Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1858-03-05

nave e1citeo q Deep reslStIes3. and almos
universal resentment in the free States"
-0-
REPORT OF SCHOOL CoMM1ssIoNER-We
are indebted to the courtesy of Auditor
RHoDs for a copy of the first Annual Re-
port of the new Commissioner of Common
Schools, Rev. ASsoN SmVrHE. 1t is a vol
luminous, we'll prepared and interesting doc
ument. Having heretofore given the staiis-
tics it contains in reference 20 our W
county, we add a general abstract of the re-
port prepared by 4 contemporary:
alt is a document of about four hundred
pages, embracing a great variety of valuable
information in reference to the state Of edu-
cation in Ohio, and containing many useful
suggestions. 1t is impossible in a short re-
view to notice even the prominent points in
the report. We shall only attempt a notice
of some things in it Of general interest.
Returns have been received by the Com
missioner, during the past year, from the
Auditors of 81 coun,ies-Cuva hoga alone
making no return, owing to a neglect on the
part of the school officers to make reports to
the Auditor. Some townships in other
counties were also delinquent.
The number Of youths enumerated in the
State, under the school law, is e36 ,O37, while
the whole number enrolled in all our schools
is but, SOB SAT; leaving 234,690, who have
not attended school at all during the past
year.
But the average attendance during the
past year, was but $50 1867, that is out of the
838,O37 youths in the State, but 35o,867,
have been in regular attendance upon the
schools, leaving an average of 4s7,17o who
have attended no school.
But the non-attendance at &C hool, or on
the means of instruction, is evidently not SO
great as these figures show. Many children
attend other schools than those maintained
at the public expense, and many are instruc-
ted at home. Still it must be admitted that
there is a great lack in the general education
of oil our children.
To remedy this evil, namely, the non-at-
tendance Of a large number of children at
school, the Commissioner proposes q compul-
sorry law, such Us exists in many countries in
Europe and in the State of Massachusetts,
by which parents and guardians shall send
their children and wards to school a certain
number OF months in each year or suffer GER
tain penalties. Yet the COMMISSIONS il not
to be understood as recommending the imme-
date enactment of such a law, for he admits
what is most certainly true, that the public
mind OF Ohio is not prepared for such a
measure. We doubt the propriety or expe-
diency of such penal e~nactnents, though
recommended by very high authority. But
as no attempt to enforce such a law in Ohio
IS likely to be made soon, we do not think
it worth while to spend time in discussing the
proposition.
Another great evil TO which the Commits
sioner directs public attention is that of tru-
or the absence of children from school
without the consent of parents. guardians or
Every man or woman that has
been or is a teacher, is aware that this is,
especially in large towns and cities, a seri-
Gus evil, which needs all the proper checks
Gun be given it. When parents or
guardians, who are loo often remiss IN this
great duty, send their children to school,
every legitimate means should be used to
effect their prompt and daily attendance
Children who are defective III their moral
organlzation or training, or in both, often
the viligance of both parents and
and absent themselves from school
and then attempt Justification Under false
pretences In this way. they too often be-
Come skilled in lying and hypocrisy and RI
for almost any crime.
In Massachusetts they have q stetute for
Fhe prevention OF truancy, and for sending
cases 10 the Reform School
are moi sure but such a law is proper and
you'd prove highly salutary. It would
merely step in in aid of the parent, and give
effect to his authority wherein it was weak
md defective.
The Commissioner gives an interesting
of the condition of Common Schools
If Ohio for the past twenty years, or from
1897 to 1857 inclusive. The following ia
de shows how some of the leading items for
1877 and 1857 compare: