Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1859-01-07

Of instruction.; or their results; and re-
specIfully suggest tho expodoncy of such
legislation as will secure the collection Of
thus information, so essential 20 full under
standing of the condition Of our population
in this important respect.
/ 1t will not escape your observation that
while the actual progress and condition Of
our Common Schools may well crafty and
encourage tho friends Of popular education,
thoro yet remains work TO be accomplish
ed which imposes grave responsibilities and
/ mustneeds excite earnest solicitude. Tho
whole number Of youth Of the school age,
as has been already stated, is s43, $40, while
tho number enrolled is 609, ,343, making the
number not enrolled 234,4 The dispar-
| ty between the whole number and the
number, 355,s63. in daily attendance, is
more striking. The difference is 4s5,077.
Making every allowance for the number
taught in private or denomiuational schools,
there must still romain u considerable num-
| Der who attend no school at all, while of
those who do not absent themselves alto
gether very large proportion attend so ir-
regularly or for such brief periods that they
derive little benefit from it.
Next 10 this absenteeism, tho most seri-
Gus hindrance to the prosperity of tho com
mon Schools is the want of sufficient
number Of we'll qualified teachers. Not a
few ihdeed of our teachers possess eminent
qualifications for their responsible Office
To such we owe, not only many Of our dis
| trict schools, but also the High Schools
which adorn many of our cities and towns,
and afford opportunities for education which
would have been sought in vain, few years
ago. in most Of our Academies and Colleges.
| A very large number, however, are extreme
" deficient both in knowledge and in that
ability to teach which mere knowledge can
never give.
The correction of these evils, so far as
may be practicable, is your duty, and will
be trust, your pleasure and your honora-
ble distinction.
The best means, in my Judgment, Of Sc
curing an adequate number of good toach-
/ ers, are the establishment Of Normal schools
and the encouragement Of Teachers Insti-
.utes. venlured TO suggest last year, the
organization Of Normal Department in
one or both of our State Universities
More immediate and perhaps moro valda-
bic results would probably be obtained
from the establishment of three or four
Normal schools in different districts of the
State, giving the preference within each
district to the city or town which would
provide the best buildings for the purpose,
/ without cost to the State. Provision has
4 already been made hy law for the encour-
agemeat of Teachers Institutes, but il is
uncertain and inadequate. l recommend
the direct appropriation Of an adequate
sum, to be paid, on compliance with proper
I conditions, upon tho certificate of the Stats
4 Commissioner.
The indispensable necessity of securing
/ general, regular and continued attendance
4 in school i universally Acknowledged
4 Without this, the great object of the COM
J mon schools, namely, good education for
every child in the State fails of accom-
4 plishment. The Federal Census of 1850
exhibited tho fact that over thirty-fve thou
sand persons in Ohio, twenty years old and
upwards, were unable to read and
! Il
enteen of all the people of the same age.
! If VIC reflect that besides these totally il
literate persons, there is a large number
whose education hardly raises them to a
higher Lowell, we shall attain some Just con
ceptou Of the Importance Of adequate pro
vision fer universal attendance. We must
not be satisfied while one person capable
4 of instruction, remains uGtaugbt or ill
taught. No means seem better adariet
to secure attendance, awaken interest anC
quicken effort in the attainment of knowl
edge than frequent visits addresses and con
versations by properly qualified officers @
the State. The law recognizes the value
of this agency in requiring the State Com
missioner to devote portion of his tins
to such labors. But it is obvious that thu
thorough discharge of the other duties i'm
posed on him is quite Incompatible will
efficient labors of this kind. suggest
threfore, that he be authorized TO employ
one or more competent agents to visit every
township, and urge upon parents, teacher
and children, the duties essential to th'
highest efficiency of our schools Thi
plan has been adopted elsewhere, with th'
happest effects. If adopted here, we nee,
not fear the disclosures Of any future cen
sus, OF doubt that our system of common
schools, already regarded as model 70
imitation by other States, viii yindicate
.. by perfect success, its claims TO admiration
and honor.
Benevolent AsyIuns.
While wo may reasonably hope, that tn
illiterate, as a class, will soon disappea
, from society, TO such pleasing expectaiio
, can be INDUCED in respect TO that larg
portion of the community whom defect an
tiiiiseass in mental or physical organizatio
render proper objects of public care; an
whose nanlber and relations tc society cot
siitute another elementof our social oond
ton, which must engage your notice.
Tho beneyolence Of the State has abroad
provided three Asylums for the Insane
, mhsch have cost for grounds and eenstrac
! lion, about $4740O0, and are sustained 4
: an annual expense Of 100000, exeludin
, charges properly belonging To tho accour
Of construction and interest. The cost (
: the Northern and Central Asylums h'
been about $l53,ooo each; that of tn
Southern about $l6s, 600. The actui
. value oftie Ceutral Asylum is now probabl
G more than double that of either of Ii
e others.
. In these ASylums there we're at the b
Z ginning Jf tie last year, 569 inmates, an