El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-04-25

! back to Geneva where it was originally
| established by John Calvin. Wherever
the Bible las gone, free schools have
| been established: wherever the Blbie
has been translated into the language
! of the common people, education for
the common people has followed.
The leading educators believe that
! children are best educated symmetric-
! ally. that is by education along the
| three lines, intellectual, physical and
| moral, all of which must be developed.
Local Schools Rank High.
"Our schools of FL Paso compare ia
| vorably with all others in the state OF
| Texas and in other states. Our high
school is affiliated with the university
/ at Austin and the university of Chicago
| and a high school student from this city
| who attended the latter institution came
| home with first honors. FL Paso estab-
| lished the first free kindergarten in the
state and though Fort Worth tried to
| steal that honor she cannot.
! AT one time physical training was
/ not thought of: got most of mine saw
| ing wood and L expect 1 got a good deal
more that way than boys get at football
| or baseball. The Y. NJ. C. A. and the
| Y W. C. A. have come to the assistance
| of the schools in this regard and have
| helped considerably but there is still
| room for great improvement
| Inc manQal training has
assisted materially, for it teaches de-
| velopment along useful lines. 1t is
| well that the daughters Of the rich
| should learn to cook and sew as well as
| the daughttrs of the poor.
Moral Development Lacking.
However, with all the efforts being
! made in the interest Of present day
| pedagogy, there is a lack of develop
ment of the moral nature. 1 taught four
| that We used to have the Bible read and
used extracts taken from the Bible
which were in our readers. Since I
| came TO FL Paso. an effort was made to
entirely eliminate the name Of Jesus
from all school books. We need some
mode of ethical culture in the public
schools.
Some say sectarianism should not be
taught in the public schools to which
we reply neither should irreligion and
it seems as though the minority should
submit to the majority. Some of us think
the saloons should be discontinued but
we are in the minority and for a time
we must submit to the majority.
Then comes the question, what shall
we do about It? First we need build
ings to house the pupils. FL Paso has
done very well in this regard and has
made remarkable progress. We dedi-
Gated our high school eight years go
and we have almost outgrown IT. We
have several new schools all built I'M
der the direction OF that prince of edu-
cation than whom there is none better
in the state of Texas, professor G. p.
Putnam. We have splendid school
buildings.
Teachers Attend Church.
Second comes the question of the
teachers. They shall have proper train
ing. / think for the most part our
teachers are of high standing. The
statement was made some time ago by
an Ell PaSo preacher that not over 25
of our teachers were regular church
goers. ! think he was mistaken, for
believe there are at least that many
who attend this church alone
Some of me teachers were accused
of going to the keno games in Juarez
and gambling. If that be true, they GER
tainly are not qualified to teach morals
10 the children. Teachers who attend
Sunday bull fights. Sunday baseball
games and Sunday matinees are not
properly qualified to teach our children
morals
We should certainly have a school
board to whom we may entrust the man
agement of the public schools and the
selection OF teachers for the lives Of
5000 children are in their hands They
ought TO be able to map out a course of
education. An ignorant illiterate man
is not fit to sit as a trustee, he must
be man of intelligence up along the
lines of modern pedagogy, for if ignor-
ant, how can he tell If the schools are
being properly conducted
Trustees should Patronize Schools. I!
L believe a member Of the school |
board ought to have confidence enough 1
in the schools to send his children there /
and IL they are not, he ought TO make !
them good enough at least for his own \
children Or otherwise we cannot have /
confidence in him. He should be moral |
he should in fact be just little above |
the ordinary man.
Differs With Mayor Sweeney.
Il have seen the suggestion that the |
school board be appointed by the mayor,
but TO my belief there is danger in /
that even with a mayor as popular as
ours 1 do not believe any teacher. or /
any school board ought 10 be dominated !
by any political power. In state I |
came from, the regents of the university /
were appointed by the governor and |
there was constant political friction. |
ana SO II would become in a community. |
IL ought to be so that each and every |
one or US could say Political hands Off
Parents should cooperate with the
teachers by instructing them at home at |
ieast morally and thereby assisting ma
terially.
We have another duty When II
comes TO a day of election it is a shame
to cast only 240 votes. Some NAV saw
t!iat there was no use in any others get
ing out for there was only one ticket
wen, you should have awakened earlier
ana mad another ticket. 1 have said
hothIng about women serving on the
schooI board here as they do in other
cities' but If we cannot find set O.
men 10 do this thing satisfactorily then
l an gong to suggest that we give
the women a chance"
Removal sale-Snrco- Io,-a1-