American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-07-25
Third Annual Report of
A FL w A II Fl r 8,
County superintendent of
Common Schools.

SCHOOL HoUsEs.-Two new frame
houses have been built. One in Slippery
rock township, in place of an old one
unfit for use, and one in Clearfield in
place of one destroyed by fire. These
are both very creditable buildings, well
seated, with black board surface extend
ing across one end of the roam, aud well
ventilated The house in Slipperyrock
tp., is furnished with neat and comforta'
BILE single seats and desk. This is the
only house furnished in this manner in
the county, and it is to be hoped, it will
not remain the only one. More atteu-
ton should be paid to the furnishing OF
school houses. The seats in many are
not only uncomfortable, but positively
injurious. There is still a number os
houses quite unfit for use, some of which
will disappear during the coming year,
and new ones will take their places
Many houses are utterly destitute OF any
out buildings whatever.
Some advance has been
made in the introduction of apparatus,
such as Outline Maps, Solar Charts and
Globes, which gives evidence of pro-
gress. IF School Directors will now re-
quire these to be used, not for ornaments
but for study, the people will not regret
the expense. Now that the schools are
being supplied with some apparatus, it is
necessary that they should be preserved
from injury. There is aspecies of van
Galism in reference to school houses, fur.
niture, &C., manifested, that is disgrace
full. Hous es are disfgured by obscene
drawings, seats and benches are cut away,
windows broken, and apparatus mutilated
and destroyed. Last Winter complete
set of Outline Maps was perforated by o
heavy load Of shot. This deed is sam
pie of the vandal spirit which shows itself
In less malicious forms. Much of this
work of destruction is done at night
meetings. Among these are "spellings."
These draw large crowds from gr,a dis
tances. Many came for no other pur-
pose than to do evil, and in some way or
other, accomplish their end. must here
express my most decided condemnation Ct
these night "spellings," as they are cen.
Quoted, and all night meetings in school
houses of a character to draw such per-
sons.
SCHooLs.-No schools have been gra
ded. In general, no marked advance is
visible, nor indeed can it be expected so
long as the school system is conducted
under the serious disadvantages which
have so long impeded its progress. Two
great barriers to progress are in the way.
1. A deficiency Of good teachers.
2. The shortness of the school term.
This is not proper place to discuss
these points. They are simply adverted
to in order to draw attention to the causes
that retard the progress of the school
system.
TEAoHERs.-As just remarked, there
is deficiency of good teachers. l do
noe think it an exaggeration to say that
one-half of the teachers are seriously de
ficient in one or more of the qualifications
necessary to constitute good teachers. II
is needless to repeat the difficulties that
have met the Superintendent with respect
to the admission of teachers, especially
during the last three years. The schools
had to be supplied with teachers Of some
kind, or be closed. To take either horn
of the dilemma would be injurious. But
one must be taken. 1t was thought best
upon the whole, to take the former, and
hence certificates were issued to large
number of poorly qualified teachers, in
order that the schools might be kept
open, in the belief that it we're better to
do SO, even if nothing more were gained
than to prevent retrogression. As a
considerable number of old teacher have
returned from the army, and many more
male teachers would engage in the work,
if sufficiently remunerated, the pruning
knife should be freely and skilfully used
in cutting off all who have not shewn
tact and ability as teachers. This was