Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-11-23
YAxx1oN COUNTY SCHOOLS.

.r. --
A Few Extracts froA y Annual Report
ofssperintcndeat Barbcr-Facts Wor.
thy Of CONFEDERATION aud Evils
Which ShoMld BIZ ReMsaieA.
The annual. report of the statistics Of the
common schools OF Yankton county, out.
side of the city. has recently been made out
and sent to the Office of the territorial
superintendent. From the remarks accom-
panying the statistics We give the following
extracts:
This county contains forty.eight districts.
thirteen of which are not In an organized
or working condition. Thir,y-two schools
we're taught last year. besides ihe city
schools of Yankton, which are.not repre-
sented 10 this report, being In an independ.
ent district. Five new schools were organ
tied IN districts previously unsupplied.
Eight new school houses have been built
or arc now in progress.
The whole amount of school. money
handled by district treasurers Is about So
200, Of which about $500 was expended
for teachers wages. The average pay Of
male teachers, ,nc,uding board. was $26.17;
t,at Of females, $23.80. Eight applicants
for certificates have been rejected for gen
eral unftnesa. either mental or moral. The
general condition Of education throughout
the country schools Is Of gradual but graft
flying improvement. Most of the district
officers seek for good teachers. and apply
to the superintendent for aid in selecting
those of ex experience and ability. Only about
one third Of them take the opposite course.
These latter seek only for the cheapest,
without regard to qualifications. Some
boards go so far as to select some favorite
as teacher, whom the superintendent has
pronounced unfit 10 teach they then iu-
form that officer that the person selected is
well qualified" good enough for that
schoo!,"-and demand that he be licensed,
School officers who thus try to usurp the
duties Of superintendent are often the most
ignoraat of what q teacher or q school
should be.
After speaking Of the real lack Of funds
to support schools and the pretended pow.
erty which, in some districts either wholly
prevents schools or cheats the children By
employing a Cheap teacher and refusing to
supply books, states bIackboards and desks
t ,e report says:
There is no stronger argument for the
imminent need Of admitting Dakota as 9
state in the union, than the languishine
condition of educational interests. Let Us
have a slate government, and let it quickl,
provide for the sale Of pslt of the schoo
lands. Since eight claims Of 100 acres eacl
are set apart for schools In each township
two or four Of them be brought into mark.
ct at the earliest possible day, and let school
be aided by the interest of the school fun,
: and let the superintendent b: m,de subjec
70 the condition, that it shall not be paid t,
any district which does not raise a lik
amount Or some fixed rate by taxation; o
the principle that the state will help thos
8 who try 10 help themselves.
Another sad result of this poverty is th
total lack of normal schools. A suitabl
training school is the great need of Dakot.
: : to enable her some time to compare favor
ably with her eastern n%eighbors; and 70
such a school We look to our future stat
: school fund. To make up for this lack i,
some slight degree, I have souehtto instruc
! teachers at examinations, at institutes an
in their school rooms. 1 have tried to in
8 duce all to attend institutes.
Another drawback to education here
. the practice of having several diferen
sorts Of textbook, simultaneously used i
the same school. The law contains good an
sufficient provision for preventing this evil
J 1t allows a district board to decide wha
textbooks may be used, after which n
teacher should be expected to create ne,
classes for those using d%ifferen, books no
authorized. l have tried to induce al
boards to select, and authorize the use o
some of the modern books, put the same OF
record, and adhere to it; so that the teache,
may be economical of his time and labor
and accomplish the best results. Part o
the districts have followed this course, while
others adhere firmly to the "mixed. up
system.
The clerks reports show Eve kinds o,
readers, seven Of arithmetic, eight Of gram.
mar, &C., in use many of these being used
in the same school. It il. one of the first
duties of teachers, school officers and super.
intendents to reform this injurious practice +;
and l am g~ratiied At the number of district
boards in this county which have seen the
need o! action and taken the proper steps.
But their number would have been greater
had not the territorial superintendent ayear
ago sent = circular to all district boards, I'd.
vising them in effect not to adopt or legalize
any one set of text books, for at Least a year
from that time.
o.