-46-
"The remark has been made
that a
person for the first four years of his live learns more
than in any one
four years after the first. A little attention to the
matter will
convince us that the remark is, if not altogether correct,
in a great
degree it is true. Convinced of this fact, we shall at
once acknowledge
that the time of that age we call childhood and youth is
too precious
to be lost in prodigality."
In
the annual
report of 1858, the visitors wrote:
"As a generality, the
people of
the subject of schooling are rather too sleepy. And we
have it to say
there is not in the schooling department that enthusiasm
the subject
demands, a subject which is amongst the subjects one of
vital
importance, as all must admit."
By
1860, the
school visitors became more harsh in their assessment of the
school's
progress and blamed the failure of the educational system on
the lack
of community support:
"All that could be desired
and
reasonably expected of our schools has been accomplished
-- but much we
are obliged to say remains undone what might have been
done, all of
which is chargable only to a want of interest, negligence
and
ignorance.
"In the first place we wish to notice
some evils
connected with our schools. And first, our Annual District
Meetings are
only formal affairs where the barest possible number get
together and
choose for their officers indifferent, uninterested and
sometimes
incapable men. The plan has been in some districts to
apply the
principle of rotation -- a mode to say the least not to be
recommended.
"Choose your Committees as you would
choose your
wives simply, for their good qualities and never put them
away without
cause.
"In the next place capability in a
teacher is not
regarded so much as cash. We can instance where $3 a month
lost us a
good and capable teacher and filled his place with a wishy
washy
concern just fitted to keep intellect from starving.
"Your visitors confess that they
tolerated him,
because that while he had no positive, there was still an
absence of
negative qualities.
"There are districts in this town where
cash has not
in years that are past been of paramount importance.
Anyone who becomes
acquainted with the young people who have grown up about
us can judge
of their locality.
"It is for the interest of everyone
in the
community that we should have good schools. Our taxes for
the support
of criminals and paupers are amongst our heaviest expenses
and of those
who people our alms houses and prisons there are but few
posessed of a
decent education.
"We have in this town men barely able
to read. We
have youths between 10 and 16 fast following in their
tracks.
