Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1908-12-24

WIN ali our lnsuruCtlnB we nave III
structed nobody. Woodrow Wilson,
President of Princeton University.
The above indictment against the
American sytem of education in our
public schools, coming as it does from
one of the most successful and learned
men among the educators of our coun-
try, cannot fail to put, at least, a few
sensible people to thinking. In very
truth should it not cause every parent
and every person interested in the I'M
foldment of the mind of the young to
take little time and study why this
endictment should be made so boldly
unqualified
Two decades-twenty years and yet
no schools that educate No teachers
nor trainers that teach or train
This endictment, you will observe,
was made by an Eastern man; and the
statistics made use of to sustain its
contention, are taken in most part
from the school records in those states
which have the most perfected school
systems, and the very best schools and
teachers in our whole land. Therefore,
a pertinent question is: if such con-
dition obtains in the public schools, of
the most forward states educationally,
among the states of the Union, what
must be the real condition and status
of the public schools of Tennessee
whose star is so near the nadirY And,
too, what are the good, conscientious
and thoughtful citizens of Marion
county going to do when they face
squarely the truth Of this statement:
In point of illiteracy our county's po-
sition among the ninety-six counties
of the state, numbered from the bot
tom, is the thirteenth, or from the top,
eighty fourth
If these statements are really true,
no man who is a citizen of our county,
and who believes that there is a vital,
divine, and an all-compelling reason
why the young mind should be nour-
ished by, and let to develop under the
most inspirational influences possible,
can with impunity of conscience or OF
economical welfare escape some very
great obligations now upon him.
Perhaps, in the plan of Divine Econ
omy there may be umbrage for some OF
us from hell's heated rays under cover
of our own ignorance; but for those OF
us who are not ignorant Of the appal-
ling conditions of the public schools OF
Marion County, and yet do not, seem to
care to stop or make an effort to STOP
the engine of illiteracy that is crush
ing out the ambition and spirit OF hun,
dreds of our children every year, fos'
tering an alarming spirit Of lndiffer'
ence in SO many homes to educational
advantages and the immunities AND
blessings which it guarantees it's pos
SCISSOR, and otherwise transmitting it,
baneful and blighting germ to the fu
ture, an orthodox hell seems a fitting
reward; or else, thru the working o.
the memorable Law of Compensation
there surely must cOme to us N full
measure of deep sense of shameH
For twenty years, and perhaps long
er, what condition does the record o
our public schools, in so far, indeed
as we may have any, disclose to' thOs
who would investigator Is it good t.
reflect upon Does it reveal the Cos
mic Urge or the progressive spinitY l
it what it might have been2 Whoa
Mr.. Quizzer, you should not ask sue
pertinent and embarrassing questions
have not the time to review the re
cord that we have made, and whic
cannot be unmade. Nor is it necessal
) lily relevant to our purpose. The pres
emit condition offers plenty of materia
for an extended article. But it mus
be remembered that the present condi
! ton is but the product of of condition
= proceeding and inseparable.
take it that before l launch an
indictments against the present lethal
b gy that is manifest among so many pt
Z rents of our county with reference
: the education of their children, tbs
n everyone will admit that the youn
e life is the fallow field of the paren
s. hood, and that the harvest is alway
. directly proportional to the quality ar
- quantity of work done in this fell
Believing so firmly this to be true,
have no excuses nor apologies to NAL
to those who may happen to read tn
paper. only submit that its purpo
is one-single; plea and prayer
n our boys and girls.
, We dare not make a statement til
u cannot be sustained, nor indulge
lie any undertaking language, for fe
k that some one would think that t
70 purpose of this paper is TO charge sol
special person or persons with the !
IT. sponsibility for our present condition
So when we only hope Ipw to arouse G
or cry citizen to a personal sense of
l. own responsibility for our present cc
ditions, and. if possible, to let him 4
DE a deep sense of an obligation resti
III upon him which he must discharge
we are TO make any advancement
Improvement in our public school 8
tenn commensurate with our possit
ed tiles and opportunities.
-oi l make the following charges
~ counts against our system of Pub
as School Education: