Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1858-01-14
THURSDAY, JANUARY IA, 1853.


ana as the pioneer in the great work of 40.
rlcultural education, commend it to the gen.
erous patronage of the Legislature, and to
the confidence and liberality of the people of
| the Commonwealth
ihe report to be submitted by the Super
lntendent Of Common Schools will present n
clear and satisfactory statement Of the gen.
erai operation OF the system during the past
year.
The separation of the School from the
State Department, by the act of the last ses-
sion, was just tribute to the Importance
and value of onr common school system
The great educational interests of the State,
the care and guardianship of the intellect
ual, social and moral improvement of the
youth OF the Commonwealth, should occupy
a prominent and independent position among
| the departments of the government. If the
care of the treasure of the Commonwealth,
the development of her material wealth. and
the advancement Of her poltico, co,economical
| interests have received from the government
the marked aud distinctive recognition of
| their Importance, how much more should the
mind Of her youth-with its wondrous ac
| tivities-its constantly unfolding energies,
| and Its infinite superiority to the material
and physical, claim still higher considera-
ton, and receive from the representatives fo
| the people, a more honored recognition
AS an independent department. greater
efficiency will be given to the system-a
more direct and immediate supervision will
be secured-the details of its operation more
carefully observed--its deficiencies discover
| edits errors corrected--the accomplishment
of its noble purposes and objects rendered
more certain, and the system itself saved
! from the dangerous and debasing influence
/ of political excitement, and partizan preiu'
dice.
The county superintendency, tested by ex-
perience, has realized the just expectations
! OF the friends of the measure, and may now
/ be regarded as a permanent and indispensa-
! ble part of the system. When committed to
/ competent men, 1t has accomplished noble
work In promoting the success and useful
ness OF our common schools and wherever
! the duties of the Office have been faithfully
/ performed, the character Of the schools has
/ been elevated, their number and the number
! of scholars increased, and the confidence and
! encouragement of the public secured. In
! the hands of Incompetent men, these results
! have not been obtained but, on the contra
| ry, opposition has been provoked, and the
! cause of common school education retarded.
! This office should not be committed to any
! but men thoroughly qualified by education
| and experience for the performance of its
| arduons and responsible duties and if the
! school directors of any county, in disregard
| of their obligations, from opposition either
| to the system or the Office, select an incom-
/ petont person for the place, the odium of the
act, and Of failure 10 secure the benefits re-
sulting from proper and intelligent admin
istration of the office, should rest upon them,
and not upon the law authorizing the APP
| pontment The de ects of the system, when
clearly established, should be promptly cor
I ,I,,, lx.-nx- OF,
and innovation, induced by selhshness or
prejudice, may endanger its permanency and
destroy its efficiency.
The act of the Goth cay of May, 1857,
providing for the due training of the teach
ers for the common schools Of the State, by
encouraging the establishment of Normal
schools within the districts designated in the
law, has received the cordial appreciation OF
all interested in the success of our common
schools The passage of that act Inaugural
ted a new era In the history OF common
school education in Pennsylvania. 1t is
movement in the right direction full of
encouragement and hope for the greater per-
fecton and usefulness the system. Large
and enthusiastic meetings Of the friends of
education have been held in many of the
districts, to promote the establishment OF
Normal schools, as contemplated by the act;
and liberal sums of money have been sub
scribed to secure this desirable object. A
noble work has been commenced, and sus-
tained BIZ individual enterprise and LIBERAL
ity--enccuraged by the State, and vindicat-
ed by its own intrinsic merit, it must go on
until State Normal Schools, in number and
| efficiency, equal to the supply of we'll
| trained teachers, shall become the just pride
| and boast Of Pennsylvania
| The organic structure OF our system is as
perfect, perhaps, as human legislation can
! make it but it needs the competent and
| thoroughly trained teacher to give it greater
| vitality and efficiency, and secure the full &C
! complishment of the purposes OF tins crea-
! ton The teacher, the properly educated,
| the weI-trained, the scientific teacher, is the
great want Of the system. We need the
teaching mind, not the automaton movements
of mere physical organization or antlqated
routiue, to direct and control the intellectual
energies of the youth of the Commonwealth.
We require mind, educated mind, IN our
schools, that knowledge may be communlca-
ted, not only effectively and practically, but
that in training the young, they may be
| taught to think-and how to thlnk--to Inves-
tipate. and know for themselves, and thus
be fitted and prepared for the high and re-
! sponsible duties of the man and the citlzen.
This deficiency can only be supplied by
State Normal schools for the education OF
teachers. To them we must look. The
future is full of hope. Much has already
been done to provide for their establish
ment and support In connection with
honorable individual effort, more legislative
encouragement may be required. 1t should
be given cheerfully and promptly. No sub
iect of greater interest can claim your atten,
ton no one appeals with more reason and
truth, to duty and patriotism.
Teachers institutes, as auxiliary to Nor
NAL schools, should be aided by the State
Through their agency, sustained by the no
, BILE and selfdenying efforts OF the teachers
themselves. much good has been acco onplish-
ed in educating and training teachers and