Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1847-12-08
SCHOOL REPORT.

Commissioners of Augusta County. held ~ tho
Court House ON Monday. Nov %. IS47-it was
o" the motion OF Jacob Baylor, esq, unanimously
Resolved, That the editors of the two S,aunton
papers be requested 10 publish the Report of tho
Superintendent, of Schools this day read ~ tho
Board N
REPORT.
! The Superintendent of Schools of the Cou,,,,
OF Augusta, herewith submits TO the Board of SchoCI
Commissioners of said county, his account (AI 81
receipts aud disbursements for the wear endna ,ha
3Uth day OF September, lS47. From this acconnt
1t Will appear that during the year he has received
officially the sum of ST. Sc on account of the hal
ance uneXpended at the last annual settlement of
his predecessor, Allen ; Hall, esq, late Treasurer
of the Beard and $l423 Sc for the school quota ~
the year: that he has paid out for tuition and other
authorized expenses, the sum of lSS 6S; and
that there is balance now in his hands of $24I.
| 81.
II will further appear by the abstract (B) that
$40 children, entered by the district Commission
ers attended schools during the year. the aggregate
number OF lS,gJ2z days, at an expense of $3.50 10.
that the average attendance of each child was a
bout 5ls days at the average expense of abont
81 Oos, and that there accounts due and now
outstanding TO the amount of SIP &C, which sum
forms part of the above mentioned balance in "a.
! superintendent hands. The same document
Shews the aggregate number of INDECENT children
IN the county as reported to the Superintendent by
the several Commissioners TO be 1850
with the sanction Of the Board, on entering I'M
on the duties of the office, your Superintendent fix
ed the teachers compensation for each pun;l =, 4
ceLts per diem, and having ascertained the mott =,
mount OF the fund applicable TO the education of tho
poor to DC, after deducting the sum of $500 onnro
priaied by the Board to the Staunton Academy.
S9o6 40, passed TO the credit of each Commssion'
or his equal proportion thereof
Your Superintendent would here urpo unop Tia
atten'on oil each Commissioner individually tho
importance OF adopting the suggestion of the ST.
pennendent of the Literary Fund contained ON
inc Nh page OF his Circular for lS47, that s.a still
i"rlher advance to economy may, il is thought. no
made, by always selecting for school the oides, OF
'he chlldren whose regular attendance can be relied
on. This, he thinks, should be the especial dutv
oil the Commissioners in the winter season. which
III ms country is frequently Indictment as 10 pre-
vent the regular attendance of small cbildren =,
schools IN the country. The quota for the country
being considerably less than ST. for each moor child
Is altogether inadequate TO the education of all mr.
even OF any considerable portion of such children
unless some plan be adopted by which they NAV
Nc sem 10 school IN rotation and to accomplish
ms no scheme appears to your Superintendent On
practicable as that contained in the Circular refey
red to, which is now in the hands of every Com
missioner.
Another suggestion he has to make is. that in ma
ny oil inc districts of the county there are several
schools, thus aiiordng TO the Commissioners choice
In Tine selection of teachers. To accomplish the
greatest benefit with cur small means il is neces
sary 10 discriminate rs well in the selection If
teachers as of children: and his observation dnr;n
me past year has fully satisfied him that many of
the teachers are far, very far from beinr on,TGoJ
IN any sense of the term for the arduous and
pie duties incident TO their vocation Bnt Will,
'iis IS unfortunately the case in great manv in
slanceS, 1t is not TO such an extent as TO detr,ct
from the estimable qualities and liberal acouire-
mems OF majority of that most useful class Of
men, who, because a few are unworthy sbopId b,
claSSnl in no
the Two told object of encouraging the best leach
ers, and OF securing 10 the recipient of the State
bounty the greatest possible amount of solid instn,c-
ton, he would earnestly advise the exercise Of q
SOUND Judgment in all cases where it is practicable
IN the choice OF teachers; and then to see that
they perform their duty faithfully This can onlv
DC done by the Commissioner visiting as freuuentIv
as ne can the schools in his district, and encour,1
ing both pupil and tutor to diligence and attentiSe.
n'uusuy IN the discharge of their reciprocal duties
your superintendent believes that under the ma.
ha9ement OF Board OF Commissioners conscons
Oh the nigh trust reposed in them, much pood nav.
oe accomplished under school system as now
amended and improved. That it is the best tb,,
can :. De devised he is not willing to admit but that
IL Is superior to the old system there can he M Jonht
And If properly carried into full operation NV the
gems employed in its various departments. il must
ana VIII eventually prepare the public mind for
'lie adoption oil more perfect plan of education
especially IN those sections of the State like orr
- iN VIC SSoS idPny, wealth and population
co'ioihe 10 render practicable the most improved
systems OF our enterprising and enlightened sister
States of New England '-
owing to other engagements your Sunerntond
ehl mas not been able to visit the scbools ~ H.
county but he has been dgent in enouires 70
sPecnng their condition, and from information de-
iiVcd from commissioners, teachers and parents be
IS sa'sied that generally, though not in all partic
uiars the laws as amended have been fairly tested
curing the past year, and have been found more ec
ncieht IN giving successful application to The lin
lied means under the control of the Board than .n,,
preceding laws on the subject But with /, J;t,jo
more attention and effort the part of some of tho
commissioners more may yet be done for he re
gIels that he is compelled to say that MANY of the
commissioners have considerable balances unca,led
ior IN 'he hands OF the Superintendent and hi.
100 IN districts reported as containing many more
poor children than have been entered at school III,
ring this year. In some instances this has no doubt
oeeh owing to the want OF good schools at which IN
enter the chIldren-but in other cases there arc
SCHOOLS In The districts, and still the whole amoun4
OF the appropriation has not been exhausted He
hopes IL is only necessary thus to call the attention
oil commissioners 10 the fact TO prevent n rocnr
renee Of the evil '"'
Inc reports and registers of Commissioners sbo,u
d" aggregate number of poor children in the comfy
t nuoa iSlSei tnan mad been anticipated by those
best informed the subiect-a number far ; oros.
10 De materially benefited by the school quota of
tne county, It we attempt to send them all toscboof
a' once' OF during any considerable portion of ,nY
Que year. your superintendent is therefore of ~
Pin'oH 'hat without great addition 10 The animal
Scuooi quota oil the county, either from the Stote
i-Ggary fund, or from the resources of the county
' large number OF children must grow I'D in
80 nus deprived OF the blessings of a common
eInool education. Our county is wealthy and non
DOrf