Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-01-20
ghf eantatpr.
THE SCHOOLS OF BEDFORD cOUSTY.
Reports Of the County superintendent.

report, states that ..at least 6ify are unit for
| sh0ol purposes. Nine Of these have since been
rplaced by new and excellent houses aud, after a
sreful inspection Of all the houses in the county
scept tive, am satisfied that there remain sixty
sven which may safely be put down as unfit. Most
those built during the year lack some essential
hrst-class house, but they all vastly superi-
Q q the class of houses they e-place, and as good
PrhPs, in every respect, as the means of the res
pctie districts could afford. The one erected for
tn gnded schools Of Woodbury. village. IN Middle
Woodbury. district, is 6ne brick house. two stories
high.Fith two school rooms on the first floor, and a
Iare4ehool room and a recitation room on the sec
end. It viii accommodate about one hundred and
sevesty pupils, and is model of taste, durability
aud eavenience.
| TIRE are one hundred and seventy three school
houss in the county, and at least seventy-iye Of
theHoccapy sites utterly unsuitable. They seem to
havebeen placed wherethey are, because the ground
theystand on could be put no other possible nse
Thehealth of pupils, beauty Of location, convent
ence OF access, shade, and suitable play ground.
hasebeea entirely overlooked or uncared for, and
al ger the county, on bleak hill-tops, or steep
mountain sides, IN rugged rayines or sBampy fats,
may be seen these monuments to the eareIessness
or icompetency Of those who placed them there
It nay be regarded as fortunate fact that most Of
hn are fastrotting down, andnust soon bere placed
oynew ones. Nest Of the houses, built within the
las few years, are more favorably located but there
Is s grave and almost criminal neglect in selecting
sites.
from the best information I have been able to
get am satisfied thai nearly half theschool houses
stald on ground for which the present boards Of d.
recors have ito title papers The land, however,
IN Ieary every instance, leased, sold or given,
10 te respective districts and the necessary title
papsrs could easily have been secured at the time.
Thi4 was postponed, and finally neglected entirely,
So Ar as can learn, there are only FIVE deeds for
sch tol property recorded in the county Such neg
leeswith regard to titles can net fail 10 become
fruitful source of contention, litigation and losses,
in he future.
Jsoniiape and 4pparatus.-In most Of the older
hoses the furniture IS very rude, uncomfortable,
ant injurious to the health of pupils In those
butt more recently, it Is generally substantial,
fofable and as neat and tasty as coRd be afforded.
Nth the exception of three or four globes, and as
many sets Of blocks for illustrating cube root, the
sclooIs are without apparatus. There are but seven
ses o. outline maps IN al the schools.
Tsachers.-one hundred and eighty have
ben ,smployed during the years held permanent
tertii Gates IA temporary certificates from other
counties endorsed s old certificates renewed, and
the rest temporary certificates issued by me after
actual examination. have issued no permanent
certificates.
Seventy eight teachers are from fifteen to twenty
-.
thirty to forty and the remainder older than forty
y have taught only four months; 40 only eight
months SO only twelve months, and the remainder
more thon twelve MONTHS. Females have, as gen
eral rule, taught quite as successfully as males; GO
have received their education in the common schools
"a claim to have read an educational work thorough
ly or an educational periodical regularly. The rest
have either done no professional reading al ALL or
have read to little purpose. About twenty think Of
making teaching ife-business.
TisitatioAs-I visited oil the schools except four
was in the neighborhood Of these twice. but they
were not open either time. Seventeen were visited
twice. and six three times. The visits averaged
hour and a quarter Most of TIE time I was accom-
panied by directors, or citizens, or both. In only
five districts were the schools visited by directors
the Law requires -Four secretaries acted district
saperintendents, with the most satisfactory results
in every instance Ia South Woodbury. district the
schools rere not only risited monthly By the district
superintendent, bit Bg neqrb erery member Of the
board also and as the result Of their earnest and
intelligent supervision the schools are perhaps in
more o,uisling and satisfactorycoaa htaHaHy
ethsrs IN the county.
Illstftaes.-An attempt was made to organize
district institutes in every district, but in majority
Of them with not very fatteriug success. A large
pat of the county presents natural obstacles TO their
successful working. which not be easily sur
mounted The distance to travel IS so great the
country so broken, and :he roads SO bad that TO
attend them is always difficult, and often impossi
be- Besides many Of them, during the past win
ter. we're composed entirely Of young and inexpe-
reneed teachers all Of them anxious to be instruct
ed. but none Of them able to instruct.
Gradinq and Classification. are four gra-
ded schools in the county one in each Of the bor-
oughs Of Bedford Bloody Ran, and scheIsburg,
and one in Woodbury. village. Outside Of These
there is not strict uniformity Of xtbooks in any
district. and as necessary consequence, there can
be but few thoroughly disciplined schools. Nearly
eNeFF D0Ara OF directors Has uFCi1rA
series Of books, but their exclusive use has never
been enforced in the schools, and il IS no unusual
thing to find three or four books the same subject,
by different authors, in the same school. Halt the
usefulness Of many schools Is thus destroyed by
this short sighted and ruinous policy. vigorous
effort 10 secure uniformity Of textbooks will be
made during the coming fall and winter.
Concluding Remarks During the past three years,
nearly 100 Of cur best teachers have gone into the
army. or engaged in other pursuits. Their places
have been taken BY persons too young ana inexPe-
rienced to teach sklfully or give general satsfae-
ton. For this reason. the schools were not proba
iI fsif 20 well nor so aceeptably. during the past
winter as formerly. If We could have retained the
corps of teachers we had in 1861, OF as many OF
them as would have continued in the profession IN
time of peace the schools coold not have failed to
be In a most iourishing condition. They bad ac
CURED sufficient experience to be able to give gener
al satisfaction and the hostility to the school system
was rapidly disappearing. Bnt We have almost an
-sar - n ne rncf