Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1857-04-15

! CoNPARIsoN.-By comparing this year with
| the last, find the number in each branch of
study, rs we'll as the number Of branches, in
creased. On my first visitation of the schools
in the county, not over ton pupils had been
thro' any arithmetic. This year upwards of
so have been through Rose, Davies, Greenleaf
or Rays Arithmetic, and many others nearly
| through. There are 205 in arithmetic, 80 in
geography, 100 in grammar, more than there
were last year. Our Teachers with few ex-
ceptions have improved very much. History,
| Philosophy, Physiology and Algebra will soon
| be introduced into many of our schools.
MIsoELLASEoUs.-A County Institute of
three days was held at the county seat in Oc-
tobcr, but politics high little could be
| done for education. Four district associations
| have been organized for the improvement Of
teachers and the condition of the schools, viz
! Penn tp., Curwensville Bor., Clearfeld Bor.,
and Luthersburg. find by note book. some
| parents think their children should learn
books or no books at home, or at school
Some schools had /, some s, aud one only one
| pupil at the time of my visitation. One pa
rent said: ssMaster, push my boy ahead; l
| find he can't tell the difference between Divi
sion and Subtraction.' every well; send
him to school.'' l see by the tally paper, he
has been IN all two days there, and had one
sheet of paper, SO smoky and black that ink
would almost make white mark on it.
| ELEMENTARY BRASCHEs.-More attention has
| been paid to Orthography, the nature and pow
er of letters, Reading, Mental Arithmetic, &c.,
than in times past. Small pupils that can
spell in three and five syllables, with few
proper explanations IN the vowel sounds, take
| up and comprehend them as readily, and often
better, than the larger ones, and can tell what
figures govern the vowcls in any word given
them to spell. Writing ranks high with many,
and if the teacher is good writer. he must of
course be good scholar in other branches;
but if the teacher is a poor penman, let his
other qualifications be what they may. he is
considered an Indifferent scholar. As far as
my experience goes, have found the very
best writer's in this county to be very deficient
in other branches, because writing is their
| hobby, which they ride into many school,
at the expense OF more important branches.
A good teacher may be poor writer, while
| good writing does not constitute good teach
er; yet good teacher should understand the
|
| hand, uniform and proportional.
GRADED SCHooLs.-There are none properly
graded, but many well classified, and in an
other year the prospects will be fair for graded
schools in the towns and villages. The sooner
this is done, the better. 1t will save time,
money and labor, and not require many
teachers of a higher grade TO do the same Ia
Dor. So long as our schools are mixed with
eight or ten branches taught in one school, an
increased demand will be created for higher
grade and greater number of teachers of that
kind whose wages also must be higher. If the
schools arc rightly graded, and all the advan-
ccd scholars in District put into one school,
one teacher of the higher grade will answer in
place of five six.
WAGEs.-Male teachers average from SIS to
| $50 per month females from sic to S25, ac-
cording to qualifications. In few places the
teachers have all the same monthly pay with
out regard to qualifications or size and ad-
vancement of the school. This is wrong and
does great injustice to the professional teacher.
APPLIcANTs.-A few applicants, who could
not answer half the questions in orthography,
or give the element sounds OF any letter, or
dignant at the high numbers on their certif-
Gates, "a Mr.. Hunter was of the number,
and said he had teached school seven years,)
while others, satisfied with any numbers, went
away conscious of their being minus, yet with
the laudable resolve to study and improve, so
as to be equal to the best if possible. This
resolution some eight or ten are pursuing with
all the vigor of mind they have.
GLAND OFFIcE."-The suggestion has been
made to abolish the Office of Surveyor Gcner-
al and give the building TO the School Depart
ment, that is occupied for that purpose. "The
reasons which sustain this proposition are
strong.'' 'The Auditor Generals report for
the fiscal year 1855, gives the State revenue
from the lands at S17 ,448.l5, and the expense
of the Land Department at Sl0,097.7s. Thus
the State pays over $4,000 to collect little
over Sl7 900. What economy, Most of the
land which the State now owns, lies in the
poorer counties, which suffer most from heavy
school tax. Let this land be given to their
schools, and the 900 which are given to
useless officers, be given to the school fund,
and the Land Office building to the School De-
partment BY this the schools and the State
will be better served. Let the records and I'll
ties be deposited In the different counties to
which they belong, and the earliest grants and
patents be placed in the State Library
| UNIFORM TAXI can make no suggestions
for the improvement of the school system, that
have not already been made by others but
/ cannot recommend in terms too strongly to
! the cft;1o,. of C1eorAsN ,o,,t- ,,a 49,