pub
lie schools TO the proper length and
efficiency. The constitutional limit
acts as Il bar, and the tax payer has
a very sensitive pocket nerve. Peo-
pie who see the advantages f pOpu-
lar education, and vote it knowingly,
will pay cheerfully when they e it
is a good investment. To inculcate
this spirit Is the mission of the pro-
gressive teacher, the press and the
pull it.
Partisan politics has done much to
retard the interest of education in
North Carolina. One other agency
against popular education is that
many # the ministers are raising a
sens less yell against the free schools
and in favor o. what they call
"Chrlstiaa education" We ali
agree on Christian education, but l,
for one, draw the line at seclarian
ism l n the public schools. 1 have
taught school p years, of which ~.
years have been employed in this
State, and the remainder of the time
in Kentucky. OF the teachers l
have known, at least four tifths are
communicates of some church
n at least nine-tenths are persons
of exemplary Character. Tn, n why
this indirect charge that Our hard
worked and poorly paid teachers
exert Il malign influence on You htul
mOrals? Nearly al the county super.
intendents are men who bask in the
OdOr Of san tlty, as do the boards of
education. Everybody who atrOn-
ICES the T ia, schools is d committee
of to see that the teacher r ses
with the early bird, keeps late Tours,
and preserves d conscience void OF
offence. Being - hedged about
how Can d teacher escape the clrcum-
spect path?
Among the good things lone by
the Legislature just adjourned, was
the passage OF an act requiring State
al pUIOn of school books. l wei,
remember the chaotic State relative
to school books ''endurIn' the war
in kentucky. My first schooling
was III '63, and Ii readers were or
the GOOurlCh st Ie or architecture
In 81 nOThe teacher found that
Mr.. Guilty Was the lnfallible guide
up the thUrny hill OF knowledge,
and L IL here observe that no readers
have higher literary merit, and Get
ter moral tone than those very read
ers. Later, another Daniel came to
judg lent, for d different teacher
recommended Wilson's readers as
the sine qua nOR Of erudltlOn. But
no on dared to down the ~irrepress-
ible "OIue-back," with Its landmarks
OF baker" "hUrse-back," and
"Dllnd spelling Iran the gauntlet
about frte n times between It's lids,
anu reverently believed 1t the handl-
YORK OF DAME Webster.
AT 10 years of age L had ii speak
ing acquaintance with the muItlpi-
Cation table, which 1 learned from
Rays ArlthneUlc, and cou d parse
"Peter drove the horse from Jonn y
barn." as found IN Batler's Gram
mar.
Later, the State adopted the Mo
Gutfey Readers, tn Blue Back
speIIer, Ray ) Aritnm tics, Good
rlch's II stories and Buffers Gram
meTs. These 1 TIA ght and when The
fortunes of war lett me IN NJrtI
C~arOuna, L found three kinds of
retCe ), five Varieties of grammar
text books, three of ari hmetic, anu
two Of geography. 81 [ claim to
Speak IS N having author ty, and
not as the sCribes, on the books best
There Is more Catarrh in this section Of the