The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1862-12-19


Some Interesting inierences might be drawn from
the figures just given but space will not permit
The grave fact is, however manifest, that only IS
per cent. OF the pupils enrolled In the public schools
actually receive their benefits; and that Of the SO
900 900 annually expended to educate them, 35 per
cent is. in effect, thrown away. This Is lanenta-
ble 1t seems to us that ii forebedes danger in the
future. Our school system is not without able and
Influential enemies. The unfivorable results Of its
practic Il working. arm thnm with arguments, which
m igbt be found very ficultto combat. ifthe qnes
tion SHOULD ever become direct issue heio,e the
people. Indeed, before people grooming under
taxation, AS ours must soon be- 1t might be found i'm
possible do so; and unless the present working Of
our system can be improved. ii is not impossible
that the school laws may he blottcd from our stat
ute books. and popular education discarded by the
Sthte. We hope most earnestly that such evil
days may not come upon us but 1t is unwisa l.,
shut our eyes TO the DANGER or relax Cur efforts to
improve and strengthen system, until its fnun.
da;ions arc too firmly ptei in the Affections of this
people to be shaken by any events of tbs times
so terribly out OF joint. "ft
H. We have already remarked that some of th
causes Of irregular attendance are pfoviienial in
their nature. They do not, however, il IS thought.
operate to any considerable extent. nor interfere
appreciably with the working of our system. But
aside from there the cacsesa are nu nierous. Every
defect of our system is a cause. Irregular attend
ance itsrlf is a cause. Like many Other evils. 1t
propagatos its kind. Pupils arc often absent from
y,
and do aot nowtier lessons for to-day.
Unatlraciye school houses and grounds cause II
regular attendance. Buildings, dingv, dirty and
dark, stu ited, perhaps, On some LEAK hill ton,
without q tree to shield them from the summer sun
winter hlast present noattacions to bi .t- eyed
joyous children. They DO not likcto go to school IN
such houses, and will use evey excuse TO stay away.
II s too eften the case, they are without maps.
charts, blackhoards, aprarttus ventilation or COM
fsra'le seats tho case is still werse. According
TO the State Superintendent official report, two
thirds of the school houses in the State arc unfit
for ther purpose, either radically or for want Of
suitable repairs. Hence, about two thirds (nelrly
400 600 y of the children of tue State must attend
school, they attend at ALL in unsnitableibuidings.
large number of these suffer from heat II seated
near the stove and from cold if tar frem it. They
must breathe impure air, and occupy sca,s that
would have servet their purp0s, better IL they had
baen INFANT expressly for Instruments OF torture.
Is it strange then that many shonla stay away Of
their accord. or be kept away by their par ns2
Is It strange that parents are unwilling to let
their children ruin their lfeoh by going to school
in such schoul-houses. 1t is not strange. The on,
IL Eonder is that there are not mare; for We have
! reason to think that only small part OF the irreg
uar attend ince in tie State, is caused hy such cDE-
sideration on the part of parents. Too off they
| do not trouble themselves to ascertain whether
school-houses are comiortabI or not. On this, as
! on too many other questions conneetel with the
schools, parents are carcvss aud Indifferent; but II
they alive to he importance of this siiij ct.
bad scbool-houses would be one Of tho most fiuiul
causes Of Irregular attendance. ioa- -
| 2. Tbs shoItness Of tho ANIMAL school torn Is
| another cause. Its brevy would appear to be a
reason why no time shoull he lost Bu: parents are
too often guided in this matter by their children -
II they do not wish to go To schou they ar, allow
| ed to stay at home. The time is often too short
to Undue them with love of study; they dislike
| il, and sc z, on every excuse to be absent Mind
! m ives most smoothly IN beaten chan nels. The
Child who has studied, will not ut first bo Ike
ly to love study. 1t il only WHEN tho min1 has De-
come accustomed to intellectual effort th't such
effort is pleasure. Before il can become SO, De-
fore tha pupil is fairly identified with the school, or
interested in his studies the school Is out anu he IS
away to the academy, the farm or the Workshop
llo knog > this He is aware that his tasks in the
public school only for brief period; and does
no. ie. them to be so important, nor strive to ac-
quit huiself in them so creditably, MS he wouli II
they continued throughout tho year. tirt u, t.
8. Irregular attend INC. is often tho fault of the
teacher. Tho school law of 1854 does u rccog.
nizo the temporary certificate Its trainers iutenj-
ei that no one should he allowed to teach in The
common schools unless his atlinmen ts ciitlllnd hfa
to tho professional cert.f ,ate PERHAPS a csislt-
tive body has never been nCre eg'eSipusly nisti-
ken. When tho llw cinl to be put II Tree, Il vas
found that scarcely onc teacher in ten WAS eq al 10
its requirements. What was to he donri Some
plan never thought of Ly the Legisuture, must
The ground useless and iDpracticat.e. Act-
ing upon the well known principle that no single
provision shall be allowet to render inopcrave
and null the whole nactmlnt the State Superln'
tendent determined to ISSUE what is known as
temporary certificates. Tho sy stem Vas Put into
operation almost cGtrelv with these, an now, alter
trial of ncarv eight years only aboiit one tenth
OF the teachers 10 the State ave up to tii1 legal
standard originality contemplated. That stantaid
surely not too highi and white sucha llrgr pre-
taar rl.ru l,.lGw IA ~
scto bis can never secure the co letce Of all class
es oI the community, OF the regular attendance o.
tAeii children. II is admitted that many hoiess 81
temporary rti1cates give general stisfic.lon, thai
they rapidly fitting themselves for greater use
fnlnass and viii eventually become ornaments IL
their professions; but whilst nine ientns of our
teachers are below the J. gil standard, many OF
th, m minors, ihtendisg to enter upon other pur'
snils soon as they are old enough, and whilst
large Duniber of them coDfessedly are not giving
satisfaction 20 their patrons we cannot shut our
eyes to tbs humiliaiing conclusion that ncomPrteu
teachers are one Of the most iru lul sources of L.
regular attendance. a
4 The perverseness of pupils will always cause
some Ifreguldrlly however favorable the circum
stances by which they are surrounded. AL
children are mol angels, nor are they likely TO be
the opini.n of parents to The contrary hoiw iih-
standing. Nor will all children love school and
study even III Their most favorable aspects, GIVE
them a palace lor a school house, Page,
! NIckersham or an Arno Id Tor teacher, and pa
rents anxious tor ,helrweltare aud progress; stIi
iheyIwiil hate looks aud schools; and Try every
means in their, power To avoid them. For SUCH
IueguiaTiiy there is no remedy, nor caH there be
While human llalrre is What II is.
The causes thus far mentioned are, IN ou
opinion, ouly secondary in their nature. 'Ih'
great primary cause is bioader, aud hes deePer
Ii is found ~ the INDFFERENcE--to Use no harsh
er ierms--every where peryadlng the pubIis
mind on the subject of education. Our Peopl'
have forests 10 fell, railroads to huldi iauns L
bny; in short, MONEY 10 MAKE, an" car
interest themselves but little on this subject, o
such vital interest 10 them. They are busy viii
proiel is thai viii make the dollars jingle Ia thei
pockets; and ~ tue all absorbing pursuit OF these
4. Ll.ira q