An obvious feature of distinction between public and private schools, as I have now classed them, is that the former are under the supervision of selected men, responsible more or less directly to the community. The private schools have no supervision, or only that of the parents. An advantage of the private school system is that, when the persons associated are sufficiently wealthy and agreed, they can, if so disposed, hold out inducements for the most accomplished teachers. This advantage is of course more frequently realized in regard to male than female teachers. Men of very finished education and of the best promise, both as to knowledge of the science, and skill in the art of teaching, have disposed of their labors in this line of engagement. The very best teachers are a precious commodity among us, and ought to receive, and can command, a price, which the patrons of public schools are not warranted to give. The few such men, who devote themselves to the profession of teaching, can turn their talents to greater pecuniary profit in private schools, and these, being what they make them, are mostly schools of a very high order. Happy the pupils who are favored with such teaching, and it may be considered one of the greatest blessings of wealth to be able to procure it. These, however, comprise but a very small proportion of our private schools. Though it be an advantage of the system that it admits of such, yet, it actually produces but very few. For private schools are often resorted to by those who have no disposition to pay the highest price for instruction. And it is believed that they do not give on an average so high wages as are paid in public schools. The families uniting together for a private school, may have, among themselves, some one to whom they wish to give respectable employment, who has nothing to do but to keep school, and is ready to engage, though the wages be small. A young lady, favorably known to the parents, the cousin, relative or friend of some, and acquaintance of all, liked of the children, keeps to the satisfaction of her employers. The objects they had in view are accomplished, though at the same time it may be that neither she nor they have had a single thought on the subject of teaching. One of the greatest difficulties, whether in public or private schools, is that of securing competent teachers. There is no difficulty in finding persons willing to engage in this service, and persons who have studied the branches proposed to be taught. But, for want of a more systematic preparation of teachers, many offer themselves for the work, who have no knowledge of teaching, as a science, nor any expertness in it as an art. Some have no idea that there is any science about it, except that of the branch of learning to be taught, and suppose the art to be only some vague, inexplicable, unimaginable gift, unattainable to such as have it not, with which they fancy themselves endowed. While so many of this description are constantly offering their services and produce their recommendations, it is not always easy to secure the qualified teachers. The applicant wants employment. He is deserving. To doubt his knowledge of the branches proposed to be taught would be an insult. He has friends, who, with as little idea as himself of any teaching qualifications, yet feel the influence of many considerations in favor of his being employed. They know him to be a good man, a christian, perhaps, and, perhaps too, of their own belief and denomination. He is on the right side in politics, one who would favor such and such objects in the community which they feel it to be their interest to promote. It were endless, indeed, to enumerate all the considerations, which, whether openly urged or not, do actually go to enhance the claims of the applicant. These irrelevant considerations, operating on the minds of the employers, as disturbing forces, create the difficulty of securing real teachers. The less they are felt the better. It is believed that the arrangement, best adapted to obviate these adverse influences, is that which our public school system admits of, and which is in fact adopted in many places, where the superintending committee is charged with the duty of employing the teachers, themselves responsible continually to the whole people for a faithful discharge of their trust. Such is the statute of the Commonwealth, that the inhabitants of every town may, if they think it expedient, carry into effect its provisions, without the sub-division of districts, by putting the entire management of the schools into the hands of the superintending committee. The advantages resulting therefrom are found, upon experience, to be many and important. It gives energy and effect to the superintendency, difficult to be sustained on the district system. No business can be efficiently conducted, unless the party who superintends and is responsible for the results, is also empowered to select and employ those who execute. The effect of separating this duty from that of supervision, is like that which would have followed the execution of king Solomon's judgment respecting the disputed child. To divide this responsibility is to destroy it. A door is also opened for the admission of differences of views and of feelings between the two committees, which must paralyze the efforts of one, or the other, or both. I cannot but think that vesting the power of superintending our schools in one body, and that of selecting the teachers in another, is an error which has done much to enfeeble the operation of our public school system, and to keep back the cause of common education. The duty of selecting teachers should be not in the hands of the parents directly, because they are most exposed to the action of disturbing and irrelevant influences upon their feelings, and, therefore, not likely to make the best choice, but in the hands of a selected body, responsible to the parents. Such, indeed, is the prudential committee in the district. But the general committee residing (partly in, but) chiefly out of the district, are still less liable to be influenced by the local questions and feelings within, and, if competent to superintend, are, of the two, the body more likely to be qualified to select the teachers. Those institutions, which are beginning to spring up among us, for the education and qualification of teachers, deserve encouragement from those who wish well to public schools. The qualifications for teaching are specific and peculiar, for which distinct preparation, an appropriate study, is as requisite as for any other profession. Besides the sciences taught in common schools, there is the science of teaching, which hath its rudiments and its art; the distinctive elements of which should be carefully studied, and well understood, by every teacher. Let all the friends of education hail the development and progress of this science, and welcome the teacher's teacher, to the highest walks of useful and honorable labor. 1 There should be, however, a public institution of the kind upon a large scale, and spiritedly conducted. It is a part of our public school system, essential to its full and perfect operation. Why should not the school fund of the State be applied to this purpose ! Divided as it now is among towns amply able to pay for their own schools, and whose schools are all the better for their paying for, it becomes exceedingly questionable, whether on the whole, the money so expended, is likely to forward the cause of common school education. Might not the money, with far more advantage, be applied to the proper completion of our school system, by providing a suitable State seminary for the preparation of teachers? Let the institution have a spirited supervision, and be authorized to give certificates of qualification to those whom they send forth. Let these certificates be of several, different, established and known forms, and be given according to the degree of qualification and proficiency which each may be known to have made. Such a seminary, thus endowed, and efficiently conducted, would give system (just what is wanted) to our common schools; system, which the mighty influences made to bear thereon, would be constantly pressing onward toward the highest point of attainable perfection. The committee who might choose to employ a teacher from the seminary, would then have the best means of judging of his qualifications. Should they prefer to employ others, it would be only taking greater risk upon themselves, for which they would be answerable to the community. Taking things, however, as they now are, we believe, that, with the exception of the very few private schools of the highest order, the public schools are likely to secure the better class of teachers. A school superintended by the parents of the pupils as such, is under the worst kind of supervision, as every experienced teacher well knows. A committee of these same persons who, besides parental fondness, might be made to feel a responsibility to the rest, who appointed them, would, as a committee, direct and act differently from what themselves would as parents only. And the difference, I need not add, would be favorable to the interests of the school. A contemplated advantage to our public schools from the superintendence of a vigorous and intelligent committee is, that they, having direction of the books and studies, may put the exercises of the school into such regular system, that a change of teachers shall not very sensibly affect the course of instruction. Great and frequent changes herein are attended with much evil and inconvenience. In the private school, the books, exercises and studies, are regulated by the teacher, as best he may. He sets up for himself, collects a few pupils from various quarters. They must have some books, and he selects from the multitude, with which the market teems, such as he may like best. He finds his pupils, in the same branches, have studied many different books, and are of dif ferent standing, in the various branches. So that to bring - them together and have them finally well classed, he thinks it best to put them very far back, even to the rudiments in each branch of study. He continues his school, perhaps, two, three, or four months. Receives not quite so much encouragement as he expected, and gives it up. The pupils disperse, and he takes up some other business, or finds some other place. At length another undertakes picks up some of the same children, and some more adopts his own books, classes the pupils anew, takes care to put them far enough back; and, with his own peculiar method, or with no method, begins again, pursues the project, and drops it for something else; and so the process goes on. A boy is taken from the public schools and sent to the private with the idea that, since it is expensive and select, there must be some great advantage to be gained. After an absence of four or five months, he returns to his former school, and is found, not only incapable of entering the class he left, but scarcely able to get on with the class of the same standing as that was when he left it. Not but that he has studied some, and learned some, but he is harassed and impeded by capricious changes of books and exercises, and the falling back consequent upon new classifications. pu He who sets up a private school must look out first for pils, without which he has neither school nor compensation. To obtain these, he must catch the favor of parents. In regard to most of the commodities of life, men may be supposed to be judges of the article they have occasion to purchase. Schools, however, would seem to present a singular exception. For one needs but a slight observation of school advertisements to be convinced, that what is most taking with parents, who are disposed to patronise private schools, is the showy and the superficial. Hence the prospectus of a private school usually exhibits more departments and branches of learning, than are taught in our most extensive universities. And the absurd length to which it is drawn, is not commonly in accordance with the better judgment of the teacher, but to suit the taste of his patrons. And the evil ends not with the advertisement. The parent, that he may get his penny-worth, expects his child to be taught a little of every thing. The teacher must make his promise good. He must not seem reluctant to undertake what he engaged to do, and he patiently allows the studies to be multiplied, till he would be getting rich indeed, had he as many pupils as there are depart |