sent me by the Secretaries of the District-Townships. Two of the items are correct, viz: Teachers' Fund and the Annual Apportionment, as I got them from the Treasurer's books. I would suggest that the office of County Superintendent be abolished, and an Examiner in each Township substituted for it. If not abolished, I would have only three examinations during each year. I would have the District Secretary take the usual statistics of the Township instead of the Sub-Directors.

There is but one graded school in the County, and that is in the City of McGregor. It is an impossibility to grade country schools as recommended in a recent circular from your office.

We have a decidedly mixed population with a corresponding grade of schools. We have not a surplus of teachers, consequently I aim to place teachers in the schools for which they are best qualified. HORACE EMERY, Co. Sup't.

CLINTON COUNTY.

Enclosed please find my Annual Report. It is as complete as I could make it from the reports of the several District-Townships.

I have during the past summer introduced the graded system as recommended in your circular of Jan. 1st, 1862, in most of the schools of the county. Teachers and patrons generally approve of the plan, and the results thus far are satisfactory. I have no doubt that the plan fully enforced will reduce the present methods of teaching to systematic accuracy.

I usually examine applicants with written questions, and issue certificates of three grades. I grant certificates of the first grade to such as answer 90 per cent. of the questions, and have taught 3 years. The second grade to those who answer 75 per cent., and the 3d grade to those who answer 60 per cent. of the questions.

We have had male teachers enough to supply the schools for the winter terms, but at present I do not think there are more than 20 male teachers in the County, the residue are in the army. I would respectfully suggest that the law be amended so as to allow District Boards to levy a tax for procuring District Libraries and Apparatus. R. J. CROUCH, Co Sp't.

DELAWARE COUNTY.

During the past year I have issued 146 certificates and rejected 66 applicants. About 45 of our best teachers have gone to war, and their places have been filled by the inexperienced. To such I usually give certificates for four, six or eight months. In examining I rely mainly on written questions, requiring written answers. I have no deputies. I could find, after trying, no one with pluck enough to recomend the refusal of a certificate. The public school in Manchester City is graded, and the result is such as might naturally be expected from a systematic instead of a hap-hazard way of teaching. No other school in the County is thoroughly graded. The district school in Delhi approaches it; but the teacher has been prohibited from enforcing the system, as being erroneous in theory, and impossible in practice. Public opinion will come around right after a while.

I have visited every school in the County, except three, which were closed when I was in their vicinity, and quite a number I have visited twice during the past year. Not having a living faith in the Legislature, I presented my account to the County Board of Supervisors, and got my pay-two dollars a day.

Last winter I walked 450 miles and spoke in 55 school houses. J. L. MCCREERY, Co. Sup't.

DES MOINES COUNTY.

I am pleased to be able to state that the schools of this county are in a very flourishing condition. The average term which the schools have been taught during the past year, lacks only a fraction of seven months. The attendance has been much larger than any previous year.

In obedience to the request of Acting Secretary Wiltse, in his Circular of January 1st, 1863, I commenced visiting the schools of my county about the first of February, with a view to grading them as recommended in said Circular. But I soon satisfied my self that it was impracticable to carry out, successfully, in the county schools, his system of grading. I therefore, with a view to better prepare the way for successfully grading the schools, directed the attention of the District Boards to the importance of furnishing

the teachers with blank Daily and General Registers and ClassBooks, to enable them (the teachers) to exhibit to their successors the standing, deportment, &c, of each pupil in school, and the respective classes to which each belong. To this the District Boards responded favorably, and nearly all the schools of the county are now furnished with suitable Registers, Records and Class-books, which will enable the teachers, virtually, to grade the schools.

The Public Schools of the City of Burlington never were in so flourishing a condition as at the present time. They are being graded after the plan recommended by Prof. Wells, of Chicago, in his work entitled "The Graded School."

The present attendance in the four Public Schools of the city, is about eight hundred.

In answer to the 4th inquiry in your circular of July 1st, 1863, I have to say, that, since the first of September last I have examined applicants for certificates by written and oral questions. To the written questions I require written answers. I issue certificates of four grades. Applicants answering correctly 90 per cent. of all the questions asked, other things being equal, receive grade No. 1; those 80 per cent., No. 2; 70, No. 3; 60, No. 4. Nos. 1 and 2 for twelve months, and Nos. 3 and 4 for six months.

I examine also in Theory and Practice of Teaching. The branches in which the applicant has been examined, are named in the certificate, and the per cent. of the questions correctly answered, marked in each branch, respectively; thus showing at once the true standing of the holder of the certificate.

My present mode of examination will, in due time, cut off all except those that are well qualified to teach.

The number of teachers that have gone into the army from this county since the first call for volunteers, is thirty-four.

With the main features of our present School Law the people of this county are well satisfied. But while this is true, it is claimed, however, that further legislation is necessary in order to perfect the system, the most important of which is the reinstating of the County Superintendency, with an adequate salary. This is called for loudly, and nothing short of it will satisfy the people of this county.

I am now engaged in visiting the schools, and expect to continue

until I shall have visited every school in the county. I am doing so at the urgent request, not of the teachers only, but of the people. In this I have the hearty approval and co-operation of our County Board of Supervisors, who have assumed a lively interest in the welfare of our schools.

I suggest that section 50 be so amended as to inflict a suitable penalty in case of failure of sub-directors to report as required by law. The report of sub-directors being the basis of all other reports, should be strictly accurate and made at the proper time. The law relating to independent or city districts, should be separate and distinct from the law relating to district townships. Much confusion and misunderstanding has grown out of the present law on account of the general powers conferred on the two Boards, without making proper distinctions.

I would suggest that the term "School Controllers" be applied to the Board of City Districts instead of "Directors."

I might, with propriety, refer to other matters of interest connected with our schools, but must desist. While our beloved county is being distracted in consequence of the raising of the ruthless hand of rebellion, it is truly encouraging to witness the lively interest evinced on the part of the true friends of our Government in the cause of Universal Education. It goes to show an intelligent appreciation of the fact that with the cause of popular or universal education is linked the destiny of our nation. the masses are educated and become virtuous and good, so will our free institutions be perpetuated.

WM. HARPER, Co. Sup't.

As

DUBUQUE COUNTY.

I am happy to be able to state, that the schools generally in this county for the past year have been as prosperous as the embarrassments of the times would permit. By reference to the statistics it will, however, be found, that the attendance of male pupils has not been as large as the two preceding years; this is doubtless owing to the fact, that a considerable number of our youth have entered the army, as well as on account of a scarcity of male la

bor.

I should have been pleased to comply with the instructions con

tained in a circular issued from your office last January; but as the duty was coupled with considerable expense in a populous county like this, and the Board of Supervisors declining to allow compensation for such labor, the duty was only partially performed. During the three weeks spent among our schools, I found but one of them graded, (I do not refer to our city schools,) but little uniformity in text books, and teachers generally not anxious to assume the responsibility of introducing new ones.

In order to accomplish the two important objects of grading the schools and securing uniform text books, teachers must be aided by some legally constituted authority. Were County Superintendents required to visit schools, exact uniformity in text books and grade the schools, I think the work could be accomplished with but little reluctance on the part of parents.

In October last we held a very interesting Teachers' Institute and expect to hold another the 19th proximo. I have no doubt the Institute held last year was productive of considerable good. I cannot say I am entirely in favor of the present fashionable mode of conducting Institutes; it strikes me there is too much done by paid lecturers, and too little by live teachers.

J. J. E. NORMAN, Co. Sup't.

EMMETT COUNTY.

You may perhaps think there is no interest in this county in regard to schools, but it is not so. At the time of making reports last year there was great excitement in this county on account of the Indians, and every school officer but one either moved away or enlisted as a soldier. The soldiers took possession of the school house which prevented having school last winter.

AMOS A. PINGREY, Co. Sup't.

FAYETTE COUNTY.

I have the honor herewith to submit my annual report for 1862 and '63. The District Secretaries did not report to me, which is the cause of my delay in reporting to you. Our Teachers' Institute last Spring under the direction of Prof. M. Ingalls was well