The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-08-20

Spencer says that education should
teach us to use all our faculties to the
greatest advantage of ourselves and
others-f1ow to live completely; that 1t
is In fact the great thing which edu-
cation has to teach and he adds ITO
prepare US for complete living is the
function which education has to dis
charge and the only rational mode Of
judging of any educational course is to
Judge In what degree 1t discharges
such function" and IL self develop
ment is the shibboleth of the hour and
Is undoubtedly the obligation Of each
SOUL" as recent writer in her preface
In might and Morning" says, then our
modern system Of education will not
stand the test Of utility.
The north, and especially Illinois,
takes great pride in her perfect school
SYSTEM" and IL all children were cast
in the same mental mold, having the
same capabilities and the same long,
ings and desires there would be little
left to be desired in the school system
Of Illinois.
While spending some weeks in Illi-
nois this summer I came in contact
with number of recent graduates and
met several young teachers. whom l
had known when they were children;
pie, well-read in modern novels which
they designated as grand" and
SWELL" but those molders of scientific
thought, Huxley, Darwin and Spencer,
were scarce though of much less read
and Emerson was almost unknown.
These young people live in tomorrow,
Il am going to do this, am going to
do that" and no one said with earn
est pleasure II am doing today" / no.
Id
among all classes, among the young
and old and wondered at the cause.
Joy in doing things well drives out the
spirit OF unrest. They are planning for
tomorrow and losing the joy of to-
day.
Two Mill Tax.
The cofnnnon school fund of Illinois
consists Of the proceeds of a two-mill
tax levied annually upon each dollar
iof the equalized assessed vclue of all
the property of the state; the interest
on the school fund proper, which fund
is 8 per cent upon the proceeds of the
sales of public lands in the state, one
sixth excepted; and the interest on
the surplus revenue distributed by act
of congress and made part of the COM
mon school fund by act of the legisla-
ture Of March 4th, 1897.
The officers of the school board are:
1. Superintendent of public instruc-
ton, elected by the qualified voters of
the state. He holds his Office four
years at the seat of government
2. County superintendent of schools.
3. Three trustees from each school
district, elected by the voters of the
township.
4. All school districts having
population of fewer than one thousand
Inhabitants and not governed by any
special act, elect a board. of direc-
tors consisting of three members.
5. A township treasurer elected by
the voters.
less than six nor more than nine
months each year and every child be-
tween the ages of seven and sixteen
years are compelled to attend either a
public or a private school for at least
six months Of actual teaching.
A tfuaft officer is appointed by the
board of education or the school board
of directors. It is the duty of this
truant officer to arrest any child of
school age that fabitually haunts pub
lie places and has no lawful oecupa-
ton, and to place him or her in charge
of teachers having charge of any
school which said child is by law en-
titled to attend.
Text books are purchased at the ex-
pense Of the district and are used to
supply children whose parents are un-
able to buy them. These text books
are loaned only and the teacher is re-
CURED to see that they are properly