Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1856-05-30
For the Lewisburg Chronicle.
Condition Of the Common schools I'm
Union and snyder Counties.

der counties who have not yet sent i'll their
District Reports, with the fouG months
certificates. will please TO do SO as soon as
possible, as | wish to close the general
account and make out my annual Report
to the Department By the second week of
June next.
In availing myself of the suggestions of
a circular issued by our worthy Deputy
Superintendent Nov. 10, 1865, request
ed our teachers in my own school vista
tions, to furnish the School Department.
through me, with Reports Of their respec-
tive Schools. In compliance with this re-
quest some very able reports have been
received, and many more hope will be in
soon. From these, together with the sub
stance of my own visitation notes, | will
endeavor to submit n condensed report of
the School, School-houses, &C., Of Cnlon
and Snyder counties. have taken notes
of each School visited, but they would
prove too lengthy ioc publication.
The Schoo-houses are generally
good, aud built If various materials, from
a log cabin not worth So, to splendid
brick edifce worth $500, but the majorl-
~ are frame OF l.ll.k weatherboarded aud
painted red, interior either ceiled aud
rlaStered, or lined with boards. "Dimcn-
sions" averaging from l6 by Is to lS by
80 feet, but the ma jorlIy are about 20 by
- feet. llei.hth Of ceiling, from . to II
feet, giving an AVERAGE or about 1860 clbic
feet of air to each house, - t-ot 20 each
scholar attending school, l09 cubic feet to
the average number of scholars attending
school. Ventilation Although in geEcr-
al there are no particular provisions made
for the aar:.ittance oil fresh air, yet believe
few schools suffered fora necessary suppl;
for while the trap door IN the ceiling al
lowed the impure atmosphere TO pass off,
the vacuum was usually supplied with
fresh air through broken panes, cracks in
the wall, or space between the door and
threshhod. "Desks will usually accom-
moIate two pupils, each average about u
to the school, except IN about 2o schools,
which like the houses in which they are
found. are got up on the log cabin princi-
PIE, with slab by""hcs, the legs as long in
proportion as a Shanghai Rooster S. -
The desks or writing boards facing to.
wards the wall, extend ,he whole length Of
the house. As 10 the propriety OF having
the scholars backs turned towards the
teacher will let others JUICE; with these
exceptions, the seats asa generally iaSt,a-
cd to the desks 50 that the front OF the
desk serves as a back 70 til. seat. the
majority to high for children, and few of
them close enough h TO the desk to give a
healthy position TO the scholars. The
teachers desk " is usually found in front
of those occupied by the pupils, though
few Of our most efficient teachers make
much usc Of it except when calling the
roll, &c, while an other class of teachers
consider themselves out Of place when oat |
Of the chair. Black-hoards are fonnd |
in nearly al the schools, but many oi them
too small to accommodate more than two or
three pupils at time. - Maps are few,
and those few not designed for schools, /
except one set of Peltons outline maps, !
which l found successfully used by an |
efficient teacher of the system.
"Gobes and other school apparatus"
wanting. Arrangements for hats, BON
nets, books, &c" The mats, caps, bonnets
and shawls are usually hung up in sGlaH ,
nnti-rooms, (which ] forgot to mention
under the proper head, usually about eight
feet square, fitted mp with shelves for din
ner-baskets. and nails or hooks for has,
cloaks, DC, while the books generally find
room on the desk shelves, every thing is
found in its place, and every thing is done
in its proper time; while in a few Other
schools i found books and clothing
promlscuously scattered abont on desk, or
windows; nothing appeared to have its
regular place, and no lesson its particular
time.
"The school, its grade" Only few
OF the village schools are graded; BOYS
and girls in all cases are taught in the
same house.
whole and average number OF pupils
attending school" last year. Old Union
reported 1850 male and sos female
scholars; Total S.6l; average 56j0;
average number 10 each school 81; num-
Der of schools last year l6l; present year
l63 ; number Of school houses los two of
which were not opened last winter. The
total number of scholars last winter | can
not tell until all the District reports have
been received.
Branches taught and books used
The branches taught are Orthography
Reading, Wri ing, Mental and written
Arithmetic. Algebra, History, Geography,
English Grammar Composition Elocu,ion,
Book keeping, Physiology, Philosophy,
Chemistry, Music, aud Latin. The names
of the books used are almost legion, a,
least the catalogue would prove toe lengthy
to be contained in this brief report.
Punishment, whether corporal or other
WISE" In some schools found the birch
in the teachers right hand, text book in ,
the left, showii, that the government rest,
ed between reason and compulsion; that
if the pupil willingly yielded to the for i
mer, he could avoid the latter. In sever
al other schools, on entering the hou'e, |
observed the unlucky urchin standing on
the teachers platform occasionally thrust
ing an unpleasant cOun;enance above the
edge of MS book, making a wry face at
the teacher when his back was turned
But the greatest punishment, in my opin-
ion, that saw inflicted, was TO have chill
dren day after day perched on those
already described slab seats. without a sup {
port for their backs, or rest for their feet,
for as general case they could not reach
the floor with their feet 10y SIX Or eight /.
inches, COMPELLED ut the same time to keep
" their eyes on their book" while their
minds were perhaps meditating upon some I,
plan how to make a happy escape from
their th-a'iom.
Attention paid to study" Where the /
variety OF books is not too great TO make
the desired classification, the attention is
reported good.
Degree Of Advancement The ele-
mentary branches justly claim the suprc-
macy, yet Orthography, Reading, and the
principles of Arithmetic have heretofore
been to much neglected or their import