OF THE STATE OF NEW-YORK.

ting and threatening, but who never execute. They tell their pupils if they do thus and so, they will whip them; and in less than a minute the same offence is again committed, and again the same promise is made but never performed. Thus they go on from the commencement to the close of the term; spoiling the children by allowing them to do as they please, and producing in their feelings a spirit of insubordination and misrule, which will submit to no restraint, and acknowledge no authority. Here the foundation of a riotous and mobocrative feeling is

shillings in the amount of the rate bill. They therefore hired the thirteen shilling teacher, and what was the result? Several of the scholars who read very prettily at the beginning of her school, and who attended it with much regularity, could scarcely be understood in that exercise at its close. Many of them, particularly the smaller members of the school, had acquired a drawling lazy habit whilst reading. I reminded the teacher of this practice of some of her pupils, and told her I thought it ought to be broken up. She then corrected the child by telling him " you must not draw your words so." The manner inlaid broad and deep; which the subsequent exwhich the admonition was given was much more faulty, than the example which it was intended to correct. As is the teacher, so in a great measure will be the scholar. In the case above quoted the trustees thought to save a few shillings by employing an incompetent teacher. But instead of saving a small amount in the operation, the precious time of the children and the money paid for their instruction were almost a total loss.

THE GOVERNMENT AND DISCIPLINE OF SCHOOLS.

ertions of competent teachers, and the watchful care of fond parents will hardly break up. I believe that teachers, who manage in this way, seldom or never realize the immense and incalculable amount of injury they thus inflict upon community. They do not consider that their course is directly calculated to undermine the best interests of society, and promote feuds, contentions, riots, mobs, and every evil passion that enters the human heart. How long will community continue to sleep over this momentous subject? When will the proper attention, on the part of the inhabitants, be directed to the consideration of this all important question?

ABILITY OF THE DISTRICTS TO SUPPORT SCHOOLS. It would seem that in those distrists where the people are clearing and paying up for their farms, and where the settlements are small, they could not well support schools taught by competent instructers. But compared with the whole number, those districts are not numerous generally the districts are abundantly able to build good houses, and support first rate teach

Those who plead poverty so strongly, and clamour so loudly when any improvement in regard to school houses or schools is proposed, have money enough to attend all the caravans and places of diversion for many miles around. They can afford to buy this and that article of luxury; their children can be sent to the dancing school; and in some cases from 25 to 50 dollars a year can be expended for rum; but talk to them about a new school house, and you would suppose they were on their way directly to the poor house; that all they had was about to be sold to the highest bidder.

We find in this respect as in other things a A few succeed great diversity of appearance. in governing without any apparent effort. Every member of the school seems to know and keep his proper place. A look of disapprobation or word of encouragement is sufficient to excite to the most dilligent attention and strict obedience. Every thing seems to be in perfect order. I have visited three or four schools where the teachers could pursue the business of instruction half a day without an exertion to produce good order. And this admirable discipline and good government have not been produced by the use of the rod. The barbarous practice of flag-ers. gellation has justly received a condemnatory sentence by first rate teachers, and they find it much easier and more agreeable to govern others by motives and arguments addressed to their understanding and reason, than by the infliction of stripes. They have found that children are men in miniature, and that an appeal to their judgment and a treatment corresponding with their natures, are in almost every instance more powerful auxiliaries in producing obedience than any corporeal punishment whatever. There are others who maintain a forced obedience by a reference to the rod for almost every offence. The feelings of the scholars of such schools are constantly agitated. It is impossible for them INDIFFERENCE OF THE INHABITANTS IN REGARD to bring their minds to a free and tranquil state so necessary to perform any operation in numThere is scarcely any other subject which is bers, or learn any thing which requires thonght and diligent attention. In all my visitations I beheld with so much indifference as the district have never seen a teacher make use of the rod. school. It often happens that the annual meetBut from their own confessions, I believe the ings are entirely neglected, or if attended to at practice is too prevalent. In one school I per- all, the numbers in attendance are so few it is ceived that several of the children had been cry- almost impossible to transact the necessary busiing, and upon looking around, I saw the butt ness. I have sometimes spent nearly an hour ends of several large rods, shivered at one end, in a district before I could find a man that could and several more that were entire, ready for tell me the name of the district clerk. I have use at a moment's warning. In this school I saw called upon men to act as clerk of the district no smiling faces, or countenances which bespoke who would stoutly deny that they held any of tranquillity of soul; but the pale and agitated fice in the district, but afterwards would relooks, and trembling frames of the children, re-member that a neighbor had told them they minded me more of the house of death than of a seminary of learning.

ΤΟ THESE FOUNTAINS OF
LEDGE.

PRIMARY KNOW

were appointed clerk. In other cases they have mistaken their office, supposing themselves There are many more who support no govern- clerks when they were trustees. In the town ment at all, or next to none. They are those of Eagle, I asked a trustee, what is the number who are constantly scolding, finding fault, fret.of your district? He did not know. ▲ then

They furnish him with a scanty supply of wood, "sled length," but no axe, and then wonder why he does not commence school at nine o'clock. They provide him with a stove or chimney which draws more smoke into the house from without than it carries out from within, and careless as to leave the windows open, so cold a day. They tell him to govern his school; but if he does so, they complain of severity and treatment. They enjoin upon him to teach correct;" but if it varies a hair's breadth from the manner in which they were instructed forty years ago, it cannot possibly be right.

asked the teacher. She replied, "I cannot tell -I wanted to know the other day, and asked the trustees, but they did not know." This trustee had resided in the district ten years. I call. ed upon a gentleman to visit the school with me. It was just after a heavy shower. "I can't possibly, I must get in my oats this after-think it passing strange that he should be so noon. I should be very glad to go, but you must excuse me for this time." The school house is the last place men generally seek. If they chance to pass by one they will look the other way. If it becomes necessary for them to see the teacher, or any of the scholars, they will perhaps come within calling distance of the school house, but no nearer. They seem to be in be in perfect torment if they chance to get into house, or if there is a prospect of their doing so. Men are not wanting who are on any occasion ready to talk about the school for hours together. They will lavish praises upon the admira. ble system adopted by the State of New-York for the instruction of the rising generation; they will acknowledge that school visitation by the inhabitants is necessary, and cannot be neglect. ed without a violation of the most sacred duties; but invite them to perform those duties, and they wish to be excused; some other business presents itself which requires immediate attention. As soon as we get a little through with this hurrying time we will attend to the school." But the leisure never comes. They always have something on hand to occupy the present time, if it be nothing more than to lounge in a store or bar-room. There seems to be a lethargy deeply pervading the mind of community in relation to this matter, which must be thrown off, or we shall look in vain for the improvement of our schools which the friends of popular education so fondly anticipate. Men act wisely in relation to other things. They do not employ a man to perform service, and pay him for its performance, without knowing whether the work has been done according to contract. He is daily watched, and all he does is critically examined; and if his employer find he does not understand his business, or that he is unfaithful or inattentive to his interests, he at once dis charges him. Not so with the teacher. He is employed for a certain length of time to impart instruction; to give a proper turn to the youthful mind; to instil into it those principles and maxims by which, in a great measure, the man will be governed in all subsequent life. In the discharge of these solemn duties, how much attention does he receive from the inhabitants? They promise to visit his school, but never perform those promise. They are ready to listen with attention to every idle tale and frivolous complaint their children make against the instructer. They complain in the presence of the scholars, of cruelty and severity, when means are used to maintain good order and discipline. They send their children to school irregularly, and at the close of the term blame the teacher because they have learned nothing. They furnish him with a house unfit for the comfortable accommodation of half a dozen swine, and then publish through the community that he keeps a noisy school. They send their children to school without books, and wonder why they remain ignorant. They neglect to furnish the house with a broom, and call the teacher a sloven, because every thing is not in neat order.

They agree with him to board with those sending to school; but instead of finding board as he expected, and according to the contract, he is often obliged to call upon half a dozen of inhabitants before he can find lodgings for the night. They agree to pay him within thirty days after the apportionment of the public money; but he considers himself peculiarly fortunate, if he gets all his pay, and obtains a full settlement with them within thirty months.They sometimes instruct their trustees at their annual meetings, to pay no more than a speci fied sum per month, and then consign them to obloquy because they employed a teacher that is good for nothing. They use every means within their power to reduce the wages of first rate teachers to the same amount that is paid to the common laborer. What is the frequent conversation in a district about the time a teacher is to be employed? A. calls upon one of the trustees. Well neighbor A.," says the trus tee, we have hired a man to keep our school this winter." "Ah! how much do you give a month?" "Twelve dollars." "You must be a bright one to pay a man such high wages, these hard times, to keep our school. I've just now hired a man to work for me this winter, at chopping, threshing, and drawing logs, and I give him only eight dollars a month, and he's a real smart fellow too. He can thrash ten or twelve bushels of wheat in a day, and clean it up in the evening; and he'll chop his four cords of wood, day after day, and not wink at it; and I think it is a pity if we can't employ a man to set around the stove all day, and have thirty or forty to wait upon him, as cheap as 1 can hire one to do the work I have for a man to do; and I think it is a chance if he has much of a school." "I know," says the trustee, "it is too much; but no one else came along, so we thought we had better hire him." "Didn't you try to beat him down any?" "I should think we did. We worked upon him from noon 'till nine o'clock at night, and got him down four dollars. He asked sixteen dollars at first.""You ought to have beat him down four dollars more, and that would be more than a teacher ought to have." Who, that has been personally acquainted with the way in which the affairs of many school districts are managed, has not frequently heard conversation like the above; and who does not know that such feelings prevail to a considerable extent in almost every district?

SMALL DISTRICTS.

In almost every instance where a small district is found, we find a backward, ignorant and indolent school, if we find any at all. In such districts, schools are not maintained generally

OF THE STATE OF NEW-YORK.

more than from four to six months during the
year. In the long vacations that take place,
children are apt to forget nearly or quite all
they learned while at school, except what they
should have never known. It is not unfrequent.
ly the case that children are sent to school four
months to learn the alphabet; at the expiration
of which time the school closes, and a vacation
follows of eight months, when another school is
started; these same children are now sent ano-
Thus time
ther four months to learn a, b, c.
passes on, and no real advantage results to the
scholars from the time they spend at school,
because of so long vacations. I have conversed
with many of the inhabitants of these districts
relative to this subject, and in every case have
found them satisfied that a small school is not
Besides their
so advantageous as a large one.
inability to sustain a school more than four or
six months during the year, they are obliged
to hire cheap teachers who are of course incom-
petent. The instruction children receive from
such teachers does them more hurt than good.
What little truth they inculcate is so mixed with
error, that when the child comes to think for him-
self, it takes longer to separate the compound than
And
it would to have learned correctly at first.
besides, a mind that has been thus filled, sel-
dom sees things in their true light ever after-
ward; a mist enshrouds the mind which is sel-
dom entirely dissipated.

CONCLUSION.

Notwithstanding the very favorable account given by the acting superintendent in the last annual report to the Legislature, relative to the schools of this mighty State, it must be acknowledged by all who are personally acquainted with them, that generally, those in this region are very far in the shade; that they have not made that improvement, even in the most simple and elementary branches, which the fos tering care of a munificent Legislature seems to demand. There are but few persons in this region, compared with the whole population, but will acknowledge, that it is to the "district schools we are to look for the broad foundations of that civil and social superstructure, which, as a people, we are engaged in erecting." It is equally true that when these philanthropists are urged to put forth an effort to assist in this great work, the plea of povery is set up with "The old house and cheap giant strength. teacher will serve our purpose well enough yet." Thus things go on; the old house is still used, and the cheap teacher is still employed. Chil dren are reared up in ignorance, or what is still tion and carelessness. They become unwilling worse, in error. They form habits of inattento submit to those restraints so necessary to the welfare and happiness of society. They imbibe prejudices in this forming season, which stamp These prejudices may be of that kind that shall give a wrong bias to their conduct through life, and in a great measure deprive them of the satisfaction and benefit to be derived from civil society.. They go to school month after month, and hear not a word from the teacher in relation to the great practical duties of life. They boast of having gone through with Adam's and Daboll's arithmetics, but are unable to show the value of five and two-thirds pounds of beef at four

the character of the future man.

and five-sixth cents per pound. They profess
to have knowledge enough of English grammar
to give instruction in that branch, but cannot
tell how the nominative case governs a verb.—
They pretend to have a thorough knowledge of
geography, but cannot tell whether Cape Horn
is in north or south latitude, or whether it is on
the eastern or western continent. They have
been permitted to learn without much thought
or reflection, and without gaining much practi
cal knowledge even of those things they have
pretended to learn. They have not been taught
that their country has claims on all to be as
useful as the means within their reach will per-
mit them to be, and that that this claim reaches
children as well as persons of maturer years.
They have not been shown that the great end
of their existence is to make others happy, and
consequently to increase the sum of their own
felicity and enjoyment. They have not been
taught the great truth, that upon the intelligence
of the people rests the stability and existence of
our free institutions.

In this way they are permitted to pass their juvenile years without gaining scarcely one idea that will be of use to them in after life. They have then every thing to learn, and often look back and curse the day when they were placed under the instructions of incompetent and cheap teachers. Let the friends of the district school and of popular education solace themselves with the belief, that these primary fountains of knowledge are in a flourishing condition; that the rising generation are receiving all the instruction that is necessary to fit them to discharge the various and responsible duties of civil life with honor to themselves and usefulness to their tutions will unveil the fallacy of such belief, country; a personal examination of these instiand show that something more than has yet been is wanting to effect their resuscitation. The present state of the district school must remain until the inhabitants cease to employ cheap teachers. For generally, men who are compe tent to give instruction and manage a school with success, can do better, in a pecuniary point sideration offered by trustees generally. To pro of view, than to engage in teaching for the con duce this change in the mind of community, with regard to cheap teachers, seems to be a Hercu lean task; for where people are in the habit of viewing

with horror the expense of a shilling, but with complacency, the wreck of a mind," more than ordinary means are needed to produce a revolution in their feelings. How long must our common schools be down-trodden, debased, and degraded, through the avarice and this most momentous subject in its true light, and employ none to have the charge and manstinginess of the people? When will they view but such as will impart knowledge to the rising agement of these intended nurseries of science, generation, and lead their minds to the contemplation of this great truth, that the chief end of their learning should be the honor of their Creator, the good of their fellows, and the happiness A. BURGESS, Dep. Sup't for Allegany county. Nunda, October 1, 1842.

of themselves.

from school on account of ill health, which they ascribe to the unhealthy state of the school rooms. I have suffered myself and am suffering now from the same cause."

“IN THE SPRING OF THE YEAR THE SPACE UNDER THE FLOOR MUST BE INHABITED BY FROGS, AS SEVERAL HAVE MADE THEIR APPEARANCE IN THE SCHOOL ROOM-to the great amusement of scholars."

One of the trustees does not think these rooms are fit for school rooms; they are too dark, damp and unhealthy. Thinks the health of children is endangered. A gentleman by the name of Bell taught the school in 1839, and sickened while so doing, and shortly died.

Another witness testified that the rooms were damp and unhealthy-" not well ventilated or lighted. Parents complained that the rooms were damp, and that their children became sick at school."

almost all testifying that the school-house is not fit for its use-is dark, damp, unlighted, &c.— and yet patiently enduring it. And I must confess that it is very singular. All that I can say to account for this strangeness is contained in the evidence. THEY FEAR INJURY FROM SOME HEAVY TAX-PAYERS!"

Of the nature, amount and extent of the influences which have been brought to bear upon the inhabitants of this district, AND BY WHOM we do not purpose now to speak, farther than to say that the MATTEAWAN COMPANY, a large manufacturing establishment, with a capital of some $250,000, is located in this district, and has in its employ in various capacities, a large proportion of the inhabitants of the district. The whole subject has undergone a thorough and rigid investigation under the direction of the department; and the results will, in due time, be submitted to the public. Meanwhile we have deemed it a duty thus briefly to advert to the barbarities, (for they admit of no milder desig. nation,) which have for nearly ten years been tolerated in one of the wealthiest school districts of the state, and in the heart of a flourishing, intelligent and enterprising community. NEATNESS AND ORDER NECESSARY IN THE SCHOOL ROOM.

Several witnesses, inhabitants of the district, testified substantially to the same matters; and to various instances of sickness contracted by children from attending the school. One witness stated that he " was told by Mr. Bell, (the teacher who was taken sick and died while engaged in the district,) that he heard frogs singing or croaking under the floor-which he (the witness) thought true, as he thinks there are large cavi. ties made by taking out the earth from under the It has become a frequent remark, and one gefloor, which would contain water for a long formed in youth, are our companions through nerally acknowledged to be true, that habits time." Another witness stated that he "HAS life; and who does not know that most of our KNOWN THE WHOLE FLOOR COVERED habits are formed in the school room. How neWITH WATER TWO INCHES DEEP."-cessary then, that impressions made at this peMr. Bell, the former teacher, complained that these rooms severely affected his health. The general tone of his remarks previous to his death, was that the "school room had shortened his days." One of the former trustees of the district tes-fused notion of the importance to be attached to tified that while trustee he "had a complaint from the teacher, Mr. Clark, that frogs sung and croaked under the floor, to the annoyance of his school."

Another inhabitant of the district testified that he "attended a meeting in said rooms, when you could SCRAPE DAMPNESS OFF THE WALL

WITH THE HANDS. His child is naturally healthy-sent her to school two or three weeks, when she was taken sick. On her recovery she was again sent, and was again taken sick; RE. PEATED THE TRIAL SEVERAL TIMES-WON'T SEND AGAIN."

The commissioner who aided in taking this testimony, accompanies it with the following remarks. "You will think this district presents a very singular aspect-inhabitants and trustees

riod, should be such as will exert a salutary influence in after life. To be plain and short, I would ask the simple question-Are not a majority of our teachers guilty of a very great neglect in this particular? It is to be feared from the appearance of many of our schoolhouses, that the teachers have but a very con

this part of their duty. They should remember

that parents are solicitous about the external appearance, manners and habits of their children, as well as of their mental and moral atattainments. They have a right to expect much wish their children taught to be neat in their from their teacher in this particular. They persons,-neat with their books, and to exercise a degree of neatness about the house-in and lady-like, as far at least, as school influence short, they want them to become gentlemanly can make them so. It is in the extreme disgusting to visit some of our school-houses, and witness with what looseness and shiftlessness the affairs of the school-room are managed.Dirt and filth are allowed to accumulate upon the floor, to the depth of from one-fourth to onehalf an inch; the berches, desks, &c. are in so filthy a condition, as to render it wholly impossible for the scholars to observe any degree of neatness about their clothes or books; the walls having no appearance of ever having been