The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1867-02-07
rae oAlleghan1an.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1867.


various public schools of the State-a
number nearly twice as great as the
population Of California, six times that
of Delaware or Kansas, twice thai of
Vermont or New Hampshire, and about
equal TO that OF either Wisconsin, Texas,
South Carolina, New Jersey, Mississippi
Michigan, Maine, Morylnnd, or Iowa.
The total num0er of teachers employed
for the instruction Of these children is
t6, 6,144, or one teacher for every forty five
pupils. Exclusive of the city aud county
of Philadelphia, the percentage of atten-
dance is six hundred aud twenty-eighi
tEousandths. That is, out Of every hum
dred pupils, something less than sixty
three were in daily attendance. Supposing
each school in the State to be composed
of iorty-Eve pupils, only twenty-eight
we're to be found daily within the school
room The absence Of the remsi ining
seventeen may wfll cause us to pondeKr-1
Though the school system of the State
should present no other problem, THIS one
would be sufficient to occupy the attention
f educators as we'll as others for at least
Eve years to come. The question, indeed,
Of all questions concerning our schools, is
the one of increasing the percentage of
attendance so that it will range from
eigbty-fvs or ninety per cent. to one
hundred
It is scarcely possible to make palmer
than do these figures, the alarming nature
os this evil. OF the thirty-seven absent
ees out of each hundred, scarcely more
than fifteen are detained from school by
sickness or o:her sufficient cause. The
other twenty-five are taking lessons
(reooiving their education) on the street.
7hese t0enty-tt0o d6sentees are oar future
criminals, In few years, the laws Of the
State, as also the customs OF society, will
recognize their oriminality as determined,
and they will be looked upon as class of
the great community-as low, depraved
class, but nevertheless as a class whose
status is fixed beyond change. Even SUCH
of them as DO not become stepped in crime
will pever rival in thrift, in intelligence,
10 influence for good, those who daily
attend the sessions of the school.
As to the causes of this abseuteeism, We
think they may be divided into-lst,
laxity cf parental government; End. lack
of interest In school affairs Sd, scarcity
of we'll qualified, successful teachers 4th,
natural aversion of some children &c any
-hing like study.
IN naming the first three causes of the
evil, we imply the remedies tor ali. We
30 not SO much need legislation, as a
higher standard OF public opinion IN
regard to the common schools Of the State,
and very great Increase IN the number
of we'll qualified teaohers-quali6ed in
scholarship, In aptness TO teach, IN patience,
and ali the virtues necessary to being
successful teacher. Legislation which
sends 30 secure either of these results, or
both Of them, should be- hailed With
delight, but no act of Legislation, nor any
amount Of it, can supersede the necessity
Of waking up the people to lively interest
IN school affairs, nor of increasing the
fitness OF those engaged in the teachers
calling. Give US humane, patient, we'll
active teachers, who fairly COM
prehend what it Is to teach, and we have
no fear thai the improvement 10 attend
ance will be so great as to make glad the
heart of every friend the schooi system
has. But 10 get these teachers-that'S
the question aud to this end. two sug-
gestions, one from State SuperiG tendent
Wickersham alone, and the other from
the convention of County Superintendents
and the State Superintendent together,
ere now before the Legislature, which to
our naind will tend greatly TO hasten the
3esired result !: made part Of the school,
law Of the State The first suggestion is !
hat the bauber Of Snperinteudents be |
SO that instead Of one State |
Superintendent, there be tcl; the duties
IF the additional one being the visitation
)f the schools and the teachers institutes, |
md that in each county the dissTict
for whom the law now |
makes provision be selected by the direc
ors from among the successful teachers