Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-06-08
CLEARFIELD, Pa, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 1881

o employed who do not hold valid cer
r, titicatos; schools are allowed to b
n kept open on Saturday and oftentime
l. less than tho necessary number o
J. months are taught, These are dis
r crepancies from which the oath, takel
= by the Board at the end of every
q school year, allows no exoneration.
s therefore, deem ii my duty to call at
g tention to these fhcts. Many teachers
d | am sorry TO say, manifest a deplora
+ bic degree Of ignorance in this diroc,
tion also, and are often responsible foi
the mistakes that are made by diree
tors, especially in the matter of keep.
3 ing schools open on Saturday.
! A PLEA FOR THE ISOLATED SCHOOLS.
5 II may be prudent to speak of the
Indifference that is generally manifest.
cd towards the "back woods" schools,
t which in our county form fraction
, of some magnitude. In many instan-
ces when the schools of certain town.
ships are to be provided for, the seclu.
ded temples of learning, situated, per-
. haps, in some vast wilderness, are ei.
ther wholly or partially ignored. They
are too frequently kept in the most
rude and ungainly houses, and years
are allowed to pass by the score almost,
without the slightest effort being made
to wipe out the desolation and gloom
with such improvements as are be.
slowed upon the more prosperous and
enlightened districts, In selecting
teachers generally, the applications are
taken up and all the well qualified and
experienced teachers are honored with
schools in the enlightened communities
where new houses, with all the modern
improvements, have been built, and
where everything possible has been
done to contribute TO the happiness of
the wealthy, cultured and refined In
striking contrast with this, all appli.
cants who arc young and have had no
special training for their work, and
who hold No. certificate, perhaps,
are assigned places in the wilderness"
or among the mines, where they
teach for about one. half as much per
mouth as the teacher of the amodeP'
school, in the advanced community.
The result of this is that thesesecluded |
schools continue to hang year after year
as leaden weights upon the districts in |
which they are located, while the more
important schools, seemingly, are max.
ing commendable progress, the inferior
class, as it were, arc standing still, or
retrograding. 1t is q grave mistake
so frequently made by School Boards,
a mistake that has resulted in dwarf.
ing the intellectual powers of many
child. Provide every district, If posi-.
bic, with the same facilities for learn
ing employ the same class of teachers
for the inferior schools that is employ
cd for the superior; and then if they
fail to gain high degree of eminence,
the directors will not be held responsi.
bic.
WHAT WE DESIRE TO ACCOMPLISH.
With all the evidences of progress
as exhibited by this and my statistical
report, much remains yet TO be done.
Numerous defects are apparent in
our educational structure. Prominent
among the evils that are threatening
TO weaken our system of schools and
retard their progress, we mention the
following:
lst. The absence from school of so
many INDECENT and indolent children
of tho proper age.
I'd. A desire on the part of so many
pupils to ignore the most useful
branches of study, and quit the com.
mon school at an carly age, totally
ignorant ofone.halfthe common school
branches.
Sd. The danger arising from the
habit 80 many teachers have of dis.
counting genuine ideas, and the pre-.
MUM they attach to the free utterance |
of words, thus enslaving their pupils I
in the superficial and mechanical form
OF teaching without developing their
thought, poioer and individuality. ,
4th. The want of more intelligent
of our schools by school
directors.
9th. The evil Of selecting teachers :
from a religious or political standpoint, !
or because of existing relationship, 4
regardless of mental or professional {
qualifications. :
9th. The want Of a uniform course :
Of studv rigidlv enforned
To remove the defects enumerated =
above shall be our aim during the ,
coming three years. And we therefore, /
invoke the aid Of directors and teach. a
'rs in carrying out our plans and pur- q
poses. We have prepared in pamphlet v
orm (and which will be issued soon) a q
Hand Book" for teachers containing 4
IN outline Of the work we desire to a
The first and important e
measure to be adopted is that of re- {
iucing our work TO a system by the |
of a course of study. n
This course, as | have il arranged, will n
'xtend through period of three years .
md terminate in graduating system V
or the common schools. At the ex. v
,iration Of the three years, examina. /,
ions will be held throughout the coun- q
y, and all the Common School scholars /,
vho can pass an examination in the ii
curse will be granted q Common 7
chool diploma. 1t is hoped that this a
Incentive may prove sufficient to in I,
uce pupils to study all the branches n
equired by law, and, also to attend ii
he public schools more regularly than I,
customary with the average pupil r,
CONCLUSION. I,
Thankful for the courtesies of the Il
chool Department and the press Of the n
ounty, for the generous hospitality of IL
Ao people with whom we have q
Mingled, and for the confidence of the ID
,hool directors, we invoke tho aid fc
nd cooperation of all in the work of d
he coming year. in
A Janesville man instructed new W
,rvant how TO order meat from tho fl