Year: 1862

the proper proportions of the buildings or
the most comfortable and convenient ar


rangement of the furniture which will best
suit the many, many things which should


be taken into consideration and deficient
in this respect, they have recourse to some
thing else as a basis; the consequence is,
they generally copy after some other school


buildings which are far shorg of what thew
ought to be. Another reason is, because
the benefits or injuries which are the eff.
fects of good or poor houses, have not so
direct an influence upon the pocket as deal
ing in stock, raising and selling grain, or
manufacturing goods, and it requires a lit,
tie more thought to comprehend the rela-
tions of the different causes and effects.
| that in the investment Of few extra dol
lars at the proper time, lies the affirmative
answer to the question, VIII it pay? In
fact this is the great stumbling block in
educational matters. Could those who
have anything to do with the building OF
our school houses, be made to understand
and feel the fact that the better the build
ing and its surroundings the better the in
vestment, our poor houses would rapidly
vanish and noble specimens of school ar.
chitecture supply their places If the
planning Ii done by those not versed in the
business, where are we to look to have the
deficiency supplied? Directors and others
interested, could and should make them
selves better acquainted with the subject
by giving it some thought, by consulting


teachers about it, and by examining works
devoted to the subject, particularly the
Pennsylvania School Architecture, a COPY
of which is legally in the custody of the
secretary OF each board Of directors in the
State, and is public property. Although
not perfect, it is an excellent work on the
subject and contains vast fund of vaua-
BILE ideas 1t is worthy careful perusal
by any one. \ board of directors espec-
tally should, when about to build, make it
point to carefully and thoroughly exam
inc its pages before commencing the work


They should not only examine the chap
lures devoted to Plans and specifications,
but acquaint themselves with what it says
concerning the Situation of school houses,
Heating, lighting and ventilating school
rOoms,' School furniture and apparatus,


Size, enclosure and improvement of
school grounds etc. The great source
from which improvement in this as well as
in other educational auxiliaries has, and
must yet come, is-the teacher. For the
great deficiency yet existing in school ar
chitecture, much Of the blame should, in
my opinion be fathered-and mothered
if you please-by the teachers of past
years, and, it is much to be feared, that
those of the present arc in this respect
very little better. Many of them can do
their share Of scolding and complaining
about the poor houses, but that is as far as
they GO Who else has the opportunity
possessed by the teacher, of examining and
knowing what are practically the best pro-
portions of school building, the most pro,
per form, size and arrangement of the desks


seats, black board, and the mary other
things necessary to good school room


among which are those arrangements which
will best accommodate the several classes
! during recitations an item which is very
much overlooked in the Pennsylvania
School Architecture. X.