Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-03-07
sehoo, Law or1na,an,sl.
ARTICLE no. IL.

purposes, in June and November. and drawn
by the trustees, shall be expended, on or be-
fore the first day Of April, in each wear. as
the school year closes at that time. One Of
the superintendents held that if contracts
We're made with teachers, by the
Z nrst day OF April, that 1t would be
regarded as compliance with the law. This
law, is held by nearly all the trustees, as being
+" null and void" Scarcely any of them pay
any attention its requirements. Some dis
tricts prefer having longer winter term, and
have no summer school. The trustees in such
cases act on the principle that each district is
entitled to the same amount of money, in case
the teachers certificate runs the same length
of time. Some districts will have four, or
four and half months in what is called the
winter term or as long as their share of the
school fund will run their shcool and have no
SUMMER school Other districts will have
three months winter school, and three months
summer school and not employ a teacher an
til after the first of April. The law requires
that all the schools in township shall be
taught an equal length of time, or as nearly SO
as practicable.
Whenever district fsfls to have winter
term OF school, unless it was unavoidable, the
law makes it the duty of the proper trustee
toplace the amountapportioned to said district
in the common tuition fund of the township
and, as before remarked, if a district does not
designate a teacher before the first day of
April, all such delinquent districts, will, ac-
cording to law, have the money apportioned
A. - 4 J Z
tributed among those districts which take a
little more interest in the cause of education.
The. trustees, believe without single ex-
ception, consult the wishes of the in district re-
ference to having their money, which was de-
signed for summer school, applied to lengthen
their winter term. This is right, provided that
all the districts would do so. Thresholds must
be taught an equal length of time. For sum-
nner schools the contracts with teachers must
be made on or before the first day of April.
have not known any difficulty grow out of
the unlawful manner in which the trustees
have been running their schools; but tileIe is
no certainty that some contrary man, who
who would prefer a summer school--to
having the money all expended for the winter
trustee for malfeasance in Office As long
as law is in force, we cannot do better than
to 1--we up to its requirements.
/ presume manner in which the trustees
have been managing their schools, has given
more general satisfaction than if they had
obeyed the law to the letter. but my opinion
is that it is unsafe.
hos ,1ot hoen, ,a,,r,.n-o ~ 4,
feelings of any OF the trustees, but n .ere,v to
cali their attention to the law on the points
referred to; and if they continue to run their
schools, as many, if not all. OF diem do, it will
be no fault of mipe.
NY private opinion i, that as general
tfhngy sunUier schools do not amount to
much' Trustees re generally short of funds;
teacher- are pa d from two to four dollars per
week. 1t co'.ild not be expected that good
teachers could be had for that sum. 1t is
thoughI by many that aperson who can spell,
read and write a little, has qualifications suf-
ficient to teach summer school,. Such, how
ever, are sadly mistaken. 1t is far more diff
cult to run school in summer, than in the
winter. a57s
small and in most cases very few, aud unless
the teacher has happy facul y OF keeping VI
an interest in the school, the pupilss will ge
tired and dull, and toe school will become
dry and monotonous. have frequently Wis
tied summer schools, and found not NOR
than ten or a dozen pupils in attendance
Some of the teachers would have the facult
of varying the exercises SO as to keep then
somewhat interested There are a grea
many lessons thai can be taught to the ilttl
ones at school, that will please them YER
much, such as the number of seconds in
minute, and the number OF minutes in al
hour-the days of the week--the months In tn
year, &c.
If I was teaching school composed
small pupils, would, whenever the weatht
was suitable, have the boys and girls out a
play, in alienation, great portion of til
time. Teachers frequently tell me they woul
do so, but the parents of the pupils were OF
posed to that way of doing business. Parent
who have no more sense than to want the
children to sit on hard bench and look on the
books some five hours per day, ought to |
compelled to sit still during school hours, al
look on one or two pages of Latin boo
they would soon learn to have the same syI
patty for small pupils who get tired an
weary at school. Six hours per day is lor
enough for large pupils, and too long fl
small ones, to be confined in school roor
Even the larger pupils who are doing the be
they can by way Of improving the time, e.
not study all the time when at school. | ha
often heard patrons of schools complain b
cause the teacher did not occupy seven
eight hours per day, at the school room, al
IL that he gave the pupils ten minutes rece
twice day. One would think that in Il
enlightened age there could not be sing
individual found who was so ignorant, a
had SO little Judgment 1t would appear
me that it would be better tohave our scho
commence about the first of September, al
: at the close of twelve weeks, have vacati
2 g of some tive weeks; then commence the WI
ter term and then run them as long as t
money wonld keep them going.
In my next will speak of the duties
.- rnlyipn IN tho Schonl ayaminer