WRITING. Same as in Grade B. ARITHMETIC. They shall complete, and thoroughly review, the first five sections in Felter's Primary Arithmetic, and be able to write numbers to Quadrillions. NUMERALS. They shall be taught the Roman numerals, in and out of course, to M. GEOGRAPHY. Monteith's First Lessons completed and reviewed. Frequent exercises in map-drawing. ORAL INSTRUCTION, DRAWING, ETC. Same as Grade B. Frequent extemporaneous exercises in combining series of numbers. EXAMINERS' DEPARTMENT. So much more ready have Examiners been to contribute to this department of late than formerly, that we resume it, hoping to make it an important feature of the Journal. Examiners, all of you who read the Journal, know the high estimate we put upon the duties assigned to your office: also you all know that a faithful discharge of those duties will do much, very much, in giving efficacy to the public schools of the State. Hence, in view of these and other facts, you are all respectfully solicited to communicate to this department of the Journal. Your experiences, your theories, your observations of the defects or excellences of the public school system, would doubtless be of great value. Hence, will you aid the cause, and assist your editor in his humble efforts to sustain a useful journal, by writing for this department? We call attention to two interesting communications below.[EDITOR. EDINBURG, January 16, 1865. PROF. G. W. Hoss :-Dear Sir: In my recent visit to the schools of this county, I discovered everywhere, I think, an increasing interest in the great cause of popular education. This is manifested, first, by the unusually large number in attendance at school; second, in the constant demand for good teach ers; third, in the fact that in many districts the schools are being extended to five and six months by subscription; and fourth, in the general enthusiasm on the part of teachers themselves. Our great want, however, has been a sufficient number of good, competent teachers. There are several causes which have contributed to render teachers scarce in our county. Prominent among these is the present cruel war; but there is another which I regret to notice some of our trustees failed, in the early part of the fall, to raise the salaries of teachers to correspond with the advance in other things, and, as might have been expected, some of our best teachers, those who could conveniently, left the county to seek employment where their services were better appreciated. The folly of such a course soon became apparent, as by it some of our schools were left unsupplied, and others to be filled by a class of inferior teachers that, in some instances, were little better than none. Trustees, seeing the result, soon commenced paying better wages. In justice to certain trustees, however, I must say they pursued from the start what I think to be a wiser and better course, viz:that of employing teachers and paying them according to the grade of their Certificates. This custom obtains in Nineveh, and also in Blue River township, where teachers are paid from $35 to $50, according to the services rendered. I believe this to be the better policy for the following reasons:first, it is founded on the principles of equity; second, it places a premium on scholarship, thus offering an incentive for teachers to qualify themselves more thoroughly for their profession; and third, it has a tendency to drive from the ranks those that are shamefully incompetent, and who have not the energy and ambition to keep pace with the times. It cannot be denied that there are teachers who need some incitement; for in theirs, as in other vocations, we find that while a few strive earnestly to excel, others remain stationary, or never rise above mediocrity. The success of any policy is the best vindication of its adoption. I would say to all, then, employ competent teachers, and pay them liberal wages-always take "regulars" in preference to "militia." Respectfully, J. C. MARTIN. TOBACCO. In our last issue we asked examiners "what is the next step," when teachers say yes to the following question proposed on examination days, namely: "Do you use tobacco?" In connection with that inquiry, we asked some examiner or teacher to answer. We are pleased to present the following answer from the examiner of Randolph county: WINCHESTER, Feb. 2, 1865. G. W. Hoss :-Dear Sir: "Suppose they say yes, then what? What is the next step?" Ans.-Deduct twenty per cent. from the value of the correct answers, which in nine cases out of ten makes a failure. The teachers of Randolph will not allow their pupils to use tobacco in the schoolroom, hence they dare not use it themselves. I enclose a copy of rules published in the Journal and Eagle, of this county. Two little boys, 18 and 20 years of age, clad in Uncle Sam's uniform, have been expelled from school for the use of tobacco in the school. Teachers of this county know they must keep neat and orderly schoolrooms, or vacate. I refused to license a young man because his morals were bad. Mr. Rugg licensed him for 24 months. I revoked the license, and forbid the trustee employing him. Have I done right? The schools of Randolph this winter are 25 per cent. better than ever before. P. HIATT. Yours, &c., EDITORIAL-MISCELLANY. REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC The Thirteenth Annual and Second Biennial Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for this State is upon our table. This report is for the years 1863 and 1864. It contains a fuller exhibit of the condition of the system than any report heretofore issued. It suggests several amendments to the School Law, also recommends increase of school revenue, amendment to the Constitution, securing right of local taxation for educational purposes, appropriations for the support of Teachers' Institutes, the establishment of a Normal School, increased help and increased pay in the Department of Public Instruction. Most of these have been urged in the Journal for the last three or four numbers. The law requires the publication of ten thousand copies, and distribution of the same to the counties. If this be promptly done, they can soon be placed in the hands of teachers and trustees. At this point, we would suggest that each trustee should file one copy for office use, and place one copy in the township library, then, aid the examiner in placing the remainder in the hands of teachers and directors. Every teacher wishing to keep pace with the educational developement of the State, should obtain, read, and preserve these biennial Reports. Fearing that some of our readers will fail to procure these, we shall, in this and in a subsequent number or two, as we may have room, give extracts from the same. In this we give the following TABULAR VIEW. Whole number of children between the ages of five and twenty-one years 557.092 Increase since 1863.. 28.509 974 8 105 16 22 7,981 Increase since 1863.. Number of schools within the year... 60 7,907 Increase since 1863. Increase since 1863.. 969 Number of pupils attending primary schools.. 376.964 97.487 Average compensation of male teachers, per day, in primary schools... Average compensation of female teachers, per day, in primary schools... $138 33 $107 Average compensation of male teachers, per day, in high schools. 44 $278 Increase since 1863. Average compensation of female teachers, per day, in high schools. 90 $150 52 $808,507 354,008 87 19 443 66 $347.033 138.071 3,472,612 64 510 Amount of special school tax collected within the year.. $415.887 Increase since 1863. 83,489 Number of townships for which average attendance is not reported by Trustee.. 96 Number of towns for which average attendance is not reported by Trus tee..... 22 Number of cities for which average attendance is not reported by Truatee. 185 Number of towns for which special tax collected and expended is not reported... Number of cities for which special tax collected and expended is not reported. 29 29 AMENDMENT TO THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION. On the 4th day of July, 1776, on the passage of the Declaration of Independence, the old bell in Independence Hall in Philadelphia, which first proclaimed the fact, was girdled with a zone of letters cast into the metal, and which comprised the following prophetic words: "Proclaim liberty throughout the land, and to all the inhabitants thereof." Each peal of the bell on that memorable day sent throughout that assembly and throughout that city, and, as was then believed, throughout the nation, the glad tidings of "Liberty throughout the land, and to all the in habitants thereof." The voice of that independence bell went echoing. over the land, proclaiming liberty, filling many hearts with gladness, and, in some States, carrying with it the blessings of prosperity, union, and peace. In other States that voice was more faintly heard, was less heeded, and in time died, amid the groans and cries of a race of slaves. In lieu of that voice, there has come up from parts of the land the clank of chains, and the moans of the oppressed. But this was a divine com. mand (Leviticus xxv. 10) and must in the end be obeyed; for, saith Jehovah, "My word shall not return unto me void, but shall accomplish that whereto I sent it." Hence, in conformity thereto, and consequent upon secession, the nation is again sending up the thrilling declaration : "Liberty throughout the land, and to all the inhabitants thereof." This cry, put into official and authoritative words, takes the form of an amendment to the Federal Constitution, which stand thus: Neither Slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for erime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States or any place subject to their jurisdiction." This proposed amendment has been carried by a constitutional majority of both Houses of Congress, and is now sent out to be ratified by the legislatures of the several States. When thus ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of all the States in the Union, it becomes an integral part of the Constitution. And when this shall be done, may we not hope there will come Union, prosperity and fraternity, consequently a fulfillment of the divine injunction, "First pure, then peaceable?" To this end let all good men, everywhere, work and pray. TOBACCO. A long article on the subject of tobacco has been sent us. It is so long |