The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-06-30

Frs ARE THOROUGHLY PRE-
PARED FOR THE BEST WORK
POSSIBLE.
There was time when Catholics
were disposed to admit that in several
respects the parish schools were in
ferior to the public schools of the land
But that time has long since gone by.
Catholics now know that where parish
schools do not surpass, they are in
every way fully the equal of the pub,
lie schools, observes the Newark Mon
sitor Daily experience is proving this.
Whenever. the two systems come into
competition, the laurels are with the
parish schools The ordinary business
man, moreover, is not slow to speak
his mind and express his opinion on
the comparative merits of the two sys-
TENS and invariably to the credit of
our parish schools. 1t is his settled
conviction that the parish schools are
not the victims of the countless fads
and changes. which haunt the public
school system, and that the fundamen-
tails are better taught in the parochial
than in the public schools. The meme
sis of faulty spelling does not hover
over the pupils of our schools.
To the thinking man and woman
there must readily come the reasons
for this superiority of the parish
school. 1t lies chiefly with the teach
ers and the system.
The average teaching life of a teach
err in the public schools is four years
and half. The Sister who teaches
in our schools is a teacher for life.
The young girl who graduates at
Normal College and enters the public
school as a teacher looks upon the
school as temporary haven, as a
means of livelihood till other days
dawn. She expects, and rightfully,
that before many years she will enter
the matrimonial state. She looks for
ward ahxiously to the day when mar
riage will release her from the daily
drudgery of teaching. Young and
bright and winsome, she soon finds
! herself the centre Of many suitors.
Social life appeals to her; it's distrac-
lions make not merely foil for the
weary hours of school, but is it not
true that they are ofttimes the causes
of lessening her ability and her inter
est in her school work? The young
teacher out late the night before at
the theatre and the supper which fol.
lows or at a reception, is not physic'
ally so fit for the intense duties OF
| teaching nor so alert on the problems
which confront her. We are not blam
| ing her. 1t is natural that at her years
she should seek amusement. We are
merely stating facts in order to draw
conclusions.
The teacher is the key to the school
and the teacher who consecrates hei
| life to the work and gamers expert
ence with the growing years is more
j likely to be fit and capable than the
i teacher for whom teaching is but 6
i passing phase.
i There is no religious teaching Or
der which has not a house of studies
anu preparation. lie pOStuldIllS dul
the novices fill in their time with soli(
study and conscientious preparation
i The material which enters the teach
4 ing Orders in our day is the finest
Many are the graduates of academic!
and Normal colleges. Not few ente
the convent from the ranks of thu
teachers. This superb material il
!, drilled and prepared tirelessly as onl.
Sisters can drill and prepare, all urg
ed by religious motives and the spu
of a vocation. 1t is a frequent expert
) ence now to find teaching Sisters TAX
ing high degrees in colleges and uni
] versities, secular as well as Catholic
1t is only the other day that a gifte'
Sister of Charity here in New Jerse
sent forth volume which bore on it
J title page this inscriptions:
"This monograph has been approx
ed by the Department of Classica
Philology of Columbia University as
J contribution to knowledge worthy o
publication"
} Next to the teachers, a school mus
look for. it's success to the system
- ia L. .Ix