The Minnesota Pioneer

Education in Minnesota.

Our attention is called to this subject just at this time, by the presentation of two several series of school books upon our table, by two gentlemen with whom we have recently become acquainted, from the East. One of these gentlemen is Mr. Hall, agent of a publishing house in Chicago; the other is Mr. LeDuc, of New York city, who is about opening a book-store in St. Paul.

We are glad to take this opportunity to express our views upon the most practicable method of establishing a permanent and satisfactory system of school education in Minnesota. We have some acquaintance with the most highly approved systems in the States, and have conferred, with gentlemen among us, upon the subject.

It is superfluous to say that the tone of sentiment in the territory is for a high order of education. The origin, the intelligence, the enterprise of this community assure us, that our aim for moral and intellectual culture will come nothing short of the standard of the communities whence we sprung.

Our pecuniary means are small, but this fact, if we have schools at all, cannot materially qualify the system we would adopt. Indeed, a uniform system is as essential to economy in the expense of schools as to any of the interests conducted by combined capital, in merchandise, or manufactures.

We want a system—a uniform system, and a hearty concert of action throughout the territory. Now is the time to agree upon it and to adopt it. While our population is small and our schools few, we shall find it much easier to accomplish this purpose than at some future time. Education is now regarded in many of the older states as one department of State polity—an officer is elected by the legislature to superintend in that department. It is the duty of this officer to inquire of every improvement, in the means of education, which may be brought out in any part of the world, to engraft it upon the system he superintends, or to suggest it in his regular reports to the authorities. This plan has been successful to a certainty. It is as philosophical as it is modern and progressive; it being agreeable to the theory of a division of labor. The illumination of one intelligent mind directed upon this subject, will throw more light upon it, than the occasional and uncertain glances of a whole community of individuals. But the most important feature, perhaps, of a uniform system, would be in the eyes of many, the saving of expense in the purchase of books. School books in these days come out in new patterns and new editions, as often as cooking stoves, which after all save no fuel but make a new expense. Again, schools should be classed. They cannot be classed without uniform books. A teacher's time is too valuable and too short to be devoted, as in older times, to the elaboration of a problem to a single back-seater, while the minds of the rest of the school are running to waste. A uniform series of books too, throughout the territory, will qualify a pupil for classing in any other of our schools, when he changes his residence.

Not to dwell longer at this time, upon a subject of so great importance and upon which so much ought to be said, we suggest to our citizens the propriety of proposing to our next legislature, the plan of electing a superintendent of schools in Minnesota; who shall be instructed to report at an early day a system for our common schools, or to establish a system to be modified if necessary at a future session of that body. Of course, the labors of such an officer would for the present be comparatively small, and his salary would be in like ratio.