Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1904-02-11
EDUCATIONAL BUREAU
Under Direction of KATE MARKHAM POWER.
Jackson, Miss, Feb. 2, 1904.

hope great things of her future, to
be ''up and doing" that we may ut
these children for the exalted station
they must occupy and for the strenu-
Gus effort that will be required to
make high achievement possible. Our
State superintendent says. in his able
and exhaustive report, Il hold that it
is only the expression OF truism
to say that there can be no real AID
substantial development of the State
without first making better the oppor-
tunities for the education of the chill.
dren OF the State
There will be found, happily, very
few within our now prosperous Dor
ders, to gainsay the above, and as the
voice of the people governs In Mis-
sissippi it may be safely believed that
every possible means for facilitating
the advancement of our children along
educational lines will be granted them
through the authorized channels. 1t
is with the hope of arousing deeper
and more widespread interest among
our people-parents and children alike
in matters educational, that this
bureau is established. By means of
this correspondence, published as it is,
in a large majority of the county pa
pers, we will be able to reach the
reading public of Mississippi; and
through our readers who are sufficient
ly interested to help us. We hope to
reach the public that does not read,
but which is most in need of sucn
information as we shall have to give
out. and such interest as We hope to
arouse in the effort to have better
state of things for teachers and chill
dren, ETC., for the State and the coun-
try. To those of us who remember
the lamentable conditions prevailing
during reconstruction times" and
who, looking back to the schools Of
that dark day, with their superintend-
ents and teachers chosen usually, be-
cause of political influence rather than
from any special preparation for teach
ing-to the miserably furnished school
houses, the go-as-you-please classes
and books and all the other difficult
ties that attended the way to school"
1t seems little short of marvellous to
contemplate the change that has TAX
en- place in Mississippis educational
system, which is today (thanks to a
generous treasury and few of the
best and most patient superintendent
ever given to State) blessing and
a Joy to unnumbered thousands.
Splendid as the system is, however,
and marvellous as has been the adj
yancemelt within the past quarter OF
a century, it is still far short Of what
it should be, and will be, If we, as a
people, will work together for the
betterment of every phase of school
life.
Where there is so much needed, it
Is hard to know for what the first plea
should be made. But, as the child
could do precious little without his
teacher, and the teacher, in turn, could
do nothing without his training, 1t
seems wise to speak, first, of the cry
ing need of a training school for teach
ers. Much, of course, has been said
along this line, but there is much to
be said yet. With the exception of
one other State, Mississippi stands
alone in the enjoyment of her unique
position of having failed to make pro-
vision for the training of that noble
ermy which is made up of our rural
teachers. 1t is the opinion OF many OF
our leading educators that this is the
first and greatest need of Mississippfs
educational system today. Such
school, so equipped and conducted as
to meet the needs of the rural teach
ers would do more for the State than
even the most sanguine can foresee.
Such an institution should be central
ly located and so organized as to make
it possible for teachers receiving the
smallest salaries to avail themselves
of its privileged. 1t might be the case
that only a few from each neighbor-
hood could attend at the same time,
but these would receive such training
as would equip them for the positions
and enable them to carry back to the
various counties not only better schol.
arship and professional training, but
their work would benefit largely by
the inspiration and enthusiasm that
had come to them in the congenial sur
roundings and from their association
with other bright and eager minds.
The teacher, along with her improved
methods of work, would thus become
an object lesson to the people, as well
rs to the other teachers of the coun-
ty. Their schools would soon become
model schools, and the pride of pupils
and patrons would be awakened. 9th
er schools, eager to emulate this good
example, would make renewed efforts,
and after due time this little leaven"
will have 'leavened the whole lump
AS a result Of newly aroused inter-
est land, perhaps, determination to
do as well, if not better, than any one
else) neat, new school houses would
soon replace the stuffy, box-like rooms
that now do the best they can (but
it is mighty poor besD for school
houses. Better teachers would be re-
quired, and a teacher would pretty
soo1 find out that she must do her
very best, or slip, behind in the pro-
cession. The State should have high
er standard for its teachers, but it will
find that, unless 1t offers larger sat-
cries and longer terms Of teaching
come of the brightest men and We
pen now in the ranks will desert for
more attractive and remulerative
Delds of work When the training
school is established the dormitory
and mess system should prevail, so
that expenses should not exceed actual
cost. This is requisite since some of
our young people with biggest brains
have smallest pocketbooks. There are
many other suggestions which could
be made here, but we will refrain and
confine ourselves to working to get the
school. The suggestions cal then fol-
low. The question of rural high
schools is one in which Mississippi is
now profoundly interested. and know
of no better argument for their estab-
lishme1t than is contained in Prof.
whitfeld's report. On this important
subject he says:
One of the greatest needs of the
State at this time is number of well
distributed free rural high schools
Under our present laws public high
schools can be maintained only in the
towns, and | am glad to report that
practically all Of our town schools
have moderately well equipped high
school departments Nearly all of
these schools are on the affiliated list
of the university, and their students
are received on certificate by the au-
-