The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-07-20

better attended than our ee-liar o,es
hence, have concluded to try the experi-
menI of holding the examinations this wear
a little later in the season Besides the
public examinations. | held Is private ex--
aminations have avoided hoIdind private
examinations as muchas possible and have,
as think, got the number down 10 a min
lmnm 1t is at present and probably always
VIII be necessary TO grant occasional prI-
Vate examinations but they should be
granted as seldom as possible
AT the examinations which held during
the year, l examined 81 male and 1O3 fe-
male teachers. The standard of qualifca-
tons was purposely made a little higher
than IN former years, and consequently
quite large number of candidates failed to
pass. | found it necessary to reject 80 of
the male applicants, or about "a per cent
and l3 of the fema,e applicants, or only
about 2 per cent. This is singular dis
parity, and is rot at all tlattering TO the
''lOrds of creation }" Of the whole number
of both sexes examined, "a had never
taught school.
CertJfcGtes.-As a result of the examin-
atioEs | granted l52 provisional certif-
Gates. The average of these certificates
was p. | issued no professional certh-
Gates during the year. On account of the
great scarcity of teachers among US, | was
obliged to endorse a number of certificates
certificate
Visits i made in the year just closed
l92 visits to schools. The average length
of these visits WAS a little over one hour
had the company of school directors in
79 OF these visits. This has been a remark
BILE gain on any previous year. In attend
ing to the duties of the office during the
year, principally in visiting the schools |
have travelled l745 miles. Several schools
| Wis tod . I 4
Der visiting any one three times. Quite a
number of schools were not visited this
year at all; owing to the lateness and ir-
regularity of their opening, and the fact
that during the month of April, wheL | in
tt nded visiting them, | was for the greater
part of the time ill, and not able To travel
County Institute Our annual institute
was held in Ehensburg, commencing on
Monday, the 18th day of December, and
closing on the following Friday. 1t was de-
termined TO make this session more COM
plete success than any of its predecessors,
and this determination was fully realized
Besides the labors Of Prof. Burtt, of Pitts
burg, and Rev. q. Ii. Miller, OF the School
Department, our own teachers rallied
earnestly to the support of the institute,
and manifested such lively personal in-
terest in its welfare, that il made by
all odds the most suCce Ssful institute ever
beld in the county. 1t would be improper
to name a few where all did so well but
his fellow teachers will take no offence if |
make special mention OF Mr.. G. w. Cope,
A NJ, Superintendent of the Johnstown
Uni on Schools, whose scholarship, inteli-
gence and earnestness contributed so much
to the success of the occasion.
Normal Schooi.-In the ear,v part of Nav
opened normal school in Ebensburg. 1t
continued in session for some ten weeks. 1t
was well attended, and was productive of
that school, i'll accordance with instructions
from the Department has not been reported
as time spent in official duties. -
In addition to what has been set forth
above, have written lSI letters on business
connected with my office. and have also con-
trlbuted Il number of articles on educational
matters to different publications. These
rlOuS emplOymentS, what with examining,
copying, and forwarding the district reports,
preparing my own reports, and exercising
general supervision OF the educational affairs
of the county, have involved a great deal of
labor, and taught me long since that the Office
Is anything but sinecure.
~. SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS.
Summer Ierms-l think that in many Of
our districts our schools would be improved
by opening them through the summer in
stead of through the winter. The winter
season on this nountain-top is usually very
severe, ana the snow frequently drifts so as
to make the roads quite impossible for days
together. Under the best of circumstances
1t seems hardly advisable to require children
to walk one or two miles through the snow
and cold to school, when they might just as
Well go In the summer. 1t would he great
saving too in the long run, as fuel, &c, would
not be required in the summer. The custom
OF keeping the schools open through the win
ter grew out of II desire TO accommodate the
larger scholars, who were obliged to work
during the summer; but that necessity, as
have discovered in the course of five years
visiting the schools, no longer exists, as but
very few large boys and girls attend school
at least such is the case in this county.
Il I0,d DrecJOry.-l believe / have vo-
ted in two conventions of fSuperintendents in
Harrisburg, in favor of paid directory. L
stlll think that our school directors should re-
ceiVe some remuneration for their services {;
not sufficient to make it an Office worth seek
ing by the mercenary, but that good men who
viii q ccept il. may not be out OF pocket for
their pains. By reducing the number of di-
rectors in each district to three, the business
woulu be aS well attended toas it now,while
1T would not perhaps be too expensive to pay
them IA reasonable per diem for the time ect-
ually speEt in the discharge of their official
duties. Il. j. CHAPMAN,
County Superintendent