, 1859-01-12
PRESS AND TRIBUNE.
Education in illinois,. .Superintendent's
RAnnff.

Education in illinois,. s~.SuperintendenI's
Report.
In another part OF this paper We print,
from advance ahests, The first half-dozen pages
Of the Second Biannial Report Of the Super
intendcnt Of Public Instruction Of the State
Of Illinois. The revelations therein contained
ars Of the most gratifying character, not only
to every advocate Of universal education,
but to every citizen Of Illinois rho has pro.
per pride in the State Of hi adoption.
The system Of Free Schools Of the State has
struggled long against The distru st and SAY
age dislike Of a portion Of her citizens, tho
chilling effect Of poverty, the disabilities
growing out Of the isolated condition Ct Set
Elements, q sparse and widely scattered popu-
lstion. But little while ago, and tue most
ardent friends Of Eiucation dar ed hardly
hope that We should ever succeed in ap-
proachinS in our educational machinery the
condition Of Connecticut or New York, much
less that we should ever presume to rival
those States The mountains of Ignorance
and prejudice which had to ba overcome, the
material development required and tie po-
Gtlcal enlightenment necessary we're so many
obstacles in the way, against which it seemed
that generation might contend In vain. But
the earnest and persistent labor Of the few
who, in the universal scramble for money,
found time to devote to the intellectual wants
Of The State, has triumphed. The results &C.
conp!iEled arc set forth in the report be:orc
us. We are told by it that the system adop.
ted but few years ugo affords great sa.isfac-
ton in ise practical workings; that under it
tue number Of public schools has increased to
lo,236; that out Of the 470,540 white pcrtons
IN the State, between and q years Of age,
44o.339 have during the last year been, at
some time, in attendance at these schools;
that in two years, l,267 new school houses
have been built: at a net cost Of s1,324,947;
that tue schools hare been open on an aver
age Six und Gre.sixsls months each thu. VIC
have an army Of 5,s7s female and 1903 male
teachers; that they were raid, in tue twelve
months just passed, wages to tie amount Of
$2,2e3, ,CSs; that during that time s4,975 ,oG2
were expended 1or school purposes alone;
and that tue permanent school fund is now
valued at 81 4,458,4l9:
a system Of such magnitude and import
ancc, Which comes home to every child in the
STATE, touches every property holder, in-
wolves such vast expenditure Of money, en-.
ploys 20 large number OF men and women,
and which has such tur-reaching results,
affecting generations yet unborn. certainly
deserves more attention than the Legislature
has ever bestowed upon it. Both in its re-
suits and cost ii lakes precedence Of any other
part Of oar civil polity- But when it is under
discussion in Committee o: in either House,
thc time devoted 10 it is begrudged; aud not
unlrequcutly, nay generally, the entire legi.-
lation devoted to schools is showed over to
the few last days Of the brief session. tLen to
take lis chances with tic six or eight hull
dred private, trivial, nonscnaIcal acts which
ought never to appear on cur statute book IL.
au. Tue school law now demands important
amendments to make it as beucfcent iu its
operation rs the friends Of education desire,
There is 10 provision In it for auy efficient
supervision OF the schools By either town or
county oficcrs-a deficiency that ought to III.
immediately remcdted. For 1hc honor Of
Illinois and the welfnre Of her children, let
Us hope that political gquabbling and personal
legislation mag give why to the demands Of
our educational iutercss, and that The Gen.
cral Assembly will not adjourn until tho
scaoui law is thoroughly orcrbaulcil.
Mr.. powcll's report is one Of tue most
valuable documents Of The kind that las ever
been published in the country. 1t contains
ina$s Of Information that has been procured
with grca! labor and ins-informatioa
which, so fur as it refers to Illinois, has never
hcen COLLECTED before. It marks it's author
's Que If the allcet and most julicious OF the
friends Of educaton-placcs Kim in lbc front
rank Of the Instructors to whom our couutry,
particularly the West, owes 50 much.