The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-06-11
THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AGAIN

y
the matter with you? / cannot imag-
inc unless it was the double portion of
watermelon that Mr.. Meffert donated
to the Star that started you to seeing
things like a "teacherhood | have
seen a few things myself, in fact have
been looking for them, but have not
sen this yet. ] have read few things
like psychology and pedagogy and a
little scattering science, but have not
come across this yet. presume that
it has the appearance to you of a
heavy black cloud hanging over US
in the heavens about to engulf the
unsuspecting American public. No,
no, dear editor, calm yourself and
wipe off your glasses and take
another look "There just amt no
such thing"
You are absolutely within your
rights when you attack the public
school system or the teachers as a
body, and anybody else is within his
rights when he comes back at you and
shows the utter fallacy of your criti-
cisms.
| invite you to peruse the pages of
any educational journal or book, or
attend any county, state or national
educational association, visit any of
our schools in active operation, con-
fer with any of your school officers,
and see if you find any trace of a
body of teachers banded together to
control and exploit the public so as
to constitute "teacherhood." You
cannot discover the least vestige of
lanything that bears the least anal
ogy to any priesthood.
| 1t is true that there are large
number of professionally trained
teachers, and the pity is that we have
mo more of them. The public has con-
stantly demanded real teachers
OCCASIONALLY trained and experienced
teachers for their children and every
state has provided for this in the
establishment of normal schools and
educational departments of nearly all
of the state institutions and also the
private and UNCONVENTIONAL institu-
lions have done the same thing to try
to meet the insistent demands of the
public for better teachers.
Consult the programme of any edu-
cational meeting and see if there is a
thing in it inimical to the public well
/ fare.
i No, sir, the school system of the
country is the dynamo from which
the real intelligent patriotism of the
country is generated and dissemina-
ted, and the school system extends
from the kindergarten to the univers-
lily and through it. Where are the
history of the country, the civil gov
eminent of the country, the patriotic
songs of the country taught, except
in the schools?
| You may lay this down as funda-
mental: The American public is not
going to leave the teaching of the
children of America to private in
structors or to ecclesiastical schools.
They are going to provide for the
teaching of their own children in their
Town schools from the primary on and
| through the most advanced learning
and herein lies the safety and freedom
and civilization of the country and
| the race.
Now, a word as to our differences
/ in regards to school boys throwing
down their schooling and rushing into
military service. You publish letter
from Lieut.. Atkinson of the Navy
recruiting office in Atlanta, in which
his very words endorse as strongly
as language is capable of endorsing
the very words of President Muir
phree In his address, and myself, in
the discussion of your criticism of
his address. He goes on to call atten-
ton to the splendid arrangement that
the government has provided for
young men to enlist in the service
and get summer training at the gov
eminent camps, one of which is at the
University of Florida, over which DR..
Murphree presides, and then to con-
tinue their college training until the
government will know when it can
use them to best advantage.
You pnt a heading over the letter
as if it completely squelched President
Murphree and myself, when it does
not touch our case. What do you
| suppose Lieut.. Atkinson means when
he says: st is true that every de-
partment of the government urges
high school men and colleeg students
to remain in college and complete
their education" Has either DIR.
Murphree or myself claimed or adj
vised more than this? Each of US is
getting official information" all the
time straight from headquarters and
each is doing his bit to the extent of
his ability for both winning the war
and also preserving and charging
our civilization.
/ I would commend most heartily the
plan outlined by Lieut.. Atkinson's
letter and which is also contained in
/ a bulletin to superintendent from u.
Is. Commissioner of Education P. P.
Claxton, for young men who are eligi-
bic to enlist in some branch of the
service and take advantage of the
government training during the sum-
mer either on board ship, in the
camps or at the colleges under gov
eminent direction, and then in the
fall. unless the government felt IL