Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1866-02-02
Report OF the Superintendent Of Public
Instruction.

Superintendent Faville's biennial re-
port to the Legislature shows the cause
of comm on-school education to be pros
pering in Iowa. During the past two
years great advancement in educational
facilities has Teen made, and the gener-
al features of our system are found sue
cessful. .
The number of persons in the State
between the nges of S and q years, is
3N ,33S-l65, 300 males, and 159,O29 fe.
males an increase of 29,426 since ioD4
The number of schools is 5,732. The
number of persons attending, PIT ,593,
being an increase of 1924.
The number of teachers is $780,, 335S
males and 6,467 females. The average
compensation per week to male teachers
is S7.9l and to female teachers, S.. 70.
The average cost of tuition per week
for each pupil in 1865 was "a cents, an
increase of cents compared with 1864
The cost was 2 cents per week more in
winter than in summer.
There are 4 $50 school houses in the
State, as follows: Brick, $40; stone, 1893
frame, S,271; log, 796. This is 26l more
than there were in 1864. The aggregate
value OF these school houses is So, 1851.
56o.9s, which is an increase of S42s, 727..
W on the value of school houses i'm 1864
There was ssl ,9s3.17 more tax raised in
1865 for building and repairing school
houses than there was in 1864.
The number Of volumes in district Ii.
braries is $3.50; l,549 more than there
were in 1854. ..a .... ...-s
The superintendent, In speaking of
Teachers Institutes, says, "The provis-
ion made by the State for the benefit of
Teachers Institutes has never been so
fully appreciated, both by the people
and the teachers, as during the past two
years" In 1860 there We're 80 Institutes
held; in 1864, GO, and in 1865, SO. Over
1000 teachers attended the Institutes in
1864. The State appropriates $50 to each
County to aid and encourage these i'm
portant conferences.
The great want Of our State, the Su.
perintendent says, is a supply of we'll
prepared teachers. A large proportion
OF the teachers employed have had no
special preparation for their work, and
abandon the business as soon ms they
can find other work. He strongly urges
the establishment of Normal School,
where all the students would be prepar-
ing to teach, and all the studies arrang-
ed with that object in view.
o. Our opinion is that but few will seek
to prepare themselves especially for the
profession of teaching until that profess
sion promises better pecuniary consid-
Grafton. 1t would hardly he expected
that physician or lawyer would labor
for $50 or $40 per mouth, and how can
it be hoped that people will enter the
profession of teaching with even small.
CT wages in view? The fact is, that the
standard Of qualification and of wages
should come up together. Good teach
ers should be paid good wages, and poor
teachers poor wages, and then there will
soon be enough Of the good to obviate
the employment Of the bad and inditler-
ent. Money will buy most anything.
The report of the Superintendent con-
tains much valuable and interesting
matter, and will he pleasant study to
all those interested in the cause of edu.
cation in Iowa.