The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-12-31
Northwestern Ohio Teachers
Association.
An Interesting and Profitable
Session.
Prominent Educators Present.
The Association Favor County Supervision
and Compulsory Education.

cldIlOi met AT tOlu.nDId man, III bII4S
city, last Tuesday morning, Dec. 2Sth.
Ex President F. II. Tufts called the As
sociation to order. and after devotional
exercises by Rev. G W. Miller, of the
Lutheran Church, introduced President
elect G. w. Williamson, of Wapakoneta,
who delivered the following excellent
inaugural-'T Educational Outlook"
FELLOW TEACHERS: We have again
assembled to consult with each other on
our successes and failures as public in
structors The city in which We have
met il especially Interesting to me, as the
history of its progress is interviewer
with incidents that reach back 10 my
boyhood. The seventies of the labor
experienced to clear home in the for
est, and my attendance at school in the
log school house, are to me the most
prominent points in the history of thirty
years ago. Great, indeed, has been the
change since that time. Dense forests
then covered the greater portion of
Northwestern Ohio. The scatt tered set
Elements of that day possessed but few
of the conveniences that are now re-
garded as necessaries of every day life.
| hardly need speak of the school build
ings OF that day-you, doubtless, are
familiar with their history. The public
school system was then in its infancy.
Academies were few and located at dis
tant points from each other. recollect,
well, the neighborhood talk about a lad
who went from Rome, now called Fos-
toria, to attend the academy at Norwalk.
That lad is now member of Congress.
Not far distant from Norwalk, and about
the time to which we have referred, was
laid the foundation of a college that has
since gained worldwide renown.
Shortly after an academy was opened at
Republic, with Thomas w. Harvey as
Principal. 1t is not necessary for me to
say anything about Harvey. You all
know him. Any eulogium that might
offer on his educational labors would fall
short of representing his merits. Harvey
was succeeded by Aaron Schuyler, who
for many years sustained the reputation
of the old academy.
The academies of that time were what
we of the present day are pleased to call
s'live schools" Their principals and
teachers were imbued with an energy
and enthusiasm that overcame all OBJ
stacles. They were not trammeled by
methodism and its progeny of school
books, or interfered with by officious
school directors. Many of the methods
of instruction in use at that time have
received but little improvement-up to
the present day. As late as 1852 there
were but few good public schools in
Ohio. Lorin Andrews, at Massillon, DIR.
Lord, at Columbus, Mr.. Cowdery, at
Sandusky City, Mr. Treese, at Cleveland,
and Mr.. Barney, at Cincinnati, were the
leaders in the educational reform that
finally resulted In the adoption of our
present school system. The country
schools of that time are not unfrequenuly
spoken of in a manner bordering on
derision. They were no doubt poorly
managed and fell far short of their pres
ent state. Yet, Notwithstanding their
deficiencies, the student of our State ed
ucational progress will see in them the
germs of what we are proud to say is one
of the greatest educational systems in
the world. The growth of our public
school system during the last thirty years
is one of the phenominal features of the
State that attracts the instant attention
of intelligent foreigners who visit us.
School houses aud churches were among
the first buildings erected by the early
settlers, and every year since that time
has witnessed a regular increase in the
aggregate, of the schools, pupils and
teachers; and no tax is SO willingly paid
as tlIat which affords facilities for free
instruction to the rich and poor alike.
The rapid progress of the theory of
free education has been strikingly Illus
trated within the last five years by the
efforts made in England, France, and
other European countries, to establish
systems of instruction similar to ours.
In speaking of the progress of Amer |
lean schools, | refer more particularly to
the graded schools of villages and large
towns The country schools have, |
indeed, made considerable progress; but
it cannot be said that they have kept
pace with the higher classes of schools.
Permit me to call your attention to
some of the defects of our State system
of education as applied to this class of |
schools / call your attention to them |
for the reason that they are usually |
overlooked in our educational meetings. |
The cause of the oversight, presume, |
can be accounted for, from the fact that |
our educational assemblies are mainly |
of graded school, teachers, |
who attend to acquaint themselves on
matters pertaining to the interest they |
may h I'VE in that particular class of |
schools.
think it proper that portion of the
time of all educational assemblies in the
State should be devoted to the interests
of public schools.
The first fact relating TO this class of |
schools to which shall call attention is,
that nearly one-half of the tuition fund of |
the State is squandered by having a
of small districts. There
are hundreds of them in the State In
which the enumeration does not run
above thirty five, and whose average
daily attendance is not more than six
teen. Such a division of te 'ritory it
ought to be seen, crippies the object of
the public school system. Each country
school house in the more densely popu-
lated portions of the State, should have,
at least, two recitation rooms, placed
under the care of two teachers, a prin-
cipal and an assist mt By this plan
the advantages of classification could be
and the number of branches
The increased efficiency of
such schools would, think, amply COM
pensate for the additional distance that
pupils might be required to traverse.
The second subject TO which | call at
tention is that Of country school houses.
Here another large amount of public
money is squandered--if you will permit
me to use the eXpression-I will say ig-
noranily squandered. Hundreds of |
buildings are erected every year without
any thought by the projectors or build
ers as to the cOnyenieDcies or wants of
school
We have costly buildings constructed
in such shape as to preclude any proper
of desks rooms constructed
that are eight feet high, without any
mode of ventilation, except by opening
the doors or raising the lower sash.
There is not one school house in a hun
ired i'm the State in which there is the
proper shelving on which to deposit
baskets, or cloak and hat-hooks. The
school room too frequently presents the
promiscuous appearance of piles of hats,
coats, dinner and books. | will add in
this connection that there is not more
than one school house in a hundred in
which the doDr does not open directly
TO the outer world. Thousands of dol
ars are lost annually TO he public by
The neglect OF Boards of Education TO
provide proper buildings in which to
store away wood for the winters use.
We need a little judicious legislation on
this subject. 1t would be better than it
now is, if legislative authority were to
designate the architectural plan for such
and tha fnrnitura and anna 4