The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1867-06-28
REPORT OF THE SCHOOLS OF BED
FORD COUNTY. FOR THE YEAR
ENDING JUNE 4, 1867.

/ REPORT OF THE SGHUOEIS OF BED-
/ FORD COUNTY. FOR THE YEAR
ENDING JUNE 4, 1867.
! During the year four new houses were
built; one in Napier, % by a, 9 feet
from floor to ceiling, at a cost Of $40;
one in ST. Clair, "A by %, 10 feet high,
at cost Of AGO one in East Providence,
% by 2S, 8 feet from floor to ceiling,
cost $50; one in Monroe, % by a, 9feet
high, cost $3.50. The house in ST Clair
is provided with y square feet Of black
board surface; the one in East ProVi-
dence with 73square feet of blackboard
surface. Three of the houses were sup
piled with good, substantial furniture,
and sufficient means for ventilation, but
they are poorly located with regard to
play ground. The Monroe house is sup
piled with miserable furniture, which
in another year must be replaced. AS
these are all frame buildings, to make
them attractive as we'll as durable, they
should be painted. The want Ofbetter
houses is felt in many parts of the coun-
ty, and we hope to report quite an i'm
provement in school buildings during
the coming year. Fifty-siX are unfit !;
nine in Bedford township; four in
Colerain; eight in Cumberland Valley;
three in Harrison three in HOpeWell; !;
four in Londonderry two in Juniata;
four in Monroe; six in southampton,
and four in Union, are among the worst
| in this class. Those marked "unfit, +"
are so in almost every respect; low,
gloomy and damp, with floors sunken
to the ground, fit only to breed pestl-
lence. Some ofthem are prOpped, both
inside and outside, outside, to keep
them from falling to the ground; inside
to keep the floor dO1Cn and the ceiling
up. The furniture is ancient, consist
ing, in many, of few slab benches, so
high that children must be lifted upon
them, or so low as to make them equal
ly unfit. The writing desks, or boards,
are worthless. In such houses, gener-
ally, no apparatus is found; directors
and people all agree that it would spoil
in them, and yet, children are cooped
in such places six hours each day for
four months. The wonder is not that
they donot make great progress in their
studies, but rather that they survive
with a reasonable degree of health, for
bodily deformity, and not mental cul-
ture 81 ould be expected. We want
more comfortable houses, with imprOv-
ed furniture. When this demand is
once fully met, we shall have better
condition of things. Make the school
house more attractive and you destroy,
in a measure, the crying evil of irregu-
lar attendance.
Two years ago my predecessor report
ed twenty-three houses with the neces-
sary out-buildings. Now there are but
seventeen, leaving one hundred and
seventy-eight schools without these.
This is fact we are panied to note, as
it shows great neglect on the part Of di-
rectOrs.
FURNITURE.-It will be seen in the
statistical report, published by the de-
partment, for this county, that fifteen
houses were supplied with unsuitable
furniture during the year. This was
done in houses, most of which are to
be replaced by new ones, as soon as the
respective means of the districts will
permit; hence it is to be hoped the evil
here will be speedily removed. Three
houses, remodeled, were supplied with
suitable furniture. Eighty houses con-
tain furniture, part of which, is injuri-
Gus, and sixty-four have an insufficient
amount. That marked ''injurious,' -
consists mostly of benches too high for
the grade of pupils who occupy them, OF
of writing boards upon which no pupil
can learn to initiate the scraWl of many
of our teachers, much less, learn tC
write graceful hand. Much of this
furniture could be made better, at 6
small expense. In many of the houses g
little saving would remove the evil
Weespecially call the attention OF teach
ers and directors to this fact, and urge
upon them to unite in making seat:
more comfortable for pupils.
APPARATUs.-Du the year, eacf
!, school in East Providence, West ProVl
( dence and Union townships, was sup
a piled with a set of Cornell's Outline
e Maps; and the schools of Colerain anC
: Cumberland Valley each with set o
Osgood's Primary Cards. There ar
. now one hundred and fifty schools il
|, the ecounty supplied with out-linemaps
: nI1rchase sed during the last three wears