Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-05-06
PUBLISHED TWAND BRADFORD COUNTY, Pa BY oMER


| Iy demanded, and where this is the case, it
seems to be peculiarly favorable time for re-
districtng the towns and constructing suitable
school houses.
The difficulties and inconvenencies that would
grow out Of change, would, in most cases,
be but temporary, while the benefits would be
permanent. Some children would be under
the necessity of travelling a greater distance
to school it is true, but they would lind 4 bet
ter school Some new houses would be re-
quircd, but are they not in very many cases
required now, even if they are to be placed
on the sites Of the old ones
Let us examine the question a little more
closely, and see how the matter operates
Every man who has family of children to
educate would, of course, like to have a school
house so near to him that his children can at
tend school conveniently when they are small;
this is in itself commendablc and his wishes
should be complied WITH when it can be done
without prejudice to the rights OF Others or in
Jury to the general cause Of education, but as
our schools are to be supported by the taxa
blc property of the whole town, no man has
right to claim that his interests must be look
ed after, and the education Of his children at
tended to- to the neglect or injury of others.
All cannot be as well accommodated with
schools as they might desire especially is this
the case where the country is just filling up
with inhabitants Some must of absolute ne
cessity be too near to the school house, and
others too remote from it.
This is state Of things that always exists
to a greater or less extent in comparatively
new country, and it cannot be obviated Who'll
ly by establishing new schools in every sepa-
rate neighborhood Schools when thus es-
tablishcd must be supported and kept open
four months, or the State appropriation can
not be drawn. The schools being small, and
there being so many in the town to be kept
open, the directors are obliged under the pres
sure of the circumstances to employ cheap
schools is increased the taxes must not be rails
ed More (not better) houses must be erect
ed but the taxes must be kept down. Direc
tors find themselves thus placed between two
fires, rs it were. The necessity of supporting
all the schools, Notwithstanding they may feel
assured that fewer schools would accomplish
the object of educating the whole children OF
the town far better, and with less expense
this stands upon the one hand and the diSap
probation of some portion of the citizens Of
the town, if they attempt to interfere with
schools as they are established, upon the other.
They dare not increase the taxes, and con-
sequently, inexperienced and sometimes lily
qualified teachers are employed, because they
will work for less wages than will those who
are competent and experienced. Children at
tend school term after term and parents see
no Improvement ; the school has been Kept,
but the scholars have not been Taught aud
as soon as the individual employed has by ex-
perience acquired sufficient skill and tact to
begin to impart knowledge successfully, he or
she must be transferred to a larger school, be-
cause the former one is too small to pay for
experience Thus small schools are always
taught by inexperienced teachers.
Less schools would be less expensive to the
whole town, both for houses or teachers
Every one knows that it costs but a trile
more to build a house forty by thirty or twen
ty-fve, than it does to build one twenty-five
I,,E Hbo oil no1 &c
triae, compared with the cost of erecting two
even small houses.
If too, one good competent teacher costs
less so far as dollars are concerned, than two
incompetent ones, so far as the real value of
the labor performed by competent or incompe-
tent teachers is concerned, there is no compari-
son TO he made between them. Now If schools
were fewer in number, and more pupils attend
cd, better instructors could be employed and
better houses built, or those already erected
could be kept in better repair, not only with
! Several schools in the county averaged during
the past winter but sixteen pupils in such
| schools of course q first rate teacher could not
Dc sustained 1t is not pretended that those
individuals who have taught the longest, and
who demand the highest wages are therefore,
and as matter Of course, the best teachers,
but the principle that low priced articles are
in the end the most expensive, holds true in
the case OF teachers as frequently as in. any
other case Neither is it asserted that an in
experienced person cannot be a good teacher,
or ought not to be employed, but the general
and acknowledged fact, that our schools are
too small, and in consequence of this, cheap