The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1915-05-27
SCHOOLS HAVE CHANGED

It Is hard for old-timers to look at
the school question as some Of the
new tangled leaders would have us.
When we went TO school IL was quite
different and we were taught in a
much different manner than the kids
Of the past ten years.
We have Q children who were
past the first grade that could not say
their A B C's. Many Of them who are
in the second reader know their pieces
"by heart" and when asked to pick
out some certain word they cannot do
1t. One Of the main reasons for this
is that too much time Is given TO the
older students and not enough 10 the
younger. The schools Of Tucumcari
are no exception to this rule. We
do not have room enough to accom-
MEDIATE the pupils who apply for en-
trance in the first grade and do not
have teachers enough TO handle the
nes who do attend. A teacher can
not handle go or 70 small pupils and
succeed in teaching them anything.
We would much rather see some Of
the other branches sidetracked and
more teachers hired to take care Of
the little ones. II is nice to have Il
said that Tucumcari teaches a hun
dred and one different subjects, but
IL the truth were known that one or
two Of these subjects handled by high
priced teachers, enjoyed but q very
few students, It would not sound like
the right thing to do. Perhaps the
people demand these things and per-
haps they don't but most Of US think
the little one should be taken care of
first so that they might be able to
start out right.
In choosing teachers it might be
well to investigate their ability to de-
liver the goods. You cannot choose
an instructor by the beauty Of the
applicants face. You cannot take
her word for everything. The best
instructors do not always carry first
grade certificates. We have known
good teachers who had nothing but a
third grade certificate. OF course it
is better to be able to secure a first
grade so long as you can deliver the
goods as an instructor.
The superintendent or principals
are held for the failure of some friend
who has been put in by some member
Of the board just for the reason that
sympathy asks il. Unless you give
the superintendent of any institution
the proper support and competent as
sistants ne is sure TO disappoint you.
The school is u greatest institution
morally or otherwise. An unclean
man or woma is unfit TO teach our
children. The instinct Of a child is
to learn the bad. II is most parents
desire to have their children taught
manners and upright traits which
will be a valuable asset in years to
come.
The trend Of the world is upward
and a man TO succeed permanently is
required to show an advanced i'm
provement W that which we did
years ago. A drunkard is soon aban-
doned by his former friends; a crook
is soon found out and all business
dealing with him are consumated with
the utmost care. A successful school
teachers must show recommendations
equal TO that Of a minister Of the gos-
pei or he is liable to lose out in a
short time. The political world is far
better than it was a few years age.
The common nan is finding out that
he has rights which IL used properly.
will protect him from putting crooks
and sharpers in office. This world is
not half SO bad a. some would have
US believe, but IL could be made bet
ter and the people alone can make il
so.
One Of our neighboring towns had
the disgrace of electing a drunkard as