Lower coast gazette., 1910-01-01
Our Public Schools.

TIVE oablje schools of the Parish Of Plaque
mines should command the earnest support OF
ovorvone Of our citizens. For q generation past
npar]v all attempts at developing our school sys-
ton, TO the advanced position that 1t now occu"
MES have been defeated by various causes. our
own poverty being one OF them. Year by year.
with the cooperation of the State Board, our
school system is getting placed on a better ana
better footing and compares extremely we'll at
the present time with other parishes OF the
state, both in the quality of the service renoer'
ed by our school teachers and by the length OF
the school season.
Ever since the common schoo! system mas
been inaugurated in the federal union the coun-
try school has ben a source Of trouble, SO Tar
as it's support and effectiveness IN educational
matters has been concerned. GOOD men ana
true are found in every community WHO are
willing to sacrifice their time and money IN the
ed ?cation of the children. Unhapplly and Tor
quite a long time, every effort was made to Sc
, cure school teachers at the very lowest possible
rate of compensation. It is now becoming ap-
narent to everyone that low salaries 90 not
necessarily mean economic management. what
we strive for in educational matters is to have
effective work done. Some persons appear TO
be born school teachers; to have the power OF
jmparting what they know to others. On the
other hand, there are many persons very well
informed, but who have not the faculty OF I'M
parting that information. They might be able
to answer with comparative facility any ques-
ton given in the current examinations, but the
divine tact with which educational matters must
be impaired to others is missing IN many IN
stances. We should learn to appreciate more
and more the good work that our present corps
Of teachers is doing in P%laquemines.
At an early date, and we hope it will not h
long delayed, there should be one or two High
Schools inaugurated in the parish, wherein NOR
advanced teaching will be done than in on
ordinary schools. These schools in the coantr
will always attract many pupils who are ent're
" unable to go to the great city for :educatlo
and to live there at the considerable cost !!
volved. When the Ruston Industrial lnst!tut
in Lincoln Parish was started some fifteen {
, , more years ago, Ruston was q comparatlvel
: new and small town and the board tor the pup
taught in this school, which was largely
manual training school, could be got in the tow
, at from ST. to $500 a week. The school SOC
= grew so large, it's attendance reaching SUI
y 600. that the boarding facilities We're exhaustt
. and prices rose and Ruston became nearly
- metropolitan in such matters as our large cite
y Such a result as this is not likely in the parl
:" of Plaauemines. We believe that a High Scht
* at Pointe-a-la-H ache and another at Bur
= would get good support from our local Peep
the pupils going there to these schools, securl
y board and lodging at low rates and returning
their own home every Friday night, returnl
" to school by the morning train on Monday.
9. All this cannot be done at once, but our p
re pie should have this matter in hand and
e. deavor to work up to its final accomplishing
o. and like the proposed good roads movement,
&C. we all think and hope that way, we shall 81
d. realize our hopes and the sooner the better
to splendid Parish of Plaquemines.