The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-01-27
Special Correspondence of the Cincinnati
OHIO sCHVOIS.

G1Zette.I
OHl0 SCHOOLS.
Their Condition as set Forth By COM
missioner Smart-HeW Plan for
school 0rganIzatiOn-ShaII the b.
bic Be the Textbook for Moral In
struetiOn ?-COmpulSOFY Education
recommended, Ete.
COLUMBUS, O., Jan. IS.
Inc annual report OF the State
School Commissioner, C. S. Smart,
was nied at the Executive Off1ce this
morning.
Its elaboratebess, careful discussions
OF educational topies, full statistical
information, and, above all, the new
plan OF school organization through
out Ohio, which il sets forth and advo-
Gates, will commend it To more gem
eral attention than auy siIailar docu-
ment perhaps that has ever proceeded
| from the Educational Department of
the State Government
In all that follows the figures, facts
and positive statements, are the Com.
missioner's the opinions conpar-
isonss comments, inferences, and de-
duetions, unless shown by quotations,
marks or direct reference to be the
Commissioners, are the coErespon-
dents own. r :
LEADING FACTS.
The following Is a summary of the
leading facts shown in the table COM
piled from the return Of school Of
! ficers I; -
Number OF youth OF school age In
the St2te In September, 1874, 9S5,947
number ofschool districts in the State,
1,942; number ofsub-districts in town
ship districts, 1888; number OF
schOol-houses in township districts,
10,695 number of schooI-houses in
other districts, 1,139; number Of
schCol-houses erected within the year
ga; cost OF school-houses erected
within the year, 81 ,010, ,7S6; estimated
value Of school-houses, including
grounds, SIS, ,5O4; number OF
teachers necessary to supply the
schools, 15,0S7; number Of different
teachers actually employed, p, 49,
average number of weeks the schools
were in session, 2S.5; number Of
pupils enrolled In the schools, 7l2, 2,I29
average number OF pupils in daily at
tendance, 4S5.349; number Of school
officers, 40,O04; total of receipts, in
cluding balance on hand SeDten ESS |,
1874, Sl1, ,749, ,360.78; total OF expendi-
lures, s., ,l70, ,959.9S; balance on hand
September l, 1875, S3,57S. .400.78.
ENUMERATION OF YOUTH.
Whole number of white youth of
school age in 1875, 9g5, ,12S whole
number in 1874, 963, ,54S.
Whole number OF eoIored youth OF
school age in 1875. 22,593 whole
number in 1874, 22.399i increase,
199.
Whole number OF youth OF school
age in 1875, 1,017, 7,726; whole number
in 1874, ,9S5, ,047 increase, 1,779.
The whole number OF unmarried |
youth between 10 and 81 years OF age |
in the State in September, 1875, as
shown by the enumeration returns, |
Is 260, ,5SS, or $3.50 per cent. Of the en- |
tire enumeration. This leaves 757 ,13S |
youth in the State between 6 and 16 |
years Of age.
BAD ARRANGEMENTS.
The Commissioner believes that,
owing TO the incompetency or care
lessness OF many township boards,
there are numerous townships in the
State that are absurdly and incon-
veDientlY sub-distTieted. He also be.
lieyes there Is laca OF Intelligent
management of the county schools
want OF economy and wisdom in the
Of school money, In the
erection of school builings, and the
purchase Of school house sites bad
judgment in the employment of teach
aru nd axvflo wrvhfnh nj
call loudly for q remedy, and the sug-
gestion Of this remedy, viz z: the coun-
ty system, and arguments in its favor,
occupy much of this labOriOHs and
valuable report.
INTERESTING PAOrs.
Whole number school-houses erect
ed 544 in 1875, $40 In 1874, S5.
Whole cost of houses erected in 1875,
8, ,010, ,7S6; whole cost of houses erect
ed in 1874, 81, ,164, ,10i; decrease, $751;
Number of school-houses in the
State, in township districts in 1875,
l0,695; in city, ETC., districts, l,139
total, II, I,S34.
Value of township school-houses,
S., ,037, ,446; value OF city, ETC., school,
houses, 81, ,SS9, ,05S total value, S19,-
SIG, ,50i.
Whole number OF sohooI-rooms In
the State, Il, ,S6S. II
Total number OF stockholders, 40,-
lO4.
The Commissioner thinks that, un-
der q proper system, the work which
Is imperfectly and badly done by ,
these 10000 school-offieers could be
well done with 5000, and at q con- ,
siderable saving Of money. He in
iOrses all that his predecessor, T. w.
says OF the slovenliness and
OF the township sub-dis-
.rict system. The conclusion, Of /,
course, is that sub-districts and local |;
directors ought to be wiped out, and I.
,ne State divided into city, village :
md township districts only, with
similar organizations for each, with
he schools OF each wholly under con- :
.rol of q board OF say six persons. !
This would secure order, intelligent
unity, and economy. n
The Commissioner cites In support OF :
lis views, the Hon. Charles Francis :
Adams and the State Superintendent I,
If Massachusetts, and thinks the ex-
and irrational management =
" our country schools in Ohio costs =
Is $500, 900 annually more than Is !,
necessary.
The number of teachers necessary ?
% supply the schools Of Ohio in 1875 n
vas 15,0s7 in 1874, 14,581-an in ;
,rease Of 406. y
A slight increase Of the compensa- !.
ion OF female teachers in country dis. :,
rict schools, and somewhat marked fI
Increase Of the wages of males in y
,ity high schools, is Offset by 8 de- r
rease in all the other classes. y
SCHOOL TAXATION. o
The average rate of local tax for c
chooIs in sub-districts is the same as o
q 1874, viz: 6-10 mills; but in cities,
tc., it has gone up from $500 mills d
o 7 3-100, an increase, doubtless, al G.
most wholly to be accounted for by b
he increased expense of high schools, v
g the compensation of teachers In b
he primary schools has actually ci- o
ninished. q
ENROLMENT. =
The whole number of pupils IN pu0- q
ic primary schools in the State was, n
n 1874, 6S4, ,5ll 1875, 6S8,747 n
The whole number Of pupils enroll Il
ID In high schools, throughout OHIO, n
vas, in 1874, only "a 299. and in 1875, n
4,2I2. a,
Thus, while the cost of maintaining n
hese establishments increased, the II
lumber Of pupils in them diminished. q
The primary schools are the true Il
peoples colleges" They are the =,
ock upon which the system is bailt (;
hey are, in fact, the system itself.
The entire number Of pupils Of all
rades enrolled in 1874 was 707, ,943 in
SIS, 712, l29 increase, 4,1S6.
EDUCATION OF CoLoRED YOUTH.