The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1859-01-13
sTRoUDsBURG, MONROE COUNTY, PA JANUARY IS, 1862

: tauce of its nature and the magnitude o
e its operations. If We look, also, into il
special statistics, the conclusion will D.
, equally clear that certain Improvement
in its working machinery, are equally in
5 dispcnsible.
1t Is needless to attempt to prove tb
: truism that the properly qualified teacho
is the life and success of the school, Bu
the facts are startling, that of the II, ,S2S
teachers of our public schools, exclusive
; of those in Philadelphia, only 5.Os7 ar,
reported as qualified" for their impor.
tant trust; while 5,387 are returned as
"medium," or such as are only tolerated
till better can be obtained; and that Z, ,3la
are stated to be "unft." In other words
of the SOS, $50 children attending the
school out Of Philadelphia only about
$50, 600 Qess than one half are under
proper instruction and training; while a.
bout 24O, 900 are receiving insuficis Mt in
struction from inferior teachers, 100000
are actually in charge OF persons wholly
unfit for the task. This presents the sub
ject in a light that cannot be shut out;
and, though the great and commendable
efforts recently made By the teachers OF
Pennsy ylvania, for their own improvement
arc fully recognized. it cannot be conceal
ed that there is work yet to be done in
this relation, which would seem to be be-
yond their unaided power to accomplish.
When, however, We look further into
the special statistics Of this branch Of the
system, the material for improvement is
found to be of the Host promising kind.
One of the II, 1923 teachers of our com
mon schools, I0,S89 are under thirty
years of age, and 1896 are natives OF
Pennsylvania: and larger proportion
than In u,ost of the other States, are per-
manontly devoted to the profession of
teaching. To render these fit for the po-
sitcn to which they aspire-undoubtedIy
one of the most useful and honorable in
the world-and to raise up constan
supply of well qualified successors, is the
work to be done.
Various modes of efTeeting this object
have been suggested or tried; but, after
aturs reflection, | am led to prefer that
devised by the act of May 20, 1857, en-
titled Gan act to provide for the training
of teachers for the common schools of the
State" ," 1t places, in relation to the
State, the teacher on the same footing
with the members OF such Of the other
learned professions as have been recog-
nized by public authority; and it is to be
regretted that the prostration of business
and scarcity of money, that SO soou fol-
loved the passage Of the act, had the eff
feet of checking many lsudable efforts to
put its provisions into operation. Under
these circumstances, does it not become
the duty of the State to afford such aid,
or at least hold out such inducements as
shall enable this measure to be fairly
tested!
The passage of law guaranteeing the
payment of moderate sun to one teach
er's school in each of the districts created
by the act of 1857, would no doubt cause
a sufficient number to establish the eff
ciency and practicabilty of the plan, to
be completed in few years; the money
not to be paid till the schools were in full
and approved operation 1t is not prob
able that this grant would cause any con-
siderable draft on the Treasury; but, O.
ven il the whole twelve schools should ul-
timately be established, tho boon would
neither be out of proportion to that which
has been conceded to other literary in
stutions, nor the number of graduates be-
yond the wants of the community. Up.
to the present time, Pennsylvania has
appropriated about 100000 in aid of
her colleges and academies, and this
mainly in the hope of obtaining from
them teachers for the com mon schools
Though the benefit of this muniGceDce
have been, in other respects, quite equal
to the amount given, it will be asserted
by no one that the avowed object has been
to any considerable extent effected 1T
would, therefore, appear to be tine that
that the aid of the State should be bro't
directly to bear in favor of the object so
long contemplated.
In this country, the want of school
which shall combine the elements Of
learning and agricultural labor, and thus
adapt itself to the education OF the far
mer, has been most seriously felt; for,
whilst our many colleges we'll ill the
measure of usefulness in their appropri-
alto sphere of influence, it must be conce-
ded that the training they imPart is bad
ly adapted to the art of practical agrlcul-
ture. In Pennsylvania that interest Is so
important as to demand at all times our
anxious attention and active support--
"The Farmers High School of Pennsyl-
vania," lately projected and planned BY
few public spirited individuals, and
which has received. to some extent, the
patronage Of the State, and the contribu-
tuions OF a number of our PATRIOTS citi-
rens, is destined to afford place where
young men may be educated at an ex-
pcnse commensurate with their means,
and to a condition qualifying them for
the pursuit of the farm Here, whilst