Year: 1877




and laboratories are confidently assumed to
belong to a system of State education. The
drift of public opinion is unmistakable. The
growth of this opinion, the increasing IN
dustries of the State and the example of
foreign nations, concur in urging the
extension of the system. My views upon
the subject of compulsory and technical
education have already been laid before
you. [ have heretofore uniformly encour-
aged all efforts to raise the standard and
! increase the utility of the public schools.
| They are the nerve centres of the body
polite from whichemanates the Intelligence
that gives life to its Institutions What
ever strengthens them strengthens the
Commonwealth. The suggestions of the
Superintendent, that the field of public
education be still further enlarged by the
| establishment of secondary schools of
higher grade and the system supplemented
by industrial and technical schools, will
scarcel y need my endorsement to commend
them to your attention.


While we are extending and enlarging
the system of public instruction we must
not allow the destitute and neglected cbil-
dren, whom it was intended to benefit. TO
drift beyond its bounds. 1t is safe to say
that not one in a hundred of this very class
Is TO be found in the schools. Thousands
| of children throughout the State are driven
prenaturely to work, or wander in idleness,
| exposed to the vicious influences of igno-
rance and want, of filth and crime. The
halt, the blind, the deaf and dumb, are not
more circumscribed by the hard condition
of things than these miserable and friendess
waits. They are equally entitled to the
| care Of the State selfeinterest aud charity
are here indentical. Embryo criminals
natured in want, these outcasts, grown to
maturity, eventually ell the prisons and
alms-houses, and the money that the State
refuses to redeem them it is at last forced
to expend to repress them. Some provision
by which they could be sent to the num-
erouS homes for friendless children and
educated and cared for at partial expense
TO the State, would be an act Of wisdom as
well as charity.


The schools for the education of soldiers
orphans are in a fourishing condition and
the children are, as a body, healthy and
| happy. "Their intellectual and moral i'm
provement has been satisfactory, and no
backward step has been taken in the work
of rendering, as efficient as possible, the
industrial departments Of the several
| schools" Since the system went into
operation eight thousand five hundred and
| eighty orphans have been admitted and the
number of children in the care Of the State,
on the first day of September, 1876, was
! two thousand six hundred and forty-one.
The expenditures were little over four
hundred thousand dollars, being about
twenty thousand dollars less than for the
list year. The estimated appropriation for
| 1878 is three hundred and eighty-fve
thousand dollars. As the time approaches
for the dissolution of this noble charity,
which has reflected infinite credit upon the
State, the people can reflect with pride and
pleasure, that of the six thousand children
who have enjoyed their bounty, many are
now in lucrative employment, and all, with
scarcely an exception, have become good
and useful citizens. The good results
obtained in this work should stimulate our
zeal and quicken our action, in regard 70
the other destitute and friendless children
before referred to.


| The recommendation to raise the standard
OF the Normal Schools, and fix the legal
status Of teachers, is worthy of attention.


Undoubtedly the great want of our public
school system, is a body of teachers who


have chosen the profession as life-work


Such d class cannot be formed without
special training and inducement. To reap


the full fruit of our school system, it is,


therefore, necessary to literally support
and equip our Normal Schools, to secure
the tenures of our teachers, and to provide
! Il just compensation that Will ot leave them
: destitute after years of faithful toll. The
extraordinary expenses of the past year
: have prevented the usual appropriations to
! these schools-aS these are no longer re-
quired, trust you will extend such aid as


the fnaces of the State will permit, to


enable the Normal Schools to successfully


perform their function.


6 Pennsylvania is indebted to the voluntary


zeal and energy of the School Department
seconded by efforts of educators and teach
ers throughout the State, for the creditable


educational exhibit at the Centennial In
the short space Of three months, the hall


was erected and the immense mass OF


material suitably arranged. A work in
volving an amount Of labor from the
Superintendent and his assistants, which is
worthy of all praise. The exhibition
awakened renewed interest in educational
matters and will undoubtedly be the
means of inyigorating aud improving our
schools


INDUSTRIAL ART.


| have heretofore earnestly pointed our
the growing necessity for industrial art


education. First, through the public schools


by the introduction of mechanical and free
hand drawing secondly, by night schools
for adults, and thirdly, by special schools


Of industrial design for all classes Musems,
art galleries and other public collection,


are also important force in industrial edu-
cation. Such institutions in England