Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-12-09

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Some of these difficulties are giving way and
directors are beginning to levy building tax
in districts where such tax has been hitherto
strongly opposed.
Too many Houses and Small Schools.-One
cause that retards the progress of our schools
is the desire among the people to have small
districts, or rather the desire of every man who
has family, to have school near to his dwell
ling. Before the passage of the present law,
many schOol-houseS were built in small settle.
mentS, to accommodate three or four families
In these houses schools were kept open for two
or three months during the year. Now the
inhabitants claim the directors must make their
immediate neighborhood one of the districts,
because there is a schoohouSe in it. The con-
sequence is that more schools are allowed than
are absolutely required, and more than the
! people OF the town are willing to be taxed to
| support, cheap teachers are employed, schools
are continued in poor, inconvenient, uncomfort
able houses the people complain of the high
tax and poor schools directors allow the mat
ter to remain, not because they believe it for
the best, but because they cannot see how to
make it better without offending their neigh
bors, l do not suppose that this state of things
to be peculiar to Bradford, but it is certainly
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unacceptable TO the people, In some Of the
towns in this county directors are taking hold
of this matter in earnest in reducing the num-
Der of schools to the actual wants of the inhab
tantS In some localities the subject OF grad
ed schools is beginning to ataract considerable
attention, and it is hoped that in the course OF
two or three years, We shall have several schools
of this class in the county.
Tr1rb.rx Thara ora in RrodforJ 1or1a
number of teachers, most of whom are natives
of the county, and many every year go to 9TH
er portions of the State to find employment
during the winter. have granted , county
and 925 provisional tes:-almost treble
the necessary supply for the county. Among
such a number of teachers, there will be some
at least, who are not only inefficient but in
many respects, incompetent. So many go to
other counties to get schools, and in many in-
stances they are our best teachers, that all our
schools cannot be supplied with teachers of
the first or even of the second grade. There
seems to be disposition to encourage girls
and boys to commence teaching while quite
young; several females are engaged in our
schools who are under seventeen years of age,
and some even are under sixteen. The results
in such cases are what every person, who
thinks upon the subject, would anticipate. The
schools are badly managed, badly governed, if
governed at all, and badly taught. | have in
every instance discouraged such persons from
teaching, and have advised directors to employ
persons of more maturity. Notwithstanding,
we have some poor teachers in Bradford, some
who would do more good and much less harm,
by engaging in other departments OF industry;
some who are in almost every particular unit
for the responsible position they have assumed.
Still We have also band of noble, devoted,
ambitious, SelfSacrifcng teachers teachers,
who will compare favoraby with those Of any
other county in the State. All are not faith
full, competent, intelligent, systematic irc teach
ers but many, the most of them, are. All are
not improving every means within their reach
to become better teachers, but many are ; and
my regret is, that, owing TO the extent of my
field of labor, and the great amount of work TO
be performed, | have not been able TO render
them more assistance in the commendable OBJ
ject OF selfimprovement.
Directors have evinced willingness as q gen.
eral thing, 10 CO operate with the Superlntend-
ent in the elevation Of the schools of the coun-
ty Whenever they have been called upon to
visit the schools with him, they have uniformly
complied with the request, or have given a val
id reason for not complying. The intercourse
between them and the Superintendent has been
free, familiar, and intimate, and always of the
most friendly character. 1t is not asserted or
supposed that all of our directors are just such
men as they should be for directors, or that all
do their whole duty on the contrary it is 10
be regretted that the people are oftentimeS so
thoughtleSS in regard TO the selection Of men
10 fill that office. That, too frequently, the
only Recommendation the individual elected
presents to the voters, is his opposition TO the
principle of taxation for school purposes. 1t
is 10 be regretted also, that they do not visit
the schools more frequently when not accom-
panied by the Superintendent, aud that they
do not look more carefully to the personal aud
moral qualifications of those TO whose care they
commit the Intellectual, physical, and moral
we'll being of the youth of their respective dis
tricts While this is admitted, it is claimed
that majority of them are doing well in the
dschals of the important duties imposed up
on them by their fellow citizens. The under-
sigued is under lasting obligations TO them for
their promptneSs and uniform kindness.
The school law is still opposed in many por-
tions of the county. The men who struggled
with poverty and privations in the first settle
ment Of the country, and who educated their
families at great expense. feel the burden Of
school tax to be unreasonable. unjust and op-
pressive; feeling thus, they are honestly op-
posed to the system Of supporting schools by
taxation, this being the opinion of many OF our
oldest, aud most respected citizens, it becomes
those who are charged with the administration
of the school laws to treat these honestly en-
tertained views and feelings with candor and
fairness Men of their age and standing in So
ciety, do not readily change their opinions and
views upon questions of State policy and such
changes are seldom if ever produced by at
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