Rensselaer Union, Volume 2, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 December 1869 — The Rensselaer Public Schools. [ARTICLE]

The Rensselaer Public Schools.

A valued friend of ours, who takes a lively interest in the subject of popular education has furnished us a communication concerning the public schools of this place. The article is too long for our columns, crowded as they are this week by other matter and we have made use of editorial prerogative to condense it leaving out such paragraphs as are not strictly of local interest. “On last Friday a portion of the patrons of the Rensselaer free school paid an informal visit to the several rooms. We saw far more that was worthy of commendation with the pupils than was subject of faultfinding. Many of them read little essays, brimful of native thought and grace, which would do credit to children of largergrowth. The littlegirls showed more pluck and did better work in the literary exercises than the little boys. When we were a little boy, we never could brook the idea that a girl could write, read or declaim better than we. Boys, take courage I you can do better if you will. Do not permit girls to prow over you. “We think our schools are well managed-at least as well as the patrons deserve. “We need a protracted revival of educational interest. “The teachers seem to be trying to do their best, and if people will only visit, encourage ana properly assist them, our town will be blessed with good schools. “The Primary room is notsufflciently provided with recitation benches, but in all the rooms there is space enough to comfortably seat all the pupils. “We wish our schools a happy and prosperous term and shall be pleased to visit them as opportunity offers.” By way of introduction to his article, our friend wisely remarks: “Parents and teachers should often take counsel with reference to the welfare of the pupils. Teachers should visit parents and pupils at their homes. Parents should visit teachers and children at school. Teachers need the uplifting power of their patrons’ expressed good-will. Nothing so cheers up the desponding teacher as to see the faces of his employers beaming with a glow of interest as they are spectators of his labors.

“Parents are often ignorant of the slang words and fungus attributes of mind which are engrafted upon children by their early training and which the teacher has to combat. These morbid growths are sometimes so firmly set in the child's habits that they cannot be torn away without leaving ugly scars. The fact is, this vulgar slang has a hard-hitting vigor which, in intenseness and wit, is more than a match for scholastic phrases.— Much of the work of the schools is to polish the rough savagery of street language. The pupils should write more and they can then know the graces of purer and prettier words.— Parents could be an invaluable auxiliary to the teacher in the work of preventing chronic vulgarity. The tendency of American diplomacy is to bring all things to a management of equality. Then it becomes parents and teachers to see that the low and vulgar are leveled up to a higher mental and social plane. If parents neglect their children and trust their education to free agents, what need they expect but that unmannerly and unfriendly habits will be formed by the neglected ones?”