Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1881-01-27

schools is 19l greater than last year and |
the percentage of attendance has in
creased from 90 to 68s per cent of those |
enrolled. Undoubtedly we owe much |
OF this increase in attendance to the |
Compulsory Education Law, and it may
be readily inferred that by far the larger
portion of the 3,445 persons of school
age who We're not enrolled were under |
seven years of age. Although no one
in this county has been brought before
any officer "haying competent jurisdic-
tom either for neglect of duty or open
violation of the law, many school off
GERS and patrons have interested them
selves in the matter and the result is
that in some districts every person be-
tween seven and fifteen years of age has
been enrolled in the school, and has at
tended at least the time required
The evils and losses arising from an
unnecessary and too frequent change of
teachers are too many and various to
admit of extended discussion in this con-
nection. This is beyond doubt one of
the greatest drawbacks to the progress
of our country schools with which we
have to contend and can not be too
earnestly and persistently deprecated.
Too many of our school boards contract
with as many different teachers as there
are terms of school during the wear.
While in some instances change NAV be |
unavoidable and even very desirable, its |
bad effects are only too apparent in the |
llfeless, non-progressive condition Of
things that can be seen and felt at once
on entering a school room in district
where change is the custom. Each new
teacher employs some different method |
OF giving instruction in some particular |
branch or branches; consequently the
pupils are turned back so often that
they have become careless and indiffer-
ent about their work and have given up. |
in great measure, all efforts TO inn |
prove themselves in any way, and are |
completely disguised with their school |
work. Generally speaking, the wide |
awake, go-ahead schools are found II, !
The districts that engage the teacher for
the entire school year | am pleased to /
be able to add that this plan is becom- !
ing more and more common every year |
as good results are made apparent. and !
1t promises, in time, TO do much toward |
making the teachers tenure of position
depend more on the quality of the work |
done than on the mere whim of some !
irate parent or fault finding member Of |
the school board.
Our annual Institutes were held in Au- |
gust, a members were enrolled at /
Platteyille and rs at Fennimore. Very !
nearly all ofthose enrolled at Platteville |
have at some time availed themselves of |
the advantages offered by the Normal |
School, and | think that there need be |
no hesitation in saying that better or |
more through work has not BEEN done |
IN any institute held in the State The |
institute at Fennimore was the first ever
held in that village. Unusual interest |
in the work was manifested bv the citi- |
zens, who did all in their power to
further the interests of the institute and
to whose hearty cooperation much of
our success was due. OF the interest
manifested by the teachers it is only
necessary to say that the percenta ge of |
attendance was 964, although during the
last week the weather was quite rainy
and unfavorable. Prof A. j. Hutton
conducted the work at Platteville and
Prof. Geo. Beck at Fennimore. These
gentlemen have merited and won the
highest confidence and esteem of the
people of this county, and will always
receive hearty welcome at their hands. |
My thanks are due Miss Emma Watkins
and Mr.. Clyde Showalter, of Lancaster
for valuable assistance at Fennimore.
and to Mr.. j. L. Kruger, one of the |
best penmen in the State, who took |
charge OF the work in penmanship at |
Platteville.
One great benefit that we are deriving |
from our institutes is uniformity in |
methods of teaching. When uniformity |
OF methods is secured in our common
schools we will not feel, to such an ex- |
tent rs we do at present, the evils arising
from the frequent change of teachers. |
Every citizen having the welfare of our
educational system at heart should do !
all in his power to increase the interest |
now manifested in institute work and
use his influence in encouraging attend
ance by giving a preference to those |
teachers who are willing to sacrifice
time and money that they may be able
to attend and better prepare themselves |
to take up, intelligently, their work in
the school room.
The number of Teachers Examina- |
tions has been increased somewhat. ow- |
ing to the fact that at several places the |
school rooms were not large enough to |
accommodate all who wished to write. |
and at the same time insure fairly salts |
factory work
Although the number Of certificates
granted in this county is lower than for |
the last year, there has apparently been
scarcity of teachers. This scarcity Is |
not confined to Grant county alone but |
exists in many of the best counties in |
the State; some of the County Superin- |
tendents reported shortage Of from 40 /
to 20 in the number of teachers reouired |
TO conduct the schools.
Certificates have been granted as fol-
lows: IL flrst grade, Ia second grade
and 90 third grade to gentlemen; and A
nrst grade, IA second grade and 267
third grade to ladies. The number of
different persons now holding County /
certificates is 322, the number holding
state certificates by virtue of graduation
IN one OF the courses of study laid down
for the Normal School is %, and the
number who hold State certificates by
virtue OF graduation from the State
University is 4. 1t will be seen from
the above statement that the available
teaching force Of this County at present
IS 34o. Quite large number who hold
certlilcates, but are not engaged in
teaching, are attending school, endeavor-
ing to better prepare themselves for the
work
My time for visiting schools, the most
enjoyable part of my work, is necessa-
rily limited by the large amount of 9TH
er work that requires the closest atten-
ton. The almost impossible condition
OF the roads last winter, compelling me
to make my rounds on horseback or on
foot. interfered somewhat with my req
tiiarly laid out plan Of work. In nv
visits, programmes and methods have
been examined, and such suggestions
given as were deemed prudent Espec-
Ial attention has been given to disci-
pine OF the school-room, and with pleas
ure can say we are making marked
improvement in this direction.
The people generally are awake to the
fact that but little benefit can be derived
from our schools unless fair degree of
order is maintained, and with few ex-
ceptions, cheerfully give their hearty
support to the teacher who strives to
make his school what it should be in
tins particular. Energy and good judy
ment combined with eternal vigilance
taf oofl \