The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1857-04-30

mers iesson q prudence.
While we write the sun is shining and the
birds ere singing, but the air is cold, and the
cloak and the shawl, are not uncomfortable.
When will the spring Gomez
For the Ottumws Courier.
SCHOOL AND SCHOOI4-HOUSE--
ONCE MORE.
That our transient and continually changing
school keepers, poorly paid and poorly en-
couragad, in rented and uncomfortable
school-room, and with irregular!y attending
pupils, should fail to make young Amer
lea. male and female, as wise and steady,
and learned as partial parents desire, is not
strange. 1t would be wonderful il it were
otherwise. We need free graded school,
wha. IN Ohio would be called Union school,
affording accommodations in one building, and
under an associated corpse Of teachers for
the children OF the city. In one apartment
might be placed all the little ones who are I'M.
able to read, under the instruction Of some
kind and experienced lady, who should be
chosen with special reference 10 her fitness
menced reading, with those attending TO PEN
manship, arithmetic, grammar, geography,
&C., as far as the directors saw fit to extend
the range Of study, might be distributed in two
or three more grades or departments, each Of
which should have special teacher. The
teacher Of the highest department is usually
superintendent of the whole school, and, in
some cases, is authorized to select and employ
his own assistants. The superintendent is in
such cases responsible TO the directors for the
whole school--scholars and teachers. Gov
eminent snd instruction in all the departments
are under his direction. II is necessary that
the superintendent be well acquainted with
approved modes of teaching and governing in
every department of the school; able to teach
child the alphabet, and extract the cube
root it is also important that he be acquainted
with the higher branches of learning. In
many Union schools the higher mathematics,
the sciences, and even the languages, are
taught in the highest department by the SUI
perintendent; and in many instances acade-
mics have been merged in Union schools, and
the principal made superintendent. Patronage
from abroad frequently flows In to this highest
department, which, inasmuch as the pupils are
non-residents. is Of some pecuniary advantage
in the support Of the school.
One Of the advantages Of the kind Of school
we have been describing, Is in regard to clas.
styling pupils. A hs~dred scholars Of the
same degree of advancement may be instructed
by a teacher more easily than thirty of differ.
ent degrees OF advancement, as found in our
ungraded schools.
Teachers may, and should be selected with
special and sole reference to their yftaess for
the departments they are to Gil.
Female teachers may with great propriety
be employed in all the departments except the
highest.
The substantial advantages Of a high school
or academy are thus made accessible to the
whole community.
The free graded school, combining all the
advantages Of district school and academy, is
absolutely unrivalled for cheapness. This could
be demonstrated by facts and figures IL called
Tor.
And, once more, the project Of fine graded
school should not be regarded as adverse to
the interests OF those engaged 10 private
schools. There may be room here for pri-
vate school Of a high grade in addition to our
public school. Such is probably the fact, and
the writer of this article would not only not
discourage, but do all in his power to tncour-
age any earnest and hopeful effort in this d.
rection ; and in addition, there may be those
among us who have proved themselves worthy
teachers in private schools, who would not
refuse situation in public school, il it were
equally remnnerative and equally respectable.
In the Ohio Journal of Education for 1853,
page So, may be found table entitled, ssSta-
tistics Of forty-fve Union schools in Ohio. for
the year 1885,, }" from which select, for illus
tration, the items relating to two of those
schools:
LIST. The town Of Elyria, with population of
800, including ass children between the
ages OF 4 and Fl, had school during ~ weeks
OF the year, the whole expense OF which
amounted TO-. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 1880
Number Of pupils enrolled. ear %
Average attendance Observation-Disclosures. EOS 90
Mr.. n T90atman superintendent, salary. 800 90
FoQy assiatant te sa1arv