Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1896-12-03
Pennsylvania Schools.

Prof. y. c. Schaeffer, snperiuteu dent
Z OF public instruction of Pennsylvania
has Just submitted his annual report TO
Gov. Hastings for the year ending June
last. While it shows great progress IN
the school system there Is no evidence to
indicate that the large appropriation OF
&. zoo. 90 is effecting any substantial IN
crease of the salaries of teachers or add
ing to the length of the school term.
The Increase in the salary OF male teach
ers was only 20 cents month, while the
salary Of female teachers underwent a
decrease Of s cents. The school term IN
months increased only .o7. The number
of school districts in Pennsylvania in
Guiding Philadelphia, was 2,47S, an IN
crease Of Al; schools, $500. increase SIS;
graded schools, I5,o58, increase I,I5o;
male teachers. 1896, increase I6o; female
teachers II ,e6S, increase sos; pupils, =
| oSS, ,7S6, increase 1914; cost OF school
houses, purchasing, building. renting,
ETC., s4,o96, ,e24.o3, increase S372,5oo;
teachers wages, Se, ga, 1851, increase
s3I7, ,oo6. p; fuel, contingencies, fees OF
| collecting and other expenses, 81, ,S48,-
$50. 81, increase SI6S, S27.53. The aver
age salary of male teachers was s44.7o
| and female teachers s3S.2S. The aver
age length of school term was 7.eS. The
average number Of pupils in attendance
was 500, 1877. The amount expended IN
the purchase of text books was 1886. 9I3.-
| IS, and the total disbursements Tor school
purposes were sIe,66I, ,529,5S, which IN
cluded 1886, 76S.42, expended for school
supplies other than text books outside OF
| Philadelphia. The amount of tax levied
exclusive of Philadelphia was So, 2o6, I62-
| rs, an increase of $6o7, ,62o,o7.
Superintendent Schaeffer refers to the
| last United State census to show that as
| a rule the earning power of the industrial
, classes rise as the percentage of illit-
| eracv falls. He also says the modern
factory is thriving with educated labor,
and that its development has helped the
intellectual progress OF the masses. oupt.
| Schaeffer also urges a liberal appropTia-
ton for higher education, especially a
system that would benefit the rural popu-
| lation.
Compulsory edudation says Supt.
Schaefer, has steadily decreased the
number Of children employed IN the
manufactures He claims it was neces-
sary tto Danish illiteracy and to make
| ignorance impossible" The law In
| PENNSYLVANIA. he says has not been fully
tried and many effects in it will appear
| which must be renedied by future legis-
| lation. Compulsory vaccination IS not
| favored by the superintendent, and he
| saws it serves to neutraliZe the compui-
sorry education law, It IS better, he
thinks, to educate the pupil and parents
| in the laws Of health. With few excep-
tions the school houses have perfect sanl-
| tary arrangements, and this is a point
| that cannot be too closely watched.
Supt. Schaeffer makes a caustic refer
ence to the Sharks who appeared when
| the school appropriation w2s raised TO
S., COG, 900. Agents for charts maps and
| blocks induced many unlnformed schooi
boards to purchase their high-prlced
goods. This the superintendent terms
extravaganza, and issues a warning
| against It.
OF the distribution of the school appro-
priation the superintendent says: II
| discrininates against the districts which
lack industries to hold their adult popu-
lation and in favor of the districts to-
ward which the young people gravltate
as soon as their school days are ended
1t is needless To say this method fails 70
carry out the theory which makes II the
duty Of the State to provide at public ex-
pense equal common school advantage
for all its youth"
The teachers employed, according to
Supt. Schaeffer, are as a rule competent
AMI under the present system, only those
properly qualified can secure positions.
The studies are advanced in tone, and a
noteworthy feature of the text book IS
that they have begun to treat the state
government as Of equal importance with
that os the Nation.