Year: 1864

For the Educational Column
What is the Use of an Educational
Column?


Judging from the backwardness or in
difference on the part of teachers, in con.
tributing to the Educational Column, one
might infer that they regard it as of trifing
importance, and that it might as well be
dispensed with, especially if their brains
are to be taxed for contributions.


Is there any use, then, In such col
umn! [ answer there is, and for the fol-
lowing reasons First. 1t meets q want
in the educational world which cannot be
met fully in any other way. The educa-
tional organ of the State, The Pennsyva-
MIA School Journal, is devoted to the cause
of education in general, gives knowledge
of the condition, doings and progress of
schools throughout the State, and leads off
in the prominent educational topics of the
day.


This valuable journal, however, is not
taken or read by the mass of the people,
not perhaps by the majority of teachers,
and if it were, its limited dimensions of
twenty-five pages would scarcely admit of
discussion of all those questions and top
les OF local interest which may be found to
exist in many communities. Neither docs
it afford to teachers sufficient means for
the interchange of opinions on the subject
of education and matters pertaining to it
generally. Here then is void-a great
want, and call therefore for some other
agency, first, to bring before the people
and to disseminate amongst them knoWl-
edge on the subject of education, to ava
ken public conscience and to educate it 80
that the people may see their duty, while
choosing officers to preside over thefr edu-
cational interests, to choose intelligent,
public spirited men, who will be willing to
make some sacrifice for the public good
also, in atfcrding to teachers that CO. opera
ton on their part which is SO much need
ed but unfortunately so much withheld.


Second, to enable teachers of the county
| to give each other the mutual benefit of
their knowledge and experience in teaching
and governing, and thus to aid and epeour'
age each other in the discharge of their
duties, which are by no means of a light
and trivial character.


What agency then may be employed to
effect results so desirable?


In answer, although other agencies may
be, and are used, | hesitate not to say that
none can be found SO efficient as the edu-
cational column of county paper.
County conventions serve q good pur-
pose in promoting life and zeal, harmony
and good feeling amongst teachers also, in
their tendency to secure uniformity in the
best methods of teaching. But those
fruits of the convention, through the uu.
frequency of the meetings, are to great
extent lost, unless some other means be
employed to retain them Such means we
have in the educational column, if rightly
conducted. 1t, however, can be rightly
conducted only when there is professional
spirit and interest enough On the part of
teachers and otf ers in the cause of educa-
ton to make it what it should be-a chan
mel flowing with thoughts and ideas that
will interest and profit those who read them.
Whether such spirit and interest exists
in Mifiin county, the future character of
the column will show.


Another reason why such column is desi-