Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1862-07-02

by Al Directors. l found no trouble IN
securing the company Of Directors, the
only. difficulty experienced being want OF
time TO hunt them up
District Secretaries and SapermteI,de.ts.
I am unable to give the exact number OF
| Secretaries who acted as District SupeTin-
| tcuGents during the year, bat 1t was small
not more than four or five. Some Sec
/ rctarfes said they had no arrangement
/ with the Board as to salary, and did not
| know what they would receive. The sal
/ aries Of these officers seem TO range from
/ three to twenty dollars The amount paid
! Secretaries for services as District Super
/ inteudents varies from ten to thirty dol
/ lars, the latter being the sum paid by the
/ ,Johnstowu Board 10 the Secretary, who is
required 10 spend one day IN each week
/ in the schools This duty has been faith
/ fully performed the past winter by James
! Potts. Esq, and seems to have been atten-
ded with beneficial results.
! No District Institutes were held in the
county during the year. The new sup
| plelnent to the School Law makes the
/ organization If District Institutes Il part
Of the duty Of both teachers and Directors,
/ and every effort viii lie made to have Its
/ provisions faithfully Observed.
ilyrgI Ipstrurl;ps. The Bible was used
the razt winter in about one fifth Of the
schUols. and the Catholic Catechi-ln Ii
about one-third All Of our teachers pro
fess to give orui moral instruction, but
with what success | am unable to say
Am inclined t. think that teachers gencr-
ally do not pay sufficient attention to this
/ ] ..F- hon flrTfFu
Examinations. OF the two public ez-
aminations held. one was oral and the 9th
er 2 combination of the oral and written
methods The questions ProPounded to
each applicant were similar In nature and
number Examinations Will hereafter be
a combination OF the oral and written
methods. | am enabled to grade more
. accurately. and by making It partly DIAL,
p Directors can more easily and judiclou>iy
make their selections from q large class
: of teachers.
. ...Sgasn,e," ami &" Winter .SrLooIs. Two
districts. Wilmore Borough and Susquc-
hanna. had summer and winter schools.
The time Of opening these schools, lmme-
f diatcly after the beginning OF the school
> year. appears TO be suitable. The vii
more schools are kept open four months
. ia Summer aud Fall for pupils under -
! years of age, and four months in Winter
! and Spring for scholars over that age
: This arrangements is rather popular IN
. the district In Susquehanna, o"e-hait
h | of the schools are kept open in Summer
= and The other half in Winter. Have had
4 10 means of ascertaining whether this ar
= rangement is popular or otherwise IN the
\ district, but it seems to be Objectionable
:. for the reason that in those districts hay
/ inc summer schools the larger pupils
J, OBLIGED TO work at home Il this season O
u the year, and having no opportunity Il
! attend school In winter, Use their school
\ ing entirely. The better plan would seen
to be to keep GU the schools open in sum
mer for small pupils, and all open in win
:. ter for large ones, the summer and wintc
70 terms being Of the same length.
! Effect ot' the Higr. The educational in
sr tercsts Of the county seem to have byel
:. little affected by the disastrous condition
- ofpublic affairs. Last year few district
- had shorter terms than usual. and the sal
i aries were smaller in nearly all Thi
! year Johnstown viii have eight months
4 three more than last year. Conemaugl
. | eight mouths-threc more than ever be
- fore Millyilia ci-ht montLs-tw0 NOR
Io than heretofore And SummiviIle 81.
: mouths-an increase Of two months or
,o the u=ra! session All Of these district
- nav liberal salaries The prospect mo'
@ Is, that next winter ell OF the schools i
ar the county Will be kept open four months
j. and that the term viii he cousidegabl
,d heightened in many districts that las
Il year only had their schools open Ion
enough to secure their Appropriation.
10 Quite number of Subscription school
" are now open. Some ten or twelve c
i these hare been visited, and the remain
% der tsW be as soon as possible NJ yis
81 tations of winter schools viii commcuc
of about the middle Of October, and coutir
es ne until every school in the county la
-e- been visited once, and as many twice, {
n time viii permit.
he Pajltc .Sr1timc5t Although in som
x districts there Is considerable opVositio
At to the system, and only !ukewarm fec
r. ing in its favor in others, the prevaiiin
or sentiment is favorable. aud that oppositio
So is fast dying away Is indicated by the di
m position ofthe past and present year
81. build better houses, pay better salaric
II and have longer schoolterms.
mo- v. y. SCoTT, "a. S5yf