The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-01-02
Education in Florida:
Defects and Remedies.

It is not often that The Journal
would urge everybody to read all of
a six or seven column address. That
we do so In the case of Prof. ]. B.
Jockeys paper, read yesterday in St
Petersburg, is a safe criterion of our
estimate OF the crucial Importance Of
the subjects he treats and the wisdom
of his Suggestions in the main, If not
In all details.
He points out many defects in the
public education system of Florida In
doing so, he convinolngly sets forth
the evil results OF the defects OF which
he complains. He does not do 50 Ike
a kicker" or ian iconoclast, offering
no suggestion for betterment-but
like a Jealous, capable educator, soul
and mind In his work, he tells how he
thinks the evils he arraigns might be
done away with.
All his suggestions are practicable.
Whether they are just now exPedient,
we do not at this time purpose to say.
The paper, however, may well-and
certainly ought to-receive the most
earnest Consideration of every editor
and every public man in Florida, and.
for that matter, of every man and
woman who has at heart the welfare
OF the public schools, which are the
nerve center Of the welfare OF the
nation.
AS Mr.. Jockey forcefully shows.
one great defect In our state educa-
tionaI system is that many men on
whom rest grave responsibility are
given by law more work than any one
man can be expected to do. And In
addition, these same men are on sal
aries which do not permit them to do
the work, even If the year were long
enough for the work required. From
top to bottom Of the educational pha-
lanx, the question OF salary is one that
needs reform, though Mr.. Jockey con-
ines his remarks on this point to Off
oiais higher than himself.
He calls, too, for greater efficiency
IN both the personnel and the system
of which he is a part, offering many
very wise suggestions. Some, IN
doubtedly, will not meet with public
favor-at least, on the spur OF the
unomsnt-but they are worth reading,
worth bordering.
Mr.. Jockeys paper is not unlikely
TO prove a clarion call to the friends
OF the public school. Close at hand
he had abundant illustration of both
the defects he cites and the benefits
of remedial legislation, in the marvel
Gus Improvement of the public school
system OF Louisiana in recent years.
Excepting only the matter OF the state
perintendent-who, in Louisiana, is
elective, and, consequently, of neees-
sity q citizen OF the state-practically
all that he advises for Florida is to-
day the law In the Pelican state.
whose educational progress in the past
decade, and especially in the past four
years under the harmonious coopera-
ton of Governor Blanchard and State
Superintendent John B. Aswell, has ex-
cited the admiration and amazement
of every educator who has taken the
trouble to inquire into details, or had
the pleasure of attending one Of the
state conventions OF teachers.
All that Louisiana has done. Florida
can do Excepting, perhaps, detail
here and there, Prof. Jockey has told
Florida how to do 1t. AS he says, it
can not all be done at once. But
Louisiana shows by her experience
that it can be done, when once earnest
iy and properly begun, SO quickly as
to surprise even the most optimistic.