Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1872-06-29
r, he Board Of EdueaHon /,

|
Report Of the condition and progress Of the
schools under your charge:
The total enrolment for the year ending
June 7th, 1872, is 409 average monthly en-.
rollment, 354 average daily attendance, 325 /;
| per cent Of attendance on monthly enroll.
ment, OO5; per cent. Of punctuality 008 total
days prcsent> 55,003 total days absent, Q, Iss !;
total cases of tardlness, 1884 Number of pu.
pills neither absent nor tardy during the entire
year, is o, viz-Nellic Loveland, Alice San.
born, Charles Simpson, Lewis Amsdrn,
Charles Bruce number absent but not tardy,
10 tardy but not absent, 10; plumber mem
bers OF school one month or less, al two
months and less than five, Sc; five months
and less than seven, so; members of school
the whole year, 2l8; number permanently
| Withdrawn. 1872; re.entered, 14l. The emu
meration in the district for 1860 was GO0 for
1870, COL; for 1871, 0Gl. For some unac
countable reason the enumeration for 1871 is
less than for the two preceding years. The
total enrolment, however, for the year just
closed is greater by 70 than it was for 1871,
and greater by 9S than for 1870. The aver
| age daily attendance, this year, has increased
81 over 1879, and "a over 1870. The per cent
of attendance is 81 less than the two previous
years. This decrease arises from the method
of calculating the per cent. BY advice of the
State Commissioner, it is now calculated on the
average monthly enrolment instead of the
'0eekLy or daily enrolment. The per cent. of
puncluality, is 3 greater than for 1871, and
2.3 greater than for 1870. The total days PIT
ent gives an average of III days, or nearly six
months attendance to each pupil enrolled !;
the total absence gives an average of less than
Z days To each pupil enrolled. Nearly one.
half OF the total number enrolled has been in
school the whole year. The number perina.
nently withdrawn is increased largely by
those who came only during the winter and
part OF the fall term. AT least onehalf of the
absence was occasioned by sickness; much of
the remaining half was necessary; there has
been but very little of real truancy during the
year,
While there Is much In the preceding state
ments to encourage us. and perhaps to excite
our pride. we should not forget that there are
many ct the children enumerated in our dis
iriot, growing up with but liitleir any educa-
ton. > 1t seems that village no larger than
this ought not to contain u single child who
has not, or is not receiving, at least, SO much
education as will enable him to perform the
common business transactions of lite with
readiness and accuracy. Whatever he the
cause OF non attendance and early withdrawal
from school, whether it be poverty, or the av.
arce and Ignorance of parents. il is evidently
the duty of society to correct il Us far as pOssi-
bic, "tnr tile welfare and even the porputuiy
of our free institutions depends upon the in-
| lelligence of the people,"
1t is gratifying to know that we have been
| able 10 keep 50 many of our pupils in school
to so mature an age. The average age of the
pupils in the High School is II years 21S
months the Oldest being 10 years z months,
and tue youngest IA years 10 months; aver.
age age in the Grammar School is IA years,
ranging from IL to II.
The fact that SO few pupils reach the High
| School, has lead educators TO consider wheil.
er it is not advisable to introduce into the
lower grades of schools some of those studies,
which are considered su valuable in High
School course. II is now generally conceded
| that elementary instruction IN Natural Sci.
ence can be given very profitably to pupils III
all the lower schools, grading the instruction,
of course, according TO the grade of the
school, and that il il be not given in the lower
grades, the pupils will probably never be in
structed in these branches, Acting upon this
view of the case, with your permission, in
troduccd during the past year, the study of
Physiology and Botany from the text book,
| s,,t.~
in Botany has been given during part of the
year in the Intermediate schools. The eager
ness with which the pupils have taken hold OF
these studies, and carried them through, is ev-
idence of their fitness as food for these young
minds, The teacher OF the Grammar school
informs me that her pupils were SO delighted
with the study of Botany during last term
that she was obliged to watch that too much
time was not taken for it, The pupils have
been required not only to learn the names and
definitions given in their books, but TO bring
into class the actual leaves and fiowers-tO
point out aud name their parts, 10 make q
schedule Of each leaf, and to draw ON paper
the leaf or flower in whole or in part, as the
case required Now it is evident that three
things are secured by these exercises first, q
careful habit OF observation and classification
second, a knowledge OF the plants aud flowers
commonly met with, and third. the ability tC
draw. am frequently asionished at the &C
, curacy and beauty of the drawings in til,
several schools. There are now upon thes,
black. boards, drawings of flowers, leaves
plants, and other objects that would do homo
to older heads aud more practiced hands.
4. trust that this work may be encouraged, ant
that ddring the coming year some of the 9th
er natural sciences may be introduced into tn
. various departments The necessity and pro
priety of such instruction shows itself ever,
day, have found pupils in nearly ever.
school who could not tell me the names of til
different kinds of trees that shade our schoo
buildings. There are many in tue uppe
. grade of schools who cannot tell the names G
: half the trees and plants TO be met with in a
. hours ramble about the village
: have put such questions as the following
= to pupils ip the GRAMMAR and High schools
b viz: In what direction would one fall, leaT
u ing from Taiu in rapid nation. Some al
!: swered, "backwardi" some could not te