Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1859-01-13

1osinstructions; or their results; and I
suggest the sexpediency of SUI
legislation as will secure the collection
s this information, so essential to full unde
!. standing of the condition of our populate
D in this important respect. -.se-ye.1 .s
/. 1t will not escape yorr observation tbs
!. while the actual progress and condition
Iour Common Schools may well CRAFTY al
i encourage the friends of popular education
: there yet remains a wsrk to be accomplishe
, which imposes grave responsibilities an
must needs excite earnest solisitude.s Tt
i whole humber of youth of the school agt
as has been already stated, is S43 $40, viii
!. the number enrolled is 609 ,343, making ih
number not enrolled 2s4 ,4s7. The dispal
|. iiy between the whole number and the nun
Der, 355. 1858, in daily attendance, is NOR
striking. The difference is 4S5, ,977. Maxim
every allowance for the humber taught
private or denominalional schools, ther
must still remain considerable ,numbe
who do not attend any school at all, Will
OF those who do not absent themselve
altogether, very large proportion atten
SO irreguiarly or for such brief periods tina
they derive little beneit from it,. -t..., =
/ Next 10 this absenteeism, the most seriou
hindrance to the prosperity of the Commo,
Schools is the went of sufficient num5e
of well qualified teachers. Not a few in
deed efour teachers possess eminent quail
hcalions for their responsible Office T,
such we owe not only many excellent dis
tr CT schoo shut alsotEeHighSchools which
adorn many of our cities and towns, an,
afford opportunities for education which
would have been sought iD vain few year.
ago in most of our Academies and Colleges
Much the larger number, howe are ex
trenely deficient both in knowledge and iu
that ability to teach which mere Knowledge
can never give. --.-- -.....s.--.. .,.-,-..ir.. .
The correction Of these evils, 80 far a.
may be. practicable, is your duty, and viii
be, trust, your pleasure and your honora biz
I distinction. D. .---s.- eli, -.-r-ss7 &c..
|. The beztmeans, in my judgment, of secur.
ling an adequate number of good teachers
are the establishment of Normal Schools
and :he encouragement of Teachers Insti
tutes. ventured to suggest last year the
organization of Normal Department in
one uy both our State Universities. More
immediate and perhaps more valuable re-
suits would probably be obtained from the
establishment of three or four Normal
Schools in different districts ofthe State,
giving the preference with n each district
to the city or town which would provide the
best buildings for the purpose without cost
to the S'ate. Provis ion has already been
made by law for the encouragement of
Teachers Institute but it is uncertain and
Inadequate recommend the direc: ap-
Preparation of an adequate sum, to be paid,
on compliance with proper conditions; upot.
the certificate of the State Commissioner.
The indispensable necessity of securing g
general, regular and continued attendance
in, school is universally acknowledged
Without this the great object of the COM
mon schools, namelr, a good education for
every child IN the State, fails of accom-
splishment. The Federal Census of 1850
exhibited the fact that over thirty-ii thou
sand persons in Ohio, twenty years old and
upwards, were unable to read or write. This
number was about one in seventeen OF all
the people of the same age. If we reflect
that bes ;des these totally illiterate persons,
there is large number whose education
hardly raises them to higher level, we
shall attain some just conception of the i'm
portance of adequate provision for universal
Attendance. We must not be satisfied while
one person capable OF instruction rema ins
untaught or ill-taught. No means seem
better adapted to secure attendance, awaken
interest and quicken effort in the attainment
Of knowledge thanfrequent visits, addresses
and conversations by properly qualified Off
GERS of the State. The law recognizes the
value Of this agency in requiring the State
Commissioner to devote portion of his
time to such iabors. But ii is obvious that
the thorough discharge of the other duties
IMPOSED on him is quite incompatible with
efficient labors of this kind. | suggest,
therefore, that he be authorizhd to employ
one 4 more competent agents TO visit every
township and urge upon parents, teachers
and children, the duties essential to the
highest efficiency of our schools. This plan
has been adopted elsewhere with the hap
piest effects Ii adopted here, we need not
fear the dischssures.o of any future .eensus,
or doubt that our system OF Common Schools,
already regardecias model for imitation
by other States, wSl vindicate, by perfec:
success, its claims be admiration and honor.
Whilewe may reasonably hope that the
illlterlte, as a class, will soon disappear
from our society, no such pleasing expecta-
tion can be INDUCED in respect to that large
portion of the community whom defect and
disease in mental or ply sical organization
render proper objects of public care; and
whose number and relation to society con-
stitute another element of our social con-
dition, which must engage your notice. =
The benevoie ace OF the State has already
provided three Asylums for the insane.
which have cost for grounds and construc-
tion about $47l 600, and are sustained al
on annual expense of $4,000, excluding
charges properly belonging to the account
of construction and interest The cost o.
the Northern and Central Asylums has beer
about $3.50 each; that of the Southern
about SI6s .0Go The actual value of the
Central Asylum is now probably more thar
double that of either of the others.
In i'sese Asylums there were at the be
ginning of the last year, sos sinmaies, ant
there were received during the year Ala
making the whole number of participant