Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1872-07-24

adapted to the dispositions OF cnloref
they are naturally endowed with muc
greater amount of patience anc forbeal
ance towards them than men are. He
natural love of order. her love for lh
good, the beautiful and the true, all emi
nenily qualify her for this work but thi
is oniy another realization of the fac
that nature Is ever true to herself. Th
training Of children is womdn's natura
sphere, and the sooher the education o
the young go almost exclusively into hel
hands the better. Not but what w
have some very excellent teachers in th'
&, ranks of the opposite sex. but our ex
periencc for the last six years has beer
something like the following: In dis
tricts where there was the greatest number
of female teachers employed. they had iu
such districts always the highest number
Of good schools. The present year there
were employed in the county seventy five
male and twenty-eight female teachers,
and were we to name ten of the best
taught ana best governed schools in the
county, Notwithstanding this dispropor-
ton in sex, -ix of this number would be
schools taught by females and four by
males. l mean here no invidious dis
tinction between the.sexee, but simply
honor to whom honor is due. Men, as a
general thing. have less to induce them
to remain in the profession and qualify
themselves for teachers than women.
Nine ten,hs of them are looking to some
other employment more remunerative,
and care but little about school teaching,
or the children either, SO as they get
the time in and receive the stipulated
salary. 1t is not so with females there
is scarcely anything open to them that
will pay them better than teaching. and
with but few exceptions they give it
their whole attention and energy.
EDUCATIONAL WORK DONE BY COUNTY
SUPERINTENDENT.
Seventeen public aud one private cx-
aminations were hell, one hundred and
twenty-five applicants were examined, and
one hundred and twelve provisional certi
floats were issued Three professional
certificates were issued during the year
Thirteen applicants were rejected. Fifty
five school Directors attended the public
eAamiuatIon>, Ul.l ,hDr.. .i..so i.uuIre
and fifty citizens. Quite an interest was
manifested at the examinations, both by
citizens and teachers, and very decided
improvement in the qualifications of
teachers was apparent. The year before
the standard of qualification was raised
considerably above any previous year.
and in consequence number lell off who
fully expected TO meet with success. The
present year teachers came better pre-
pared for the examination than ever be.
fore. Few made application without at
least making some preparation. The
average grade of certificates this year
was so last year it was %, an in
crease of .34, little over third in
the average grade of certificates Of the
latter year over the former.
One hundred and nineiy-three visits to
schools. in all were made, and the aver
age time spent at each visit was LAT
hour All the schools in the county
were visited once, and all but nine sec.
ond time. All would have been visited
twice had they been open when visiting
in their vicinity.
The regular Annual County Institute
was held iii Mifflintown. 1t convened
Monday, December Is. 1871, and con.
tinued in session five days. Ninety eight
teachers were in attendance eighty five
were the actual teachers engaged at the
time in teaching in the county. The
names Of the lecturers and instructors
from distance were as follows: Prof.
Henry Houck. Deputy State Superin-
tendent; Prof. ". N. Hull, of Pittsburg
Miss Flora II. Parsons, of Rochester,
New York and Prof Slas Wright, of
the Juniata Valley County Normal
School. The Institute was a decided
success.
Three adjourned Institutes were held,
As follows: One a: McAlisterville. Jar
lary 18th and Goth, 1872, one at Johns.
own, February 23d and gath, and one
1t Thompsontown, March 29th and 3Oth.
They were attended by about eighty -four
eachers, and the evening sessions were
Ill well attended by the citizens Of the
liferent places.
MEANS CALCULATED TO PROMOTE I'M
PRONEMENTS.
A greater amount Of supervision Of the
schools is the great want of the county.
Directors and parents will not visit schools,
Is would seem to be their best interest
md duty, The District Superintendent
y worked well in the few districts in
which it was introduced in this county.
t is now entirely abandoned. In a
ormer report we suggested the proprieiy
t its being made compulsory. If such
measure is not thought practicable, then
he next best step would be to secure a
nore interested dictatorship. Why not
ay school directors for their services as