Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-03-30
The Public SchOOls-A Few COrrec.
ti0ns and Suggestions.

EDIToR JoURNAL:-I do not propose to
criticise the management of our public
schools, but merely desire to enter my pro-
test against the studied and oft-repeated
attempts to injure the regulations of those
who have been connected with the schools
in the past, Repeated statements have
been made, by correspondents in the two
village papers and editorially in the Granger,
to the effect that the public schools are at
present in much better condition than at
any previous time-that under the presen
management the schools nre gradually
emerging from the sloughs of despond into
which they had been plunged by years Of
inefficient imbecility on the part OF those
controlling them.
The Granger Of the Sth inst, in referring
to the attendance upon the schools, says
there is "a continued improvement in reg
ularity," and that "they are gaining slowly
on the vicious habit" OF tardness. In the
same article it gives the aggregate number
in attendance upon the schools at $50 for
the month of February, while llS of that
number were neither absent nor tardy. In
the Jour,d OF the 9th, the Superintendent
reports pa cases of tardiness. have OBJ
tanned the facts relative to the condition
of the schools in the corresponding month
| last year, and let us make the comparison
and see what all this talk about "gaining
on the vicious habit" of tnrdincss means
In the Superintendent report in the Jour
nal for February, he gives as the "No. he
longing" which | suppose means the num-
Der enrolled, as $50, with an average daily
attendance of $50. In the corresponding
month, last year, there were 424 enrolled,
and the average daily attendance was $40
In view of the fact that there is an addi-
tional primary school, thereby relieving
the other primaries OF their crowded con-
dition, and the other fact that last yekr
25 to 80 children attended the private
school of Mrs. Crabb, this showing does not
warrant the assumption that there is any
decided Improvement" con the vicious
habit" of tardiness. l have no doubt n
comparison with other years would be
equally disastrous to the attempts to cast
odinm upon former Superintcndents and
teachers Of our pupiic SCHOOLS. ...ie'..
give other figures upon this point, but il
is not necessary. All ask is that the
SPECIAL friends of the present school man
agement content themselves with singing
its praises without seeking to cast unjust
: reflections upon past instructors.
As to the question OF discipline, have
little to say. Time was when the ferulC
, and CAD we're the terrors of school chill
g dren--when they were governed through
the terrors of the law rather than the sens'
4 e. IL, .t.hR ala
lie sentiment has changed upon that qIes
0 ton. Ox-gads have been banished from
2 the school room and the children are treat
!, ed in a manner much better calculated Il
y deyelop true nobility and independence o
n character without breeding insubordins
a tion. Much may be seid upon this point
O but ii is sufficient to say that the time 10
:, boasting of severe discipline in the publ
: schools has passed.
1t will be observed that the number o
It names on the rolls of our public school
, this year is considerably below the enroll
:, ment of last year, although an addiliona
; school building and teacher have been pre-
Z yided. Has this result been brought abou
" through the inability OF parents 10 procuT
II the books required under the wholessl
A change of text books? Careful estimate
u place the cost Of this change at $4,000 10
e the present year, and the burthen ialI
C chiefly upon the poorer classes OF com
d munity. 1t was an unnecessary, and con
\. seduehtly a most cruel burthen, rendere
! doubly so from the fact that il operated I
Is keep some children-the statistics OF tn
g schools would indicate at least hfty-ou
Q OF school. -.
!, am in favor of standing by our publ
" schools, and regret that il has been though
n necessary to sustain their present manage
e ment by assaults upon their predecessors