The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1862-07-03

tied without being graded; the remainder
are neither graded nor classified. This
want of proper classification will continue
to exist until Directors not only adopt
uniform series of books, but afterwards
observe carefully that no other kind is
brought into the schools Some Boards
have failed to comply with the require
ments of the Common School Law to
adopt uniform series of books, while
others, having adoptedsuch series by res
olution, have failed to exact compliance
with it, and the schools in such districts
have derived no real benefit from the ac
ton of the Board During the summer
and fall, the necessity of observing this
section of the School Law will be urged
in so doing.
Termination Of Teachers. The whole
number Of applicants examined publicly
by Mr.. Swank from the 1st of June, o61, /,
until his resignation on the 18th Of No
vember, was 1SS. Number examined
privately, 7. Total, 1876 To 1S0 Of
these applicants, Provisional Certificates
were granted the remaining Is were re-
jected. Since my appointment, IA teach
ers have been examined privately, at the
request of the Board of Directors employ
ing them, and received certificates. At
public examinations, 4S Provisional Ger
tifcates have been issued Acting under
instructions from the Department, / also
issued, at the County Institute, Profession
al Certificates to 9 teachers holding first
class Provisional from Mr.. Swank. 1t
thus appears that, during the year ending
June l, 1862. PSI applicants have been
examined, 242 Provisional and 9 Profes-
sional Certificates granted, and certificates
of any kind refused to Is applicants.
Visitation Of Schools. Previous to his
resignation, Mr.. Swank had visited Is
schools. Since my appointment, so schools
have been visited once and IA twice, ma
king a total of 104 visits. Whole mum
Der of schools visited once during the
year, 10S. Number visited twice, IL
The average duration of these visits was
two hours, part of the time being spent
in observing the teacher in the discharge
of his school-room duties, and part In
hearing classes myself. With few ex-
ceptions, an address varying in length
from ten to twenty-five minutes was delIy-
cred in each school. La my visitations in
the different districts, [ was accompanied
by Il Directors. | found no trouble in
securing the company of Directors, the
only difficulty experienced being want of
time to hunt them up.
District Secretaries and .Superintendents.
I am unable to give the exact number of
Secretaries who acted as District Superin-
tendents during the year, but it was small
retaries 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
intendents varies from ten to thirty dol
lars, the latter being the sum paid by the
Johnstown Board to the Secretary, who is
required to 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
plement to the School law makes the
organization of District Institutes a part
of the duty Of both teachers and Directors
and every effort will be made to have its
provisions faithfully observed.
liordl Instruction. The Bible was used
| the past winter in about one fifth of the
schools, and the Catholic Catechism in
about one-third. All of our teachers pro
fess to give oral moral instruction, bu
with what success | am unable to say
! Am inclined to think that teachers pener
ally do not pay sufficient attention to thi:
essential part of their duties.
denominations. OF the two public ex
aminations held, one was oral and the 9th
er combination of the oral and writer
methods. The questions propounded t.
each applicant were similar in nature ant
number. Examinations will hereafter b.
a combination of the oral and writtel
methods. | am enabled to grade NOR
accurately, and By making it partly oral
Directors can more easily and judiciousl /,
make their selections from a large clas
of teachers.
"Sun,mer" and =" Winter" Schools Tw
districts, Wilmore Borough and Susque
hanna, had summer and winter schools
The time of opening these schools, imme
diately after the beginning of the school
year, appears to be suitable. The Wi
more schools are kept open four month
i'll Summer and Fall for pupils under l:
years of age, and four months in Winte
and Spring for scholars over that age
This arrangements is rather popular i
the district. In Susquehanna, onc-hal