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Show EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION. The meeting of the Educational association, at the Thirteenth ward assembly rooms, yesterday afternoon, was not to largely attended aa most of the previous ones, thcugh the interest was not diminished. Dr. J. M. Benedict, trustee of the Ninth district, addressed the meeting, at aome lecg'h. He said the position , of school trustee was Bomewhat of an anomalous one, aa the law was Dot made of sufficient completeness to U ll him his duties; the interpretation of the law devolved, iu a great measure, upon tbe trustee, who Bhould, exercise bis judgment in introducing reforms and ideas into the echool of his district. dis-trict. He presented a graphic picture of the school in which be got bis early education, and contrasted it with tbe vchool; of more modern times, with their advanced improvements and aaditionB for the bent fit of the pupils. At a place an hour's ride from New York city the centre of learning-he learning-he first went to learn. The school-house school-house was a rude concern; tbe windows were all brokeB, the woodwork wood-work was uopaiuted, tbe dedks were of primitive design and make, and tbe seats were mere alabB, direct from the saw mill, with "a leg in each corner," with no backs to support the spinal column. In tbe rear was an old, cast iron stove, which took the teacher and two able bodied scholars much of their time to keep furnished with fuel. There was no plaster on the walls; no maps, charts nor pictures graced the interior; globes and the ordinary parapbernelia that are oow considered necessary were then absolutely unknown. Some books particularly the English grammar were introductions that met with decided opposition from the trustees, and in some instances were not permitted. If a teacher could spell axle tree and shepherd favorite catchwords then he was accepted. He was Eale if he bad passed the trustees, and no matter what be did, it was all right, and so long as he did not allow the girls to climb to the roof in the winter time and bank up the enow on the chimney chim-ney and smoke bim out be was supreme in his place. Now the picture, the scenes and tbe circumstances are changed, and the duties of trusteej are different. Tht: speaker thought that, now, a trustee should have ideas of bis own, a certain amount of knowledge and understanding, blJ back-bone and Btamina to carry out his convictions. Man was not too learned to learn more, and if an idea or a principle was given him, he should careful y consider it, and, if it was better tban any of his, should adopt it. The el J school law intended to provide a schoolroom with euitable furniture, paraphernalia and teachers, teach-ers, but tbe one fourth of one per cent, optional tax, for the relief of trustees in euch cases, was repealed, and il the Bboolhouse needed repairing repair-ing and a half a dollar would save it from ruin, there was no recourse to the present law to obtain that fifty cents, if tbe. taxpayers would not meet and vote the amount. The legal duties of tiustees were easily understood. under-stood. They were tu examine into tbe qualifications of teachers in olden times; now they have nothing to do therewith. Tbo teacher now comes with a certificate, as provided by law; he has beeu before ft board, and hia qualifications are endorsed by a committee. The doctor thought that it was the duty of a trustee to take a step or two further. In the engagement of ft teacher by trustees, tbe disposition, temperament tempera-ment and health of the former should be inquired iolo. An invalid or confirmed con-firmed dyspeptic should not be employed, em-ployed, as the strain brought to bear on their pbjslcal nod mental powers is too great they caonot maintain an even temper. From actual observation, obser-vation, trustees should inquire into the disposition of teachers and into their discriminating powers aa well. Trustees should sco to the comfoit ana condition of the ecbolare; look over the text books and inquire into the general management of the room. Ia the public schools kept in operation opera-tion by tho law itself and by the nnnrnnr'ntinn Ihn ntlnrulanCB id DTO- "fi"vr" "i miacuoue, and in the employment of a teacher nothing Bhould be iutro duced that could be excepted to by the parents of tbe children not only in general diicipHne, but in all the elements outside tho fund amenta rules of education. It seemed to bim that whero all arc allowed by law to go to a district Bchocl, it would be proper to omit in the teachings everything every-thing of a religious or a political nature. na-ture. He s.vid there was ample opportunity offered in the Sunday schools and in tue morning and evening devotions at home to incul cate religious ideas. If religious training in any ouc channel was da sired, his advice to those wishing it was to send their offspring to denominational denomi-national schools, and oct to or.e supported out of the public treasury. Morality is well enough, but religious religi-ous teaching was net nece;s:uy. All men and women Bhould h.ue theirrigbts under the law. "ReudirT. 'rilin' and 'rithmMic" were what public schools were for and not religion reli-gion or politics. Practically be w.s opposed to the iLtroduction of certaiu printed works; it was an ioju3ii:e even to one bioU individual, to be evmptlled to read works they did not bflitve in. He wculd stand up for education, irrespective of rxl'g'on, 'politics or anything eUe. The i-cho.il j ' t au institution Lf lenrtii' g: m; jpruseiyliug, moralizing, lecturing or UermoDizing- Of couroe, he would ! not conseut to the appointment of an atheist or an iiifiJel. loe existence ol Gjd ebou'd be Uught ani im-pr-a-ed on the young mind. The j SpC;k,ir thou reversed the picture and ; a-kod his audience how they wonM like to hw cat, by circuantau':-s. into a community of atheist acd iuQU'U and have atheism and infidelity , forced down them? He thought then-would then-would be a bot rebellion, anJ justly, ! '.oo. Mr. J. Z. S-.esir:, nf Draperville, Iillowed, and in a plaiu, intellectual iracner dieccursed on the moral and religious teachings in district schools,! and how these teachings could be given to advantage. His ideas con- flicted with Dr. Benedict's in the par-! ticular of tbe introduction of religion, ! and his idea of teaching morality was that the teacher Bhould show by example ex-ample iu bis every day life what hi-would hi-would have his pupils profit by. Mr. R. H. Smith, of the Fifteenth district, spoke next on prizes and their effects in common schools. He objected lo prizes being given under the old rule, which generally had a tendency to discourage all except tbe particularly smart pupils, and could cite instances to prove the eyetera was wrong. His plan was one of gradation grada-tion : r;za for all attendants at the school, and special ones for the whole routine of studies, which would prove an incentive to all members of the school. The question was raised by Mr. Brown, why eeetion 8 of the echoo! law could not be resorted to to aid trustees in collecting tbe Bchool tax. Mr. Fuller explained bow the law had worked in the Tenth district, by the anti tax people combining; against tbe payment of the tax, placing tbe small district, with limited means, upon the ofiecsive and prospectively calling for more money to carry the law into e fleet than the Buit would produce, if gained in the courts, and auggested and subsequently moved that a committee be appointed to investigate in-vestigate the present law, both of tbe city and county, relating to schools, and determine upon a plan or sys tern of "pooling the iesue" to urge upon the next legislature to enable the trustees to elevate the status ol the district schools, the committee to report their findings and suggestions to the association for discussion. After a few remarks from Prof. Lewis, upon religion in district schools, which diflered from thone of Dr. Benedict, the meeting adjourned for two weeks. |