Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1877-03-01
CUR SCHOOLS.
Report Of County Superintendent

Report Of County Superintendent
EDITOR AvANT COURIER:
1have rec ntly visited several Of thu
public schools of the valley, and fine
them making favorable progress. The
average attendance is quite surprising
when the distance travelled, particularly
by some of the smaller pupils is consider
ed. 1t is gratifying indeed to witness
the promptness with which many Of thu
GLASSES respond to different problems, anG
the general proficiency. This was notably
the case with two classes in mcn,al arith
metic under Mr.. Gray's supervision.
was pleased, too, with the Rotations i,
other schools, but have not time to men
ton each individual school. 1t is very
unfortunate that the apportionment Of
! school funds for many of the districts il
not sufficient to keepa teacher employed
tor more than three months. Indeed
there are only nine districts out of twenty
10 the county that have had school at al
during the winter. IN other districts tn,
trustees are compelled for want of mean.
o await another apportionment befor.
fce.lng that it would be protitab BILE to en-
ploy teacher and open school at all
and even then they will not be able ,e
keep school going for more than thre,
or four mouths. In two or three district,
it is deemed bust by the trustees to hoo
school during the summer months.
believe that it would be for the best IN
terest Of the children of the county who
depend upon the public school system, Il
have the schooltax five mills on the dollar
instead OF three, as it is at present. Then
most ofthe schools could be carried or
for four or five months at time, and some
good be accomplished.
The School for District No. 7. (this dis
trict has clos' d after only five and hall
months session. The maximum tax
allowed by law five mills) would enable
the trustees to carry on the school for two
or three months longer every year.
notice in some of the districts visited
that sufficient attention has not been pa
70 proper ventilation of the school room.
The ceiling in all IS too low to insure
freedom from vitiated atmosphere, and
the stoves used are III some instances no,
such as will preserve a steady temperature.
The attention of parents and trustees to
details Of this character in building school
rooms will insure far greater comfort to
the children, afford greater immunity
from disease. aud certainly would pro.
mote The mental improvement of the pu-
pill. which OF course is the great object of
our public school system. We cannot
expect children to make rapid progress in
any branch of education if we surrou nd
them with conditions unfavorable to
physical development. Neither can We
expect the best Of teachers to make per-
feet work willie compelled 20 sit IN small
crowd' d rooms, surrounded by unwholc-
some atmosphere. Headaches a, d back
aches to both teasher and pupil will sure
ly follow, and often an overpowering
sense of drOwsiness, which almost total y
pr, vents the mind acting and prevents the
child making any progress at all. Too fire.
qnently, must say, a serious and some
times fatal illness is the result Of these
ovcrcrowhcd and badly ventilated school
rooms In order to avoid these risks 1t is
far better and che pr to bulld commodi-
Gus. well ventilated rooms at first, This
district will soon commence the erection
ni a new school building; let US hope the
trus.ets will exercise sufficient caution
and torres ght TO lEsu!e US a healthy and
house for the purposes for
which it is inten ed.
In some future article l shall mention
the course Of study commended by the
Territorial superintendent.
GEO. w. MONROE,
County Superintendent.