Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1917-09-08
OPENING OF THE SCHOOLS
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The public schools OF A'e ;aharF'
will be opened on Monday next. ne
School Board Superintendent and
+s,chers have made XII preparations
for beginning the session. the per
Nil. have heen issued and everything
IS ready, so far as the authorities are
concerned. 1t is now up to the
scholars as well as their parents anu
Guardians to take advantage OF the
opportunities presented.
It has been wisely said by some
ore that ignorance is voluntary
misfortune. There is but little eN-
cuse in our day for any boy or girl
to grow up in ignorance. Under the
public school system, millions of
dollars are expended in every section
Of the country for education. The
best of everything in the way of cd
ucatiopal devices is utilized. while
among the most costly public build
ings in every city are those which
are used for the tuitian Of the young.
A few Sundays ago ministers OF
The gospel throughout the country
we're requested to deliver sermons
on the importance of the young at
tending school. Numbers of clergy
men paid heed to the request and
made practical observations concern
ing the value Of an education.
Unfortunately & large percentage
OF young people are far from being
diligene scholars, Sad Sitsr shsy leave
schesl selaem open text book, or
in any way attempt to add 10 wat
has been drilled into them often BY
sorely- eried teachers.
1t is unfortunate that so few real
ize the Importance of learsing. In
bygone days men who by their dill
gence figured in the worl:l's his CRY
were compelled to catch their educa-
ton. so to speak. on the Fly" The
text hooks of those days were few
and they of crude nature. About
all that a hey er girl could learn
was obtained from primers.
We havs before Us = German primer
used in schools in the Shenandoah
Valley in colonial days. 1t is about
one-fourth the size of an almanac,
with paper cover, and contains Il
few crude pictures with poetry or
prose under them. This specimen of
school text books WAS about all many
: OF orr predecessors digested. that is
those whose parents were unable to
send them to places Of learning.
In old England many years ago
John RaikeS and others realized the
necessity of laboring in the behalf Of
the great mass of adults who could
not read as we'll a. such aS had but
4 limited knowledge of letters.
A number of Shoemakcrs who could
read We'd in the movement and in
stituted what were known as Sunday
schools, not for the purpose Of teach
ing any form of religion, but impart-
'ng the knowledge OF letters to the
thousands who had been debarred
from educational privileges in their
Childhood and who had attained their
1naJorlt: in an unlettercd condition,
Unable 60 spare the time through the
week, they attended school on Sun
days The church later captured
the Sunday school, and the secular
schools conducted on Sundays were
subsequently merged into those of
the present day
Martin Luther said the schools of
his day were penitentiaries.
DAGhigne, in his "History of the
reformation" tells us that Luther
and other pupils in German schools
often retired TO their beds while suf-
1erlng from hunger, as they were :,
compelled III ordc:' to subsist. to play
me part Of wandering minstrels byI
singing before the houses OF the opu-
lent II hopes coll victuals would be
passed OF to them. They were often
disappointed and retired to their
beds SuppcriesS.
We mention the above to shows the
disadvantages our ancestors labored
nr9erln oNier to obtain the smatter-
~ of an education, and we hope the
present generation will avail them.
.nlEns OF The facii;iins nffnroI IN u