Year: 1869

Practical wisdom places every i'm


portant business enterprise under


intelligent oversight and direction,


and the more complicated the business


and the more costly the materials


handled, the more direct and thorough


the supervision.N Thus railroads,


mines, and manufactures are all watch


ed over by men who are not only en-


trusted with their general direction,


bat who are charged with the special


duty of seeing that each part of the


work is done in the best possible man.


ner.


| What universal experience has


shown 10 be necessary in the manage


ment OF business enterprises, Is equally


necessary in directing system of edu-


cation. Indeed there is not reason


that can be urged in favor of direct


ing head tor a cotton-mill, that does


not apply with equal force to the


necessity of supervision in a system of


schools. Whether we consider the


difficult and complicated processes
involved, the nature and costliness of
the material wrought upon, or the
importance of the principles which


guide to success, the cOttOn-mlll Is
vastly interior to the school, and mis-


takes in its management are far less
destructive and serious. Besides, bus
mess enterprises are. as a general rule,


in the hands OF those who have a Pc


cuniary and personal interest in their
success. The directors of a railroad
or a factory are also stockholders, and
if they, unwilling to depend upon their
own wisdom, seek the guidance of a
skillful and eXperiencedsuperint
much less can the local directors OF
our schools, who often feel little per-
sonal interest in their success, be relied
upon to give them efficiency and the
highest usefulness


But it is too late in the history of
school progress to discuss the impor-
tanee OF supervision as a means ct
school Improvement. Its value has
been settled by the experience OF all
countries where it has been employed
To it more than to any other agency,
normal training excepted, is due the
great excellence of the school systems
OF Pruss... and Holland. Supervision
has been a potent agency in the eleva-
ton of the graded schools OF our
cities and towns. a wider observa-
ton fully justifes the statement we
made few years since, that there Is
not Il system of graded schools IN the
State in efficient condition, in which
this agency has been ignored and,
other things being equal, the thor
oughness of their supervision is
measure of the efficiency and progress
OF the schools" 1t is also evident
that what has proved so beneficial to
the graded schools would prove equal


ly valuable to the unclassited schools
Of the townships. Efficient supervis-
ion would vitalize these now neglect
ed schools and greatly add to their
efficiency and success. 1t is beyond
question one of their greatest needs.


The practical inquiry is, How can
the township schools be provided
with efficient direction and oversight?
The educators of the State are very
generally agreed that the most feasible
plan is the adoption OF a system OF
county supervision. and this opinion
has prevailed for several years past
1t is not claimed that a single superin-
tendent in each county will be able to
give the several schools all the attention
they require, and it is conceded that
in some of the counties it will be dit
ficu.t to secure superintendents fully
qna flied to discharge efficiently the
duties of the office But, all things
the county system promi-
ses larger success than any other
Township supervisor has, it is trne,
the advantage of more constant and
personal oversight, but it fails to Sc
cIre superintendents possessing the
requisite qualifications, and all expert
ence has provedit ineffective. Efficient
requires an intelligent, ca
pable superintendent.


The plan supervision by congress
sionaI or judicial nistricts, which is
urged by some, would doubtless secure
more competent officers than the
county system, but they would be too
tar removed from the schools and their
visits would necessarily be too unfrs-
auent to accomplish what is needed.
Nothing lees than the thorough per-
sonal inspection of each school will
suffice. The two essential conditions
of an efficient supervisory system are
competent superintendents and the
direct and personal inspection of each
school. These conditions are best
met by county supervision.


An approved bill creating the office
Of county school superintendent is
row before the General Assembly, and
it is hoped that it may receive the
favorable action of both houses. 1t is
essentially the same bill that was
into the last General As
sembly, and its leading provisions are
familiar to our Ohio readers. IL
throws around the office the necessary
guards to protect it from the political
caucus and from incompetent aspirants,
and the salary stipulated, though too
small, will command respectable ability
and experience.


The passage of this bill will intro
luce into our school system a new
element of efficiency, the cost of which
will be more than returned in increas-
I'd success and progress