The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1866-02-21
EDUCATIONAL.
Prospects Of the Future.

Interests OF the Commonwealth have been
Effected more or less unfavorably by The
war. Fewer school houses have been built,
and OF those erected, there less in number
OF FIRST class houses, less furniture has been
furnlshe ard less apparatus been pro-
cured than in former JeaFs. Many districts
whose directors intended to put fine school
buildings, upon large and commodious lots,
during these four years, have vet their old,
dilapidated, inconvenieni houses, located
at the corners wher the public roads meet
Many houses tina; would but for The war,
have been we'll supplied with good furna
turs and apparatus, are yet without either.
Sill the greatest injuries that the schools
have sustained is the withdrawal Of so large
a number of our best male teachers. In
counties where none 5ut males have previ-
ously been employed as teachers, many of
the schools have besn closed, because no
teachers could be procured. Females, not
having been expected to leach in these
Counties, had mol previously prepared Them.
selves for the position. Thus the schools
were left without teachers in some cases,
uperintendents wers obliged TO issue csr-
ii6cales TO individuals that would not, nder
other circumstances, have received them.
directors were forced 10 place persons in
their schools as teachers, that they would
Otherwise have rejected without hssiiancy
la some OF the Southern counties many OF
The schools have been broken up by The
rebel raids and nvasions. Teachers in
some instances were carried off 10 suffer
and die in rebel prisons, aHd school houses
have been used for hospitals. In the city
OF Harrisburg four of the public school
honses were filled with wounded and dying
soldiers for several months during 1861 and
1863, and The boys schools of the city were
entirely broken up. The borough of Cham.
bersbrrg was destroyed BY fire. kindIed BY
rebel hands, and most OF The citizens there
by rendered uuable to pay taxes for the sup
port of schools. now needed more than ever
helre. There academy and female semi
nary were burned, and ,hus arose the greal
demaCd Tor more extensive Accommodations,
and higher grades of instrucl ion iu the pub.
lie schools bni how could those demands
be met by citizens whose property had in
one lad hour been swep, away? To aid
the directors in ibis emergency, the Legis-
lainre made special eppro priatou to the
schools OF the dislrini, of four thousand dol
lars, and released the citizens from the pay
ment OF all school lakes for the year 1864
County superinte ndanls in several cases
were drafted, or entered The service By en-
lislment. This ooc asioually happened TOO,
at the time when they were most needed
in their respective counties, as when ex-
aminsiions oil teachers were TO De teld, or
institutes conducted. As a consequences
schools must be supplied with teachers
who had no certifica les when their schools
began; merely because there were 40 Su.
perinIendenls 10 examine Them, aud the
schools must be opened before an appoint
meDi could be made. Hence, { 90, lsnien>
cy on the part OF the School Department has
been absolutely IN peralive, in order TO keep
The school in operation al all, iu uauy dis
tricis of the State. The difficulties that
have met the school officers of the several
counties cf lie Commonwealth have greatly
embarrassed their operations, aud caused
them al times 10 almost despair of keeping
the system in operation.
And yeI, Notwithstanding the di fficuIties,
and drawbacks, and discouracemeuls, these
officers have, as very general thing, per-
seTeringly, and with fidelity 10 the cause,
peformed their duty, refusing 10 shorten
the term of school, or employ incompe.
ientteac hers when competent ones
could possibly be found. As the war
has been bronghi 10 a successful termination
we may reasonably hope for less embarass-
menl. Our soldier eschers, who have sur
vved The marches, and exposures, and
Jhe battles of The campaigns, aud the feVers,
and diarrheGs, and pneumonia, and scurvy,
and gangrene, and starvation Of the prison.
ers, have returned to their fields of labor in
the school rooms, and we have promise OF
better schools lis true that many came
back crippled and manned, many with b:o-
ken down constitutions, and some also with
morals and character gone. Still many re.
turn 10 as better men and better teachers
than they were before. In the army they
have learned most efeclually the absolute
necessity OF ready, prompt, unquesioning
obedience 10 order, and the importance OF
teaching the youth placed under their
charge 10 love their country and lis inslitu-
tons With those things favorable, may
we not hope that our schools will be more
prosperous With less taxation for purpos-
es, shall we not build more good school
honses, and make greater expenditure for
furniture and apparatus? With many of
our best teachers returned 10 rs, can we
not anticipate better gchools, more thor.
ough teaching, and better system OF gov