Show k gme alseika GLAZING ERRORS IN of meo falso ohp red roD brtis the tho status of edu education in utah it has become the fashion abroad to disparano di th the a school system tem and the efforts made towards tow ards tho instruction of the youth in this territory we have beco bec omeo meso accustom ad to the tlona tiona of our enemies that wedo vedo we do T not expect them to teli tell the truth in regard to any of our affairs do mestie ra estle estic educational or re religious lilous 9 but we do look for facts when persona persons or papers interested iche pra gress grass ress of the territory and the thema majority of its inhabitants undertake to give information we note with vath somo some the fol tol lowing paragraph in the tho utah count county y ennui enquirer er the school system of thia territory ia Is a poor ono one with the honorable exception of a few schools that have chosen an independent course coarse the rule is that school is taught only in the winter season theu then the children are disbanded for eight or nine months in they the year ear par another serious mistake which has been made ia Is the employment of incompetent teachers As asa a rule a person of superior abilities and one who could successfully cess fully teach can find other employment more remunerative than those offered to school teachers in this thia community if persons of ability could be assured a reasonable salary during efficiency and mod behavior ao so that the schools could be kept going the year around our present system would boon soon emerge from its primitive dormand for mand plenty of good could be found but the niggardly method now in vogue can never mever be a sue cess cesa 11 if this untruthful statement had appeared in some bome rabid anti antl moru mort mow mon journal reckless as to truth and desirous only of showing up our affairs in the worst possible light we should haye have had no cause for wonder but appearing in the enquirer we are led to think t hat that when this paragraph was penned the editor must havo veen jeen abroad the first sentence is a singular one it states that our school system is a poor one with the honorable exception of a few schools tha that have chosen afi an independent course what whai is the matter with the 91 school system no deficiencies glen dlen are pointed out by the enquin er neither Is any better or improved system suggested what is meant by a few schools being irek grek exceptions to a system and what is meant by their choosing anflin an independent I 1 course are therhon they honorable I 1 orabie because they not act independent of bf the school law the existing school bya oya system teim established by legislative enactment provides for the organization of school districts all over the territory the election of three school l tru trustees steea in each district the ment of a maximum tax of three per cent for school purposes optional on a two thirds vote of the legal voters in each district the examination of school teachers the periodical inspection ot of uye uie detailed reporting of their condition to county superintendents and from them to the territorial super nten dent the assessment collection and appropriation ot of three mills on the dollar on all nil the taxable property in the territory for the payment of teachers i and the possession and an succession p cession of title to real estate for school purposes what ia is the matter with the system the objector does not state but contents himself with repeating the stale cry against it complaint ia is made that the rule is that school is taught only in the winter season then the children are disbanded fo for eight or nine ulna months in the y year ear we should like to know nv what hat had kind of a fix the children are in when FI disbanded abut if this complaint is ja founded on fact is this condition the fault lault of the school Is it not rather the fault or misfortune ot of certain isolated district es or the neglect of their trustees to carry out tha tho system but bat reference to the last report of the territorial ozial superintendent shows that the assertion is incorrect ther there is no school district in this territory with such a beggarly showing as Ls that which the enquirer says is the ruie rule the number of days on which school Is to taught during the year ranges fromel from 91 up thus not one school in Territory the ory maintains school so brief a period as three months edthe in the bedr ear year while many of them allowing for the tho usual vacations k keep beep up school the whole year round and most moat of them within a very little of the entire year only ihre three oare eare are under lit IM days per anil annum tim and nirid the lowest of all is 91 days the statement about incompetent pe teachers might hay have e applied to this territory many years ago but und under erthe the system now established district schools are not permitted to employ teachers who have not passed an examination an and d obtained a certificate from the board of examiners fl persons of ability are obtained inmost in most of the school districts and very liberal salaries are paid in a great many of them the total amount paid to teachers in years 1876 and 77 was to read the paragraph from the a stranger would think thac that utah was far behind the rest of the country in educational interest and facilities and that the rub bish blab circulated by her enemies on this subject were matters of fact while the fhe truth la Is that taken on any of ats its school statistics utah goldsher hold holds sher shen her own with many of the old states of the union is far ahead of many others particularly the southern states and is fore most pf af all the territories we do not pot c claim that our school system has no defects nor that it is incapable of improvement we do 0 not wish to discourage any in association or paper that thai can practical measures for the education educational il progress of the territory but we debr deprecate ecate the practice of faultfinding fault finding without mention of a remedy and of adopting the statements of unscrupulous enemies without examination as to their truth utah has done exceeding exceedingly cee ce well in educational matters the young people roared in these valleys as a rule are at least as well informed as any to he be found in rural districts in other parts parta of the country we have just fust as good district schools as can be generally found in distant places with a similar population and while there ia Is room for improvement in all ail efthem of them we have many schools of which the people may be pardonably proud some people can see no good whatever in a school system that is not entirely suppo eur eup supported ported cited by taxation we are sorry for fon them schools schools sustained in that way are advocated by some and opposed by others oah oak jaws place it within the power of any district to establish and gain malu maintain lala talA such schools A two thirds vote of any district will settle bettle it so far aa as that district is is concerned this leaves it in the power of the people to adopt which method they choose it is not considered Bider sider edwise edvise wise for the T territory at present to tor force such a k system upon the people there therefore foie toie it is left iut to the peopled peoples own discretion the chief reason why manyi many aro are opposed to a legislative system of frew tree schools is because it would at once destroy the denominational character of all public schools in the territory J and soon banish the worship of bodam and lany any reference to religious principles and vule the tn ir which our children spend the greatest est portion of their time thus fostering the spirit of infidelity and independence of divine direction luf iff human affairs which is the prevailing and increasing spirit of the age if schools are entirely supported by general taxation objections may be raised by bv any taxpayer to the therein of any reference to god or his provi dences designs and commandments maud mand ments menta for this reason many of chasa who earnestly desire the educational progress of the territory are opposed to the common free tree ee school system desiring that the tho youth of this community should be tre ineT up in the fear of theli ord as well as ii in the rudiments of secular lea iea learning let ladt us have advice sound reao reasoning ning oil oh any imy point connected with the improvement of existing laws and customs but do not pander to the spirit of the world the grumbling complaints of carping earplug objectors nor the disposition to td find tault fault eb common to the unreflecting and it if you do assail swall any weak point or measure measure unsuited to the times be sure you have a foundation in truth for your assertions and in wisdom for tin rin or for your own sake aswell as well weil na as the public welfare have gense genso enough to hold your 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