The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-07-14
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Report for the year endt,,x Iuns ..

Our school interests during the year mast
Eere somewhat crippled by scarcity of teacTers
Except in SO far as they We're Influenced by this
ne nave iIstoe good progress. This progress is
Increase in the length of term in many of the
districts. In no fewer than eight districts was
there longer term of school than last wear. and
In but one district, containing but two schools
was there a shorter term. TO TAYLOR township
belongs the honor of being the first district in
our county except the borough-towns to extend
the length OF her school term beyond the mini
IiL mum period prescribed by law. At the sanlys
time she increased the wages of her teachers an
average OF S4:70 per month over the wages of
new school district of Franklin has Commenced
well, starting out with a term of five months
The increased term of school in the eight dis
tricts to which ] have referred, is sllfftient to
make an average increase in all the schools of
ten days
A second indication of the advancement we
nave made Is the increase in wages. In eighteen
districts which have heard from up to the time
OF writing, the average increase is 50 H. Thus
the teachers Of our comnon schoois 90 is This Il Il
one of the most gratifying developments of the
pact year. 1t is an evidence that our sc hool sys-
lem lem mas found an abiding lodgment in the pub
As a third evidence of educations, progress.
would remark that in the eighteen districts re-
ferred @ to, there has been an increase of lO2 pu-
sides these, might refer to other Indications
that IN cambria county the school system is
property appreciated and sustained. I am sat
ished that the qualifications of our teachers as
q ruie were higher, and that our schools gener-
ally Were more successful than last year In a
large number of schools we had an average at
UCnOAnce or over 20 per cent. Several houses
were pGllt during the year, and in q few dis
tricts some of the old houSes were furnished
with Improved seats and desks, and quite a num-
Der or districts were partially supplied with ex-
Geiieht apparatus, such as reading tablets pen
hlgh school with beautiful globes, tellurian, or
rery, and other philosophical apparatus. and
Walters, secretary of the school board has be-
gan 9 cabinet of natural science for her high
the town.
II. EDUCATIONAL WORK DONE BY SUPERIN-
ExGm:Hdtiors-In order to do away with pri-
yate examinations altogether, I resolved to fol-
low up the regular public examinations Hence
1 held thirty-two public examfna tfons-fye
more than the year before, but 7 was forced 10
grant only thirteen private examinations whfch
was twelve less than the year previous Only
the extreme exigency OF the case induced me to
grant any private examinations at all; and I
determined to ''shut down. on the practicG,
entirety Tor the year to come, if it cin be done
one hundred and forty-four were women; and
OF those rejected, seventeen were men, and
eighteen were women. Hence Of the male ar-
piicants for certificates about twenty per cent
were incompetent, while of the female appli-
cants only about twelve per cent were incon-
petent As last year so this year 1 was obiiEed
by the scarcity of teachers 70 afterward admit
at the regular examinations.
Cc7tttedtes.--DuEin9 the year granted one
hundred ami ninety-one provisional certi Gcates.
This was fourteen more than the year before.
Lhe average grade OF these certificates is 26.-
Besides these, a considerable number of certifi-
Gates from other counties we're endorsed Three
professional certificates were also issued. AS
that the number of certificates issued, and the
number of candidates rejected, form 10 true
index of the number of persons examined as
many individuals were examined two and even
three times. Account was Kept of these per-
sons only once"
Vistts.-Owing to i'll health and bad weather,
was unable to visit all the schools that open
6undre and fffty-cieht visits ana spent On o1ie a
school In these visits Observed the methods
tnAGnlnfr IN "a
l thought proper; took such memoranda as the
recitation, and nearly always made Ghort
twentyiye Of these visits ht sehoni retors ~
Quite number of schools were closed ct the
time tried to visit thom. These arc not fnclu-
annoying to walk FIVE six miles to a school
house, and find it closed. Many of these dsap-
retaries in some of the districts failed to for
ward the report which the law has required and
/ had no means OF knowing whether the schools
were in operation or not
| Other U>or7f.-In addition to al this, wrote
| over one hundred letters or Official business,
and scores of columns of educational matter
| for newspapers, magazines, etc, and attended
Institutes and educational conventions. During
the year travelled nearly 2.tC0 miles in the dis
charge of the duties of my Office. In fact,
| tried 10 earn and l think did earn my salary.
III. EDUCATIONAL. W DIRK DONE By OTHER -AGE,;-
4 normal institute was opened IN Loretto on
| the 2Ist of June, and continued about eight
! weeks. It was conducted by myself. The school
was well attended, and believe was productive
| st. Francis College and ST Aloysius' Acade-
J my in Loretto have both greatly enlarged their
alone is sufficient to indicate their well deserved
| popularity and prosperity. The Roman Catho.
! lie boarding school for boys in Ebensburg, of
/ which mention was made in my last report, has
been for some time past in successful operation
! The night schools in JohnstUTn and its su-
burbs, of which have made mention in former
reports we're continued last winter. The gen
| erosty of the Cambria Iron Company ih estab
! fishing and maintaining those institutions is
deserving of all praise.
I The county institute was held in Ebensburg,
| commencing Monday, December 27th. 1t was
! attempted to this convention entirely with
| profession in our county. In this we succeeded.
| Noheven q book agent made his appearance.
| believe was profitable to all concerned The
attendance was but slightly below that of the
previous year.
! w OBSTACLES IN TIE WAY OF IMPROVEMENT.
/ have several times in the course of this re-
! port alluded TO a scarcity of teachers We had
indeed great difhcilty in securing teachers 70
/ fill our schools and in feet few OF the schools
| were not filled at all or but for very short
! time. Others were commenced after the hOiI-
days; and some of our teachers taught two
| terms. At several OF the public examinations
! no teachers at all were secured, and at others
not more than two or three. It is true that in
| ali issued about ten certificates more than we
| have schools, but some OF those who received
certificates did not teach at all, and some of the
certificates were granted very late in the year
1t is one very serious obstacle IN the way OF 1I
| proyennent that we have so small a corps of
| such teachers as we can get
Another difficulty to contend against is the
| singular apathy OF parents. Ihey are uIlVer-
| sally In favor OF the cause of common schools; I;
| but at the same time they are so absorbed in
| the art of money getting, that they neglect the
/ schools. This neglect is appnrant from these
particulars: list, they scarcely eyer visit the
! schools; 2d, their children allowed to alb
sent themselves too much from school; and, 30,
| they fail to provide them with proper books.
| 1t is not necessary to dilate on these points.
| OF course, there are the old difficulties of low
wages and short terms; but, as attempted to
show in the outset, these difficulties seem to be
| giving way. The good work SO nobly accom-
plished in this direction III the year just closed,
! I hope may be continued and extended in the
| year to come.
| V MEASURES CALCULATED TO PROMOTE M
PROYENENT.
Iknow of but little that can be done to pro-
| mote improvement, except to continue the pol
| lev of the past year. TO effect much improve
| nent in the face of the difficulties which exist
! here sss have tried to define them, must go
to the root of the matter and educate the pub
| lie sentiment We do this by means of the
| Press, by educational meetings, and by a con-
scientious discharge Of our duties as teachers,