The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-08-19
Our Public Schools.

| foIIOWihS Is the annual report OF Pro-
! fesSOr j. w. Leech. Superintendent of
| public schools in Cambria county. Just sub
mitted to the Department of Public In
! StrUction:
The schools of Cambria county have
made remarkable progress in many direc-
tionS during the year The introduction
] OF the course of study. prepared especially
/ FOR the schools of Somerset, Bedford. In
| diana and Cambria counties, under the di-
! rection of the SupcrintendentS of these
| counties, by Superintendent Bcrkcy. who
! was chairman Of the committee has re-
/ suited in great good. particularly in our
| ungradcd schools. Through a system OF
pupils monthly examinations sent out
! from the Superintendent To each school.
| and based upon the work outlined for the
| different grades, we were enabled TO reach
degree of system, classification. and SUI
/ pcrvi>ion. which has given DE- finite aim.
| direction and purpose To the work of the
| teacher never known in our schools before
| Although this was the first year of its
trial. twenty young students presented
themselves for examination. and twelve of
| these We're deemed worthy by the COM
mittee and granted diplomas
Carefully prepared term reports were
made giving necessary statistics and the
standing and classification of each pupil
and his grade for next term together
with the programme and any other useful
suggestions which the outgoing teacher
may be able to make for the consideration
of his successor. These statistics are the
most reliable | have ever been able to
gather, and they certainly furnish much
food for present thought and practical ac-
tiOn in the future.
There We're pa schools in the county.
exclusive of the city of JohnStown. The
average term was very Smal! fraction
over the minimum term-SiN months.
Ninety-tive teachers were men. whose
wages averaged $3.50 per month: $50
teachers were ladies. whose average
monthly wages were S3l.7l. The average
monthly cost of each pupil was ninety
cents. There were enrolled 5.j}S boys and
5.2i7 girls: total, lO,7S5, with an average
attendance of 3,3Sl boys and 3.l94 girls: to-
tai, 6,515. OF these pupils 339 attended every
day in the term. 5,Ol3 attended eighty days
or more, SO+ attended less that twenty
days; 5l3 of tEem We're over sixteen years
of age. There were in the schools 175 pu-
pills under six years of age. These are not
ihcluded in the former figures.
After using the greatest care in getting
the best possible information to be had on
the subject. we find there are 1.121 children
in Cambria county who were not in school
at all during the term. If we were to add
to these the SO4 who attended less than
twenty days, there are in Cambria county,
outside of JohnstOwn City, 925 children
of school age wEo are being permitted TO
grow up without receiving any benefit at
all from our grand free system of public
education. There were 72G visits TO schools
by the directors. and 6.644 visits by patrons.
The Bible was read in seventy-eight
schools.
The state appropriation to the districts
of Cambria county outside of the city of
JOhnStOwn for the year ending June, 1891
was Sl2,9l3.O5. wish TO call the attention
of those interested to the basis of the
present system of distributing the appro
priation, shown in our division. For
the year ending June, 1891. JohnStOwn had
3,5i5 pupils and Cambria county outside of
JohnStown had lO,626, or lacking nine of
having three times as many pupils. Now
we notice that JohnStown received from
the State -, ,l1O.5i. and all the districts in
the county outside of .IohnStOwn put to-
gether received only Sl2. .GG9.3G: or in other
words the districts in Cambria county out
side of JohnStOwn had three times as
many pupils to provide for and received
only little more than one and one-half
times as much aid from the state.
On this | shall make no comment except
to ask what becomes of the country legisla-
tor when he goes to Harrisburg.
The following districts built new houses
during the year: Adams. /; Elder, ,;
Munster. /: Portage, township, ,; Sum
mcrhill. /: Lower Hoder. l. These and
number of old ones were seated with good
furniture. Two buildings were burned
down: the Ricketts, in Reade and the
Tyhank in Barr. Both fires are believed
To have been of indendiary origion. The
law should require all locations and plans
and specifications of school houses to be
submitted to the county superintendent for
final approval.
! regret to say that there does not seem
to be much. if any, Improvement in the
condition of the out-buIldinES in many
school districts y large number of them
are disgrace to the age in which we live.
Something must be done to improve them.
Our institute was the best ever held in the
county. Our instructors We're DIR. Waller,
DR.. Hyte. DR.. Reed, ProfS. Coughlin, Har-
man, Bible. Hammers and Gibson. Our
evening program was: MondaY-Dr. G.. +.
Reed Qualities that VIM" Tuesday
ArielThomas Company, musical; We'd
nesday, Thomas Dixon, Jr.. "Backbone;' =
Thursday-John Dewitt, The Uses of
UglineSS."
a Directors Association was formed at
.he teachers institute which promise
much good To our schools. a. +. S0meT
Vile president of West Taylor school
| board was chosen secretary.
| 1t meets twice a year, once during the
county institute and during the month of
| June.