The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1857-02-18
Gur,o.ities. of the Common school Reports

!. ef.denis for the year ending lime 1856 havf
been received and present much interesting
i. matter iorrefiectIon. The mos, trouble seems
I to exist ia Bradford county, and the most op
= position came from there last winter. The
= Backs county report contains the following
passsgess
t can exposition of the condition OF few
schools, as extracted from my mote book,
will give as just view OF them as can be
obtained and by exposing the defects oi
some and showing the goodness of others,
may cause the plans of operation in the for
mer To- be stunned and those of The latter 10
be adopted.
tIn one school where had drawn a map
of PennsyIvania on the blackboard, the same
diagram had remained for year, the board
never having been used in the iterim.
& tsIn another not scholar in the school
could tell me in what country he lived, and
P when held up Holbrook's five inch globe,
] the oceans on which were painted blue, and
asked what il was, n large boy, al least II
I years of age, replied, "a birds esg'
! uAl one school, where called, the teach.
er came 10 the door; il was siorming severe
J lys without any salutalion or token o! recos-
! milton, he hastily Withdrew, and BY the time
my, horse was tied and blanketed, and my
school apparatus placed in the doorway, he
! had roughly skelched map Of his own Slate
on each OF the TWO blaek-boards, which the
directors had recently procured for him.
Y Il rat bul
coat, stepped one oi tho boards, and eX'
pressing my pleasure al the interest thus
manifested in the study OF geography, COM
menced pointing out with ruler the bound
aries-and rivers, nquiring of The scholars at
the same lime what they were. | was una
BILE 10 get a single answer from any of them,
because this was their first "dr.li" They
uierchansed sly looks with each other as
much as 10 cay, 'our loxish teacher has been
hoed this-time.'
ttAt the time of my visit 10 another school,
with eight good windows in lhe room, three
OF them only had tho shutters open. The
mephitic atmosphere was very oppressive
and offensive but il was not long before the
sashes of all were raised and free circula-
tioa of pure air admitted. Although this was |
late in the summer, the house had not been
whewashed this season, nor the desks, seats |
and floors scrubbed and cleaned. The room
might be fairly characterized rs filthy and
unhe ulthy. and but little wonder need be ex-
pressed that a child compos mentis, should be,
us was here the case, twelve months learn
ING its letters This teacher asked me it
thought the schools throughout the county
were any better than before the County SUI
periutendency, Judging from things about
him, the question was natural enough.
"Soan after this | visited another ot an up
rorious character. There were several infants
hnre who were not old enough, according 10
law. to be admitted. The teacher said she
had been informed by director that the pa
| rents of these babies would pay her tor ta-
king care OF them. and very artlessly inquir-
ed oi me irhat she ought 10 charge, OF late
wears. not having been much accustomed to
nursing. was unable to fix the rate, and
snFnrised her very much by informing her
she had no business to have them in school
at aiL1
The following case from Monroe county is
much like some we could give of Columbia
ilitwuuld do any good; and illustrates what
kind of men taught SCHOOLS before exanilna'
tons we're required
There was one man who came 10 me,
who was wiser than all the rest, with teach
er for examination. Here, said he, is a
schuoimaster want YOU TO inspect; he is
rund enough to teach our schools | have
been a school director for fourteen years and
have hired all the teachers We don't want
any law we don't want YOU to visit on: dis
,ricl WE get this man chap for ten dollars
and board give him certificate 50 he can
yet his money! Ithen addressed the teacher
and tried 10 make myself sociable. Iwished
10 know where his native place was. ldon't
know he answered His friend told him
oniv wanted 10 know where he lived when
he was a; lone or said lie, L live in
Bush sill township, Northampton county
How ,a- are your best scholars advanced in
......Es..cN 'Atc-; three miles, said Mi,
Pedacpgus. His friend looking a little sur
r-ised. put the question in his own language.
p, How lar has your biggest boy ciphsredP-
q! / believe my bigge< boy has ciPheted
as far as tie sisgis ruis Of fGT!!!" There
happened 10 be number of intellisen, per-
sons present who were excited 10 laughter,
and hey remarked lha, this amt similar in.
Stances would have a tendency 10 awaken
/ the people on The subject of education lis
needless 10 say lhs, the Old man and hi;
school teacher venI home somewhat dissp-
poia;sd.'
OF course we have only selected the mos
slarins instances Of ignorance and folly from
the pAnphisi before rs. and the publicaiiog
Of these wlL we are confident, do grea
, deal oi auod There are hundreds OF othe
paragraphs, showingits progress made IN al
Its counties IN the mode of teaching, ia'
improvement in school-housss, aud the ia
creased interest in education among the whoi'
tn~1