Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-01-06
EDUCATIONAL.
THE COMMON SCHOOLS AND SOLDIERS
ORPHANS SCHOOSS.
Local Statistics of General Interest.

LEGAL Statistics OF General Interest.
State Superintendent Wickersham in
his annual report makes the inquiry and
asks for a decision whether, in view of
the biennial sessions Of the Legislature
his reports are to be annual or biennial.
He pronounces the general condition Of
the school system good. During the past
year 232 additional schools were graded,
making the whole number of this class of
schools 7,037. The whole number of pu-
pills on the rolls was 937, 80, and the aver
age attendance 601, ,627, or u per cent.
While the increase in tho number of pupils
was $50, the increase in the average at
tendance was 13, 955. Owing to the de-
preston in many kinds of business at the
beginning of the year, when they were
fixed, there is a small decrease in the sala-
ries of teachers but the average length of
the school term remains almost the same.
The average cost of tuition for each pupil
per month is seceaty-fce CENTS The ex-
penditures of all kinds for the year, not
including orphan or normal schools,
amounted to 81, 4S2, ,577.7j. The school
property of the state is valued at $685.
467, ,097. Total debt of school districts
S2, ,648, 1854, balances in treasures ST.
425, ,2I3.16. The recent unhappy delays in
paying school appropriations are referred to
and relief is asked. The losses by the delay
last year and the discount Of warrants was
$4,000.
Popular Interest.
There never was time when the popu-
lar interest III public education in Penn
sylvania was SO general Or So deep During
the years of the hard lines, now happily
past, it is true there were not so many
school houses built, nor SO much money
spent for improvements, but the average
length Of the school term has remained
about tho same, and there has been very
small reduction in the amount paid for in.
structiOn. Graded schools have continued
to multiply, and the improvement in
courses OF study and methods Of teaching
has been very marked. Educational meet
ings and teachers institutes have increased
in numbers and attendance in all parts of
the state, and more articles on education
have appeared i'll our newspapers and
magazines in the last five years than in
any previous ten years since the public
school system was organized.
The weak points in the present system,
are held to be the requirement of duties
from directors for which too often they
have no qualification. The building of
school houses, selection Of books and sus-
pension of teaching are matters Cor expert
knowledge. The superintendent dilates
on the point and cites statistics to prove
that ignorance is the mother of crime.
Many children arc not in schools who could
be brought in by the directors lcgisla-
tion is asked for the compulsory education
of neglected children and some scheme to
take little ones out of the poorhousc and
bring them up properly.
The normal schools are highly COM
mended and also the system of supcrinten-
dency, which is invosue in sixty-six counties
and twenty-SiX cities. The salaries are
fixed and the conventions to elect SUPER
intendentS next May need be distracted by
no question except to find the best men.
The present tody Of county superintend-
ents is praised rs the best ever had and
many suggestions from their reports are
given by DIR. Wickersham, among them
the following Of local interest
Superintendent Shaub CT Lancaster.
would like to see the whole school law re-
vised, especially in respect TO county in
stitutes, length of school term, branches
to be taught, attendance, and payment of
school warrants.
Superintendent Buehrlc, of Reading,
now Of Lancaster. proposes = periodical
school census, that the nun,ber of children
not in school, and growing up in ignorance,
may be ascertained.
Legislation is urged to revise the school
laws, to furnish free text books, to edu-
cate neglected children, to build school
houses, and for closer supervision.
In the tables OF statistics it appears that
in all. from the beginning, the state has
appropriated to the Millersville normal
school S79, ,O63.30, Lancaster county has
$742, 7O5 worth Of school property; 115
permanent certificates !; BOG school grounds
of sufficient size; 195 suitably improved;
AS school districts 81 houses of frame,
294 of trick or stone; IS built last year,
and 3S unfit for use; 1873
badly ventilated 46 without
proper privy; 154 first class 35S suita.
bly, furnished; 147 with injurious furniture
% furnished las: year !; 4 with good appara-
tus 81 without any II graded schools,
more needed, 90 well classified 555 with
uniform books {; 543 in which the Bible is
read SG teach drawing So teach vocal
music; AZ teach some of the higher
branches 69 hold public examinations
I'll visited by directors 430 provisional
certificates 29 professional 156 appli-
SssA1Vo ASJSSOCu dFCIdSc SIdtlC VI
cates2; 3O5 male teachers; 251 female av-
erage age of teachers &c: IS inexperienced
299 have taught more than five years 476
Intend to make teaching a permanent bust
ness; Pig have attended 4 normal school
62 graduates {; 555 have read books on
teaching; "a have held professional GER
tifices IS permanent certificates; 444
visits by county superintendent, average
visitation, 1 hour and 30 minutes: 1872
schools not visited 206 directors accom-
panying; 1876 patrons met, 81 schools
regularly visited by directors SO by pat
rons district institutes 8 meetings
held by county superintendent $40 child
dren Of age rot in school; 3 academies
2l0 pupils in them, aid teachers.
Lancaster city having only recently been
created district superintendent it's Sta
tistics are included in tho above for the
county. 1t has G5 schools Z male, and IS
female teachers 3, 473 pupils average cost
Of tuition per month 81 cents per pupil
value of school property $l43, $50.
The Soldiers Orphans schools.
The cost of this system for the past
school year was 1851, 1850, and the ap-
$500. 600, leaving an unexpend-
cd balance of sS,5GS.41. The whole orii-
nary cost of the system from the begin
ming to May 81, 1880, was s6,313, 526. so.
The extraordinary expenditures amount to !
e25, 395.43. AS the law now stands no
children can be admitted after June 1,
1857, and three years after all the schools |