Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1872-07-24
MISCELLANY.
Annual Report Of Superintendent Of
Common Schools Of Jun;ata County.


Whole number of school houses in the
county ninety four, material as follows
/ Sixty are Of frame, sixteen of brick
fourteen Of log, and two Of stone Five
new ones were erected during the year,
one respectively in Walker. Beale, Lack,
and two in Tuscarora The one in Wal
ker is an elegant brick building twenty
eight by thrty-six feet. with twelve feet
ceiling. ioi-rably we'll located and cost
about 1909, Three of the remaining
four are good substantial frame buildings,
Comfortably seated and well located, a
little less in size than the one in Walker.
The one in Lack is also of frame, its
only fault is that of being too small for
The health and convenicucs of both teach
er and pupils. Seventy nine new school.
houses have been erected during the last
Fix years in the county at a cost ofabout
$4,000. Sixteen yet remain unfit for
use, twenty-five are badly ventilated,
zine have been supplied with ont build
ngs during the year. but forty eight yet
remain without. There are about thirty
three first class school, houses in the
county il our standard j. not too low
but we are sorry to add that but forty
school-rooms have suitable furniture. 1t
is fact that will not be doubted We
think by any one, that were our school
houses better furnished AMI more com
f5rtably seated, irregularity in attend
ancc,tha. bane and one of the greatest
of drawbacks to the progress Of the
schools would be a much less evil than it
now is. We have often thought while
making our tours of visitatiOns through
the county, that it was no wonder that
children were irregular in their attend
ance at school and especially SO to those
houses whose furniture is marked in
furious TO sit on q fat board with a
perpendicular back, and in many instan
ccs the childrcn's feet dangling "':wixt
heaven and earth from three to five
hours each day is TO say the least. almost
beyond the endurance of any ordinary
child. Not one parent in hundred
would ask, or even allow his child to oc-
cupy such seat at home for even half
that length of time, yet they will fold
their hands and allow school officers to
furnish such unhealthy accommodations
for their child IN the school-room, and
then. too it is expected. notwithstanding
all this that the teacher is to keep an
orderly and well regulated school.
Twenty eight school houses were sup
piled with outline maps during the year.
and we have reason to believe that at
least two districts more would have
been furnished with maps had teachers
been as punctual to use what apparatus
they already had in their schools as they
should have been. We were frankly
told by directors that they did not see
the use of furnishing outline maps at
quite an expense TO the district when
their teachers made no use of globes and
other apparatus they already had. The
argument was conclusive, we said no
more. Teachers might take hint from
the above, and in the future make
proper use of all educational means
placed in their hands.
An old and very enormously estab
Iished prejudice still exists in some dis
Iricts against female teachers. Intelli-
gent and well meaning persons otherwise
have long entertained the idea that
female teacher will do very well to teach
a summer school of little boys and girls,
but they must have man for the win
Ter school. as they say, "girls cannot
the big boys" Why those dear
honest people have gotten so far behind
he age and don t know it, as not to know
hat schools are not governed now days
oy force or physical strength as in times
past when they and ourselves went to
school. Women are better qualified by