The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1876-11-23

pleted two fine brick houses, eight rooms
each, at an aggregate cost of $25, 1000.
PROGRESS.
That there is advancement in school
work in Mahaska, is indicated by the fol-
lowing:
lst. Boards of Directors are enquir-
ing after the best text books, and are
adopting uniform series.
I'd. There is increased care in the
election of teachers, giving more money
for teachers bearing first grade certificates
than for those having second garde.
Sd. There is an earnest striving by
our teachers for better qualifications, as
may be shown: (a) BY reference to our
Normal Institute minutes of 1876 Zone
or two such Institutes were held here be-
fore the enactment of the law, and they,
as well as those held each year since, have
proven great good to thecounty. They
unity, or systemize school work, teach
the teachers the philosophy of mind and
the proper scope of course Of study
that shall most perfectly develop the
mind. All these are the work of the
normal where may be found the names
of one hundred and seventy-ive persons
who engaged in dilligent study during our
term of one month. More than one humid
red of these were teachers right from our
schools, most of them bearing frst-class
certificates and having had long and sue
cessful experience. The desire, among
our teachers for improvement, is shown
~ in the organization of a County
Teachers Library Association, with
of one hundred, and l4O
volumns in store
NEEDS.
lst. A more perfect system of venti-
lation. This subject should engage the
ablest thought of the State, for there are
life and death in the balance scale.
I'd. More efficient school officers and
not so many of them The first of
these can be secured by paying reas-
enable compensation for such important
labor, and holding those who perform
it to a strict accountability; the sec.
ond by making each civil township an
district in which shall be
included all villages and towns number
ing less than three hundred population.
Sd. A general plan Of classification
and course of study for the ungraded
schools of the State.
Many County Superintendents have
issued such for their counties, and the
testimony, as far as heard, has
been favorable. If this is true of coun-
ties why not true of the State?
EXAMINATIONS.
Nothing promotes school interests more
than close impartial examinations. The
custom of issuing certificates without
this is pernicious. To practice it is con-
trary to the spirit of the law. The ex-
should be held at regular
times, as the law designates, and once
each quarter were still better. The ques-
tions should be fresh and practical each
time. Teachers holding first class certi-
fcates should have them two years, and
and should be required to pass one high
er branch at each examination.
SUPERVISION.
The greatest need of country schools is
closer Supervision. Any move to increase
the number and efficiency of Superinten-
dents visits win as surely advance
the interests of the schools, as the
reverse would cripple and disorgan-
ize them. We must have the highest
possible order of work in this field. To
secure this, we must place the Office upon
an equality with other such positions.
Why one county officer should get $4,000
or more for looking after the @rascals" of
q community, and County Superinten-
dent get but 5000 or less for attending
the many important duties assigned him
is problem which our law makers should
solve at the next meeting of the Legisla-
ture. sOr why he should give bonds for
the faithful performance Of his official
duties, and then at irregular, and often
painfully long intervals, qualify before
the Board of Supervisors before he can
draw any portion Of his salary, is also
question in which the Superintendent at
least is much interested. There should
be some system of examination by which
the abilities of every aspirant to the Office
should be tested. In this way none but
those who are ''school men" would reach
it. Instead of hitchlng the name on at the
obscure corner of the pary ticket, let
the school officers of the county in con-
veution assembled therefore, choose the
officer -,--..-.----s--.'- ---'- - -..-
s-For many years it has been one of my
constant regrets that no school master of
mine had q knowledge OF natural history
so far at least as to have taught me the
grasses that grow by the wayside, and the
little winged and wingless neighbors that
are continually meeting me with solution
which cannot answer as things are.
Why didn't some one teach me the con-
stellations, too, and make me at home in
the starry heavens, which are always over
head, and which I don't half know to
this day. CARLYLE.
In Alabama So per cent. of the voters
are ilKterate KY. % per cent; Nd. 22
per cent; in Delaware "a per cent, Ga.
56 per oentr Flor. 54 per cent; Miss.
5S per cent; Louisiana 40 per cent;
Does not the South need public schoolsp
In Italy 60 out of every 100 men in
the country can neither read nor write.
They devote $50, ,oo0, 900 to their army,
and $5,0OO,0OO to popular education.
They intend establishing free schools.
Those students who imagine that book
knowledge is all Of education, and shut
themselves away from the world, lose
more than half of it Method in study