§ 3. In the erection or alteration of a school § 8. Certificates of qualifications hereafter district, the trustees of any district to be affect- granted to applicants by county superintendents, ed thereby, may apply to the supervisor and shall either be general, in the form heretofore town clerk to be associated with the town super-prescribed under the authority of law, in which intendent; and their action shall be final unless case they shall be valid throughout the district duly appealed from; the compensation of the of the county superintendent granting the certisupervisor and town clerk when thus associated, ficate until annulled; or special, in which case shall be the same as that of the town superin- the town in which such applicant shall be autendent. thorized to teach shall be specified; and such certificate shall be in force for a term not exceeding one year. § 4. The board of supervisors of any county, in which there shall be more than one hundred and fifty school districts, may appoint two county superintendents, or one in their discretion; and at all such appointments hereafter made, the board shall divide the county into two convenient districts, designating the person appointed for each district respectively, when there shall be two appointed; but no share of the public money shall hereafter be apportioned to any county in which a county superintendent shall not have been appointed, unless by order of the superintendent of common schools. § 9. The consent of the town superintendent shall not be requisite to the annulling of any certificate of qualification granted by any county superintendent. § 10. The superintendent of common schools, on the recommendation of any county superintendent, or on such other evidence as may be satisfactory to him, may grant certificates of qualification under his hand and seal of office, which shall be evidence that the holder of such certificate is well qualified in respect to moral character, learning and ability, to teach any dis. § 5. Any county superintendent may be re-trict school within this state; which certificate moved from office by the superintendent of com- shall be valid until duly revoked by the superinmon schools, whenever in his judgment suffi-tendent. cient cause for such removal exists; and the vacancy thereby occasioned shall be supplied by appointment under his hand and official seal, until the next meeting of the board of supervisors of the county in which such vacancy exists. A copy of the order making such removal, specifying the causes thereof, shall be forwarded to the clerk of the board of supervisors, to be by him laid before the board at their first meeting thereafter. § 11. The board of supervisors of the several counties, may audit and allow the accounts of the county superintendents of their respective counties, rendered under oath, for postage on their necessary official communications with the inhabitants and officers of the several districts within their jurisdiction. § 12. The trustees of each of the several school districts next hereafter to be chosen, shall be divided by lot into three classes, to be numbered one, two and three; the term of office of the first class shall be one year, of the second, two, and of the third, three; and one trustee only shall thereafter annually be elect § 6. The moiety of the compensation of the county superintendent of any county payable by the state, shall not hereafter be paid, except upon the production to the comptroller of the certificate of the superintendent of commoned, who shall hold his office for three years, schools, that the county superintendent has conformed to the instructions of the department and also made the annual report required by law. and until a successor shall be duly elected or appointed. In case of a vacancy in the office of either of the trustees, during the period for which he or they shall have been respectively elected, the person or persons chosen or appointed to fill such vacancy shall hold the office only for the unexpired term so becoming vacant. § 7. All appeals now authorized by law to be brought to the superintendent of common schools, shall first be presented to the county superintendent of the county, or section of § 13. Whenever the trustees of any school county in which the subject matter of such ap- district shall discover any error in a tax list or peal shall have originated, in the same manner rate bill made out by them, prior to the expenas now provided in relation to appeals to the diture of the amount therein directed to be superintendent of common schools, who is raised, they may refund any amount improperhereby authorized and required to examine and ly collected on such tax list or rate bill, and decide the same; and where the district in amend and correct such tax list or rate bill, in which the subject matter of such appeal shall conformity to law; and whenever more than have arisen, shall be a joint district, embracing one renewal of a warrant for the collection of portions of two counties or towns, such appeal any tax list or rate bill, may become necessary shall be brought to the county superintendent of in any district, the trustees may make such furthe county or section in which the school house ther renewal, with the written approbation of of such district shall be located. The decision the town superintendent of the town in which of such county superintendent shall be final and the school house of said district shall be locaconclusive, unless appealed from to the super-ted, to be endorsed upon such warrant. intendent of common schools within fifteen days after the service of a copy of such decision upon the parties respectively. And an appeal from the decision of the county superintendent to the superintendent of common schools may be made in fifteen days, as now provided by law in relation to appeals from districts, in such manner and under such regulations as shall be prescribed by the superintendent of common schools. § 14. The annual reports required by law of trustees of school districts, shall be made and transmitted to the town superintendents, between the first and fifteenth days of January in each year, who shall file the same in the office of the town clerk. § 15. In making the apportionment of public money, it shall be the duty of the town superintendent to designate the respective proportions of teachers' and library money belonging to each § 21. This act shall not take effect until the first day of June next. ANNUAL REPORTS OF COUNTY SUPER- district, and to pay over so much as is designa- § 20. The officers heretofore chosen or apted teacher's money, on the written order of a pointed under the thirty-sixth section of chapmajority of the trustees of each district, to the ter two hundred and sixty of the laws of eighteachers entitled to receive the same. No por- teen hundred and forty-one, shall hereafter be tion of the teacher's fund shall hereafter be ap-known and designated by the name of "County portioned or paid to any district or part of a Superintendents of Common Schools." district, unless it shall appear from the last annual report of the trustees, that a school had been kept for the length of time now required by law by a duly qualified teacher, and that no other than a duly qualified teacher had at any time during the year for more than one month been employed to teach the school in said district; and no portion of the library money shall be apportioned or paid to any district or part of a district, unless it shall appear from the last annual report of the trustees, that the library money received at the last preceding apportionment was duly expended according to law, on or before the first day of October subsequent to such apportionment. § 16. The moneys directed to be distributed to the several school districts of this state, by the fourth section of chapter two hundred and thirty-seven of the laws of eighteen hundred and thirty-eight, shall continue to be applied to the purchase of books for a district library until otherwise directed by law; but whenever the number of volumes in the district library of any district numbering over fifty children between the ages of five and sixteen years, shall exceed one hundred and twenty-five; or of any district numbering fifty children or less, between the said ages, shall exceed one hundred volumes, the inhabitants of the district qualified to vote therein, may, at a special meeting duly notified for that purpose, by a majority of votes, appropriate the whole, or any part of library money belonging to the district for the current year, to the purchase of maps, globes, blackboards, or other scientific apparatus, for the use of the school. We hope that the extracts we are enabled to give from these valuable reports, will lead to the republication of them at length in the county newspapers. No information can be more useful-none should be more interesting to the people than a faithful account of the condition of their schools.-ED. BROOME COUNTY. Most of the schools in the county of Broome are composed of neighborhoods of farmers.— Perhaps eight or ten are found in villages of greater or less magnitude. The smallness of the district and its poverty, give the most reasonable grounds, if any are reasonable, for apologies concerning the bad condition of school affairs. There are a number of districts in the different towns, which are too small; but by proper exertion, it is evident that the inhabi tants might have better schools than at present. This class of small districts which have to struggle to live, is not large in comparison to the whole. The others have no cause for poor schools, as there is ability sufficient for their maintenance. Many wealthy individuals declare that they are not immediately interested, hence they take no active part in the support of schools; and what they pay for building or repairing school houses, is dealt out grudgingly, more in compliance with the law, than in the spirt of enlightened patriotism. There are other districts which contain men or standing and in § 17. The subscription authorized by section thirty-two of the laws of one thousand eight hundred and forty-one, may be renewed from year to year by the superintendent of common schools, subject to the restrictions and limita-luence, who seem to consider themselves free tions in said section prescribed. § 18. It shall be the duty of the supervisor and justices of each of the towns in this state, on the first day of June next, by writing under their hands to be filed in the office of the town clerk, to designate one of the electors of each town as town superintendent of common schools under this act; and the person so designated shall perform all the duties, and be subject to all the liabilities imposed or conferred by this act on town superintendents, and shall hold his office until the next annual town meeting. § 19. Sections five of chapter three hundred and thirty of the laws of eighteen hundred and thirty-nine, and twelve, of chapter two hundred and sixty of the laws of eighteen hundred and forty-one, and all other such provisions of law as are repugnant to, or inconsistent with, the provisions of this act, are hereby repealed; but nothing in this act contained shall be so construed as to impair or af fect any of the local provisions respecting the organization and management of schools in any of the incorporated cities or villages or towns of this state. from all responsibility, for instead of contribut ing to support such schools as would educate their own and their neighbor's children, they patronize private schools brought into existence, perhaps, through their own management, or lend their aid to academies which stand in no need of their assistance. Some of these men have influence enough, right and property it may be, to change the political aspect of the town in which they reside. If the same kind of zeal were directed towards improving the district school, there children could be taught there, according to the most approved methods, besides giving to the community around them the equal opportunity of enjoying the same advantages. But most of the inhabitants are dependent upon district schools for the education of their children; and if this education is considered of any importance, it would seem to follow that they should take a lively interest in such seminaries, aided and patronized by the State for their especial benefit. The reverse of this, however, is the truth. The singular phenome non of men cheating themselves and their children, may be seen in the management of many school districts. The number of districts in the county of Broome, which are models of policy for educational purposes, is small; but these prove conclusively the far-reaching good that can be done by our school system where it is probably appreciated. SCHOOL HOUSES. As might be expected from such a condition of the district, it will be impossible to give a favorable account of the school houses. Some of the poorer ones, made of logs or wood framed, are in those districts which cannot afford to build good houses; hence they are obliged to take up with apologies for them. Others may be found in those wealthy, ignoble, apathetic districts, which are equally bad in proportion to their number of scholars. Fault-finding is no part of the business of this report, and these things are merely stated because they are facts. The materials of which the house is made, is not of so much consequence, provided that the temperature and light of the room are proper and sufficient. The internal arrangement of seats and desks, is the neglected, important part. A single desk, six or eight inches higher than a common table, placed against one of the sides, is the only one found in some of the school houses. Others have desks of the same kind attached to all or three of the walls, and this is a very common method. Many of the seats cannot be accurately imagined or described. They are too high for a Brobdignagian, destitute of backs and sometimes of legs, and, in the latter case, most probably upheld by a log, or a heap of stones. fact that they are not read at all. By referring to the statistics it will be seen, that only a small proportion of the books circulate at a time.The good to be derived from reading a good book cannot be counted in money, but when good books are not read, we can accurately estimate how much money is inactive in such purchases. Hundreds of dollars have been spent for books which have retired from the public gaze, and they are now reposing in cases, on shelves, or in old baskets, disturbing no one and not often disturbed. Wherever good libraries have been properly appreciated, their effects fully demonstrate the utility of the system. Whole families are found in which great improvement has been made by the perusal of the books. Subjects for thought have been brought out, interest awakened in things around, where before there was no attraction; clearer conceptions of the great and good have been generated, and all through the influence of the well selected, and well read district school library. Here, we again distinguish the influence of living instructers; for the best of books and papers, and facts by the word of mouth, may be chilled into neglect, or nourished into notice by their precept and example. Hence, of all plans for the education of the country, that is the most comprehensive and life giving, which brings into action thorough, devoted and persevering teachers. Whatever good has been accomplished during the past year, is merely sufficient to show the magnitude of the task of educating the whole In the statistical account, houses were reck-people, and to give great hopes of the ultimate oned in good repair, which were, by no means, success of well directed efforts towards attainconvenient for teacher or scholars. This faulty ing that object. arrangement has proceeded more from sheer G. T. FRAZIER, carelessness, or from a lack of the requisite inDep. Sup. Broome Co. formation, than from a want of good will in the inhabitants. The attention paid to remodeling benches and desks, and to the construction of new houses, during the past year, give great encouragement that a new and brighter era is about to commence in the history of these houses for the people's education. The location which most of our school houses have, is bad enough. This, too, is beginning to attract attention. In school houses containing the bad seats and desks before named, it was painful to discern the tired looks and uneasy postures of the little ones, who were restless and impatient from so palpable a cause. The physician would perhaps discover here the incipient causes of disease, needless, and wanting only the forethought of parents to prevent. The commonest observer may also see in many of our schools, habits beginning to be formed which will be more or less baneful to the possessors. For instance, irregularity of attendance and a want of punctuality in being at school at the proper hours, are likely to insure to such scholars, vacillating, incorrect habits of action in the business operations of after life. Again, it is certain that the incommodiousness of school houses and out buildings for scholars of different sexes, have a tendency to produce vitiated tastes, if not direct immorality. LIBRARIES. The books, in most of the libraries, are well kept. This, in some instances, is not owing to the care taken in reading them, but from the CATTARAUGUS COUNTY. The undersigned, Deputy Superintendent of Common Schools for the north part of Cattaraugus county, in obedience to the requirements of the Department, submits the following report: That in the division of the county into districts, I was to supervise the schools in 118 districts (counting two parts equal to one whole district,) in the north part of the county, and my colleague was to supervise the remaing 112 in the south part. I commenced visiting the schools under my charge on the 2d day of December, 1841, and completed one entire round on the 28th day of February, 1842. NEGLECT TO VISIT SCHOOLS. My attention was soon directed to one very general, and in my judgment, very fatal error in the management of the schools. That error was the almost uniform neglect to visit or supervise the school both by the trustees and patrons of the school, and in many instances by the inspectors. The result was, that many teachers were employed and sent into the school house to unfold the power of the infant mind, who were destitute of the requisite qualifications, and yet from this neglect their imcompetency has passed unobserved, and they have succeeded in obtaining a series of certificates and schools. One teacher informed me that she had taught (or rather as she expressed it, had teached) seven terms-had had five certincates from the town inspectors; and yet this teacher in pronouncing words to her first class, from a table in the elementary Spelling Book, where the verbs in the present tense are given, followed by the suffixes ed to form the perfect participle, ing to form the present participle, and er, or or, to denote the agent, pronounced the whole as a single word, thus: agent. pp Р sign ed ing -er pronounced signedinger, and so on throughout the whole table. Another teacher, who had still more experience in teaching orthography, told her scholars several times in the same recitation, that figure 9 represented the long sound of a made by e as in tete-teet; giving the e its long sound instead of the long sound of a. In several instances, after hearing a class recite the table of abbreviations with admirable recollection, I have put a practical question to one of the class, thus:Suppose you should read in a book or newspaper a name, say John Jones, A. M., what would you understand the A. M. to mean?" Ans. Master of Arts," ""Before Noon," ," "In the Year of the World." "What! all of that?" "Yes, sir:" and frequently the whole class would concur in that answer. towns and districts. Where opposition existed All which is respectfully submitted. Dep. Sup. Cattaraugus Co. CAYUGA COUNTY. SIR: There are in this county twenty-two towns and two hundred and sixty-six organized school districts, the school houses of which are wholly or partly situated in the county. There were no schools in thirty-four of the districts at the time I visited the schools in the different towns; consequently, leaving two hun In one school, the teacher defined lines of lon. gitude on the maps, as lines passing from pole to pole, crossing the equator at right angles. I inquired of the class, "do you know what is meant by one line crossing another at right angles?" "No sir." And the teacher was unable to illustrate the matter so as to be understood by his scholars. I have mentioned these instances, among many others that might be mentioned, not as general errors, but as specimens of numerous errors growing out of the almost universal neglect of those whose duty it was to make a thorough and minute examina-dred and thirty-two visited during the year.tion of our schools. Had these schools been visited by competent persons, and the various errors pointed out, such teachers would have long since been dismissed from the service, or have been better qualified for cultivating the mental and moral faculties of youth. I submit this proposition with confidence, for during the past year many teachers have discovered their defects, and are making noble efforts to become more useful in their profession. SMALL DISTRICTS. Sixty-three of the number were visited during the winter and spring, and one hundred and sixty-nine during the summer and fall. CONDITION OF THE SCHOOLS. The aggregate number of months taught by all the teachers was 4,575, and the aggregate number taught in one district, 1,819; showing an average of about two-fifths of the whole time taught in each of the respective districts. By referring to the abstract of the several districts, it will be seen that the teachers who have kept the greatest length of time in one district, as a general rule, are the best qualified and teach the best schools. The practice of changing teachers every term, although very prevalent, in my opinion is a great hindrance to the advancement of the schools; I mean the prac tice of changing, when the employers are satis. fied that their teacher is well qualified to instruct their children, when the school is flour. ishing and the scholars are progressing in their studies, for another, perhaps a stranger, without knowing any thing of his qualifications, and committing their children to his charge. Any one who has taught school, well knows that some considerable portion of a term elapses before there is that acquaintance formed and confidence gained, between teacher and pupils, be. The practice of dividing school districts every time some unpleasant circumstance occurs, or somebody wants the school house a little nearer his door, has produced great evils. Take one town for instance, containing 48 square miles; every person can see that 12 schools would very well accommodate the town; yet that town has 17 schools, some of them having 6, 10 or 13 scholars. It will be readily seen that as the teacher's wages, board and other incidental expenses, will amount to at least an average of $10 per month, $50 per month of public and private funds are lost, and as their schools average eight months in a year, the loss amounts annually to $400. I am truly gratified at being able to say that more correct views are beginning to prevail upon this subject; and that several small districts have been dissolved and form-fore all the necessary preliminaries are undered into larger ones. The improvement of the schools during the last year has been in a direct ratio to the amount of interest existing or excited in the respective stood and the manner of instruction familiariz. ed, to insure the improvement of the school.This accomplished, it must be apparent, that a continuance of the same teacher would increase the profitableness of the school much more than have ability to govern his school, and a tact to to change every term, even if the teachers teach or impart knowledge to his pupils. Chilshould be alike qualified, and vastly more if oc- dren are the creatures of imitation. They becasionally one should be but poorly qualified.-gin to learn at a very early age-the impressions Yet the practice of nine-tenths of the districts then made are often retained through life. How is to have a new teacher every term, As alrea. important, then, that they be rightly instructed, dy shown, 130 of the 235 teachers whose schools that a right direction be given to their youthful were visited, have taught less than six months minds. Again, a license never should be grantin one district, 53 less than 12 months; while oned to an unqualified teacher, because the school ly ten have taught over 24 and under 36, and 4 he is to have charge of is backward; for here is over 36 months! the very place he is capable of doing the greatest injury. He will not only keep the school There were seven districts in the county that backward, but may instruct his scholars wronghad no libraries; two where the number of vo-ly from the beginning to the end of the term, lumes was not ascertained, and six where the number of volumes was taken from commissioners' reports. LIBRARIES. The whole number of volumes in all the libraries was 19,276. The average number kept out or in circulation, 2,544. Average number of volumes in a library 75; average number kept out or in circulation, about ten. The number of missing or lost books 53; 41 of which were destroyed by fire. The condition of the books was generally good, being soiled or damaged no more than could be expected from the natural wear and usage. There were but two libraries among the number examined, where the books to any extent were damaged. In a majority of the districts the selection of books was good, and evinced a taste for sound and useful informa. tion. There were others where a portion of the books was of a light and frivolous character, yet not strictly objectionable. The number of improper books was considerable, (some libraries having as many as 15 or 20 volumes, as may be seen by referring to the appendix,) mostly novels and romances, and works of a ferocious, sanguinary and terriffic character, calculated to harden the affections and inculcate sentiments diametrically the opposite of morality and virtue. It is to be hoped that these books will, in the course of the present fall and winter, be exchanged for those suitable or proper. This I am confident will be the case in a majority of the districts, as the trustees expressed a willingness to dispose of them, being convinced that they were improper. There were some districts, however, that expressed a determination to keep such books at all hazards. But, notwithstanding, I trust that after due reflection, they will become satisfied that such books are improper, and that the requisitions of the law and the department should be complied with, and will act accordingly. and all will be thought to be right. But in a Dep. Sup. Com. Schools of Cayuga Co. CHEMUNG COUNTY. There are in this county one hundred and eight entire districts. There are twelve joint districts attached to other counties, viz: 7 attached to Steuben county, 3 to Tompkins and 2 to Tioga. Ten of the school houses in the above named parts of districts are situated in the county of Chemung, 1 in the town of Reading, Steuben county, the other in the town of Barton, Tioga county. Two districts have no school house; of the others, 72 are of wood framed, 40 are of logs and four are mere shantees. There are 4 school housesrin the county that have two rooms. A large portion of the territory of the county of Chemung is thinly inhabited and has been but recently settled; consequently there is not that ability to support good schools as in older settled sections of the country. But in the most newly settled sections of the county, the inhabitants realize the necessity and importance of sustaining a school; and in every part of the county, however remote it may be, districts are organized and schools in operation, But as a general thing, the efforts of the inhabitants cease with the organization; and when a teacher has been procured, and the school commenced, they TEACHERS' QUALIFICATIONS. seem to think there is no further need of their From the foregoing, this most important fact care and influence concerning it. They give up is deduced that the standard of teachers' quali-the whole management of the school to the teafications is much too low. There are reasons cher, and appear to rest satisfied that they have for this, one of which I will give a passing no- a school organized and in operation, and think tice. It has been the practice in some of the as a matter of course that their children will towns to give a license for a school; one for in- become learned, as so much has been done for stance, where the scholars were small and back their improvement. It has been one of my ward, when it was well known that the indivi- greatest efforts to enlist the attention of parents dual was not qualified "to teach a common and guardians more to the management of their school." The reason assigned, is, that the pu- schools, and to pay more particular attention to pils are backward or not sufficiently advanced the character and qualifications of their teachto study the harder rules of Grammar, Arith-ers; to visit the schools frequently, confer freemetic, &c. This practice is much to be deprecated. The teacher should be well qualified in every respect; not only as regards learning, but his moral character should be good; he should ly with the teachers, and in all respects cheerfully cooperate with and aid them by advice and admonitions, in the discharge of their important and responsible duties. And I think my efforts |