REGISTER OF PENNSYLVANIA. DEVOTED TO THE PRESERVATION OF EVERY KIND OF USEFUL INFORMATION RESPECTING THE STATE. EDITED BY SAMUEL HAZARD. VOL. XIII.-NO. 7. PHILADELPHIA, FEBRUARY 15, 1834. NO. 319 SYSTEM OF GENERAL EDUCATION. the rest. Among the indigent, "some flashing of a mounting genius" may be found; and among both rich and poor, in the course of nature, many no doubt will sink into mediocrity, or beneath it. Yet let them start with equal advantages, leaving no discrimination then or thereafter, but such as nature and study shall pro Report of the Joint Committe of the two Houses of Report of the Joint Committee of the two Houses of the Pennsylvania Legislature, to whom was referred the following Resolution: As a preliminary step, your committee addressed through their chairman, a letter, accompanied by interrogatories to the Governors of the States of Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, and Ohio. Very prompt, full and satisfactory "Resolved, That a committee be appointed, in con- replies were immediately made. Several individuals, junction with a like committee by the House of Repre- residing abroad and in Pennsylvania, distinguished by sentatives, for the purpose of digesting a system of ge- their zeal and intelligence in matters of general educaneral education for this Commonwealth, and that all re- tion, were likewise addressed by letter, from whom ports, together with the unfinished business of last ses-communications containing much information have been sion, upon that subject, be referred to said joint com- received, and are, as your committee think, of suffi• mittee, who are instructed to report as early as possible, cient value to be preserved; for which reason, they by bill or otherwise." have annexed them as an appendix to this report. rant. The number of voters in Pennsylvania, unable to read, have been computed, from data in other states, at many thousand; and two thousand five hundred, grow up to be voters annually, who are equally ignoIn a republican government, no voter should be without the rudiments of learning;for aside from political considerations, education purifies the morals, and lessens crime. Our philanthropists, who visit our jails, have ascertained that more than half the convicts are unable to read. It is better to avert crime, by giving instruction to our youth, than punish them when men, as ignorant convicts. In Pennsylvania, our right of suffrage is as broad as The bill now presented for your consideration, and possible. A citizen, who pays a tax of a few cents on as they hope for your adoption, contains no compulsoly, can go to the election, with power equal to him whory provision whatever. The city of Philadelphia, the contributes many hundred dollars; and by his vote, di- county of Philadelphia, and every other county, when rect the public weal, with the same authority as the this bill shall become a law, will constitute a school dirichest citizen. It becomes necessary, therefore, to vision, and every ward, borough or township, will congive the man of humble means, an opportunity of un-stitute a school district. A joint meeting of the county derstanding the political advantages in which he so commissioners, and a delegate from each school district, largely shares." "Our institutions," says a great states- shall authorize the expenditure, if any, in each district; man, "are neither designed for, nor suited to a nation of and these appropriations will be levied and collected in ignorant paupers. To be free, the people must be in- the usual manner. School directors, elected in each telligently free." school district, will determine the number of schools to be opened therein, and provide them with suitable school houses. Manual labor may or may not be associated with the usual studies. Two inspectors, appointed by the District Court of the city and county of Philadelphia,and the Courts of Common Pleas, shall visit every school in their respective districts, for the purpose of inspecting the morals, learning and ability of the teach ers, and shall recommend applicants for places as teachers; watch over the progress and conduct of the scholars, &c. A superintendent takes charge of the whole sys tem, which he regulates according to the various powers entrusted to him. The colleges and academies now A radical defect in our laws upon the subject of ed-in operation, will be invited by him to educate, in the ucation, is that the public aid now given, and imperfectly given, is confined to the poor. Aware of this, your committee have taken care to exclude the word poor, from the bill which will accompany this report, meaning to make the system general, that is to say, to form an educational association between the rich, the comparatively rich, and the destitute. Let them all fare alike in The office of superintendent of the public schools ex. the primary schools; receive the same elementary in-ists in the State of New York, and is exercised there struction; imbibe the same republican spirit, and be animated by a feeling of perfect equality. In after life, he who is diligent at school, will take his station accordingly, whether born to wealth or not. Common schools, universally established, will multiply the chances of success, perhaps of brilliant success, among those who may forever continue ignorant. It is the duty of the State to promote and foster such establishments. That done, the career of each youth will depend upon himself. The State will have given the first impulse; good conduct and suitable application must do 13 VOL. XIII. aggregate, two hundred young men in two years, to be engaged as teachers, as soon as the plan can be well or. ganized for common school purposes; and finally, an annual appropriation is made, out of funds which will be more particularly alluded to and explained in another part of this report. by the Secretary of the Commonwealth, in the way proposed by your committee in the bill. Whenever our system shall become fully developed, and the du ties thereof be too laborious for that officer, so as to require the whole and exclusive attention of a competent individual, such an one can then be appointed; but for the first few years, the two offices can be connected. The authority of the superintendent, in New York, extends over more than nine thousand school districts, He receives from them a periodical account of their progress, their organization, their success or their de 93 SYSTEM OF GENERAL EDUCATION. fectiveness. With us, he will be the Executive officer in the new department. It will be his duty to report, annually, upon 1. The condition of the common schools of the State. 2. To furnish estimates and accounts of expenditures of the school monies. 3. Give plans for the improvement and management of the common school fund, and better organization of the common schools, and whatever else he may deem it expedient to communicate. dies for the other. But how are young men to be induced It is not to be expected that the public treasury is to The law will control h m fully, and he may be cenOn him, as sured and removed like other officers. agent, will depend the well working of the system; and as that system extends, with the increase of our numbers, he may be usefully aided by deputies, who may personally inspect the schools of every division, by dis-bear the whole burden of the teacher's salaries. On the tricting the State for that purpose. It may be a part contrary, the best trained among them will look for of his duty, to interchange reports, annually, with of their compensation, in a great degree, to the inhabitants ficers of a similar character in other States, for the of the school districts. It is so elsewhere. purpose of correcting our own system, and improving ple-in New York, the whole expenditure of the teachers' money, for 1831, was $663,902, out of which, the theirs. State paid but $50,000; while the school bills, paid voluntarily by individuals, besides the local school tax, was $358,520. For exam So rapid an increase from so moderate a beginning, But the chief preparatory step is, unquestionably, the formation of teachers; and on this highly important subject, the information collected by your committee is A like plan,in reference both to teacher and schools, ample. Wherever systems of common schools exist, there is but one voice on this head. Seminaries for the must be followed in Pennsylvania; and although we Nor ought we, in the opiinstruction of teachers, are as important as medical may not see it succeed at first, perseverance will ultischools for physicians. Under the proposed system, a mately cause it to triumph. large supply of teachers will soon be wanted; and these nion of your committee, to be discouraged, should the must be properly formed for that vocation. They must people be slow in putting into operation the system now be taught the art of well governing a school; they must offered; for they find, by the report of the New York The increase, in 16 years, in acquire the knowledge necessary to be communicated, superintendent of 1833, that in 1816, only 140,000 and the art of communicating that knowledge. For scholars attended school. this purpose, a central school, associated with manual the districts which have adopted the school system, was labour, has been suggested, and a bill was reported to 354,853 scholars; and Governor Marcy informs your the House of Representatives, last year, upon that sub-committee, that this year the whole number is 512,475, ject. It was a favourite plan of the great De Witt Clinton. One or two hundred teachers, under the direction of the State, might be thus prepared annually; but the method recommended by the Governor, has been adopted by your committee, who believe that the existing colleges may be able to furnish model schools and Any common school, in the neigha teacher's course. bourhood of a college, would afford an opportunity, daily, for the student to learn practically that part of his future duty which relates to the management of scholars, without intermitting the course prescribed in college. At the end of two years, he will receive a certificate from the trustees, if properly qualified. In addition to these colleges, some of the best academies may be selected, and thus augment the supply; so that two hundred competent teachers may be furnished annually, who, at an expense of forty dollars each, would Most of our acadecost eight thousand dollars a year. mies have fallen to the grade of common schools. This is a melancholy truth-so that very few of them can be used as seminaries for forming teachers. Very elaborate manuscript communications on the subject of academies, have been addressed to the committee. By these we are inf rmed, that in some of our sister States, seminaries, such as our academies were intended to be, Your committee proceed to consider, very briefly, are the bone and sinew of the system of general education; forming a connecting link between the colleges. the system of schooling, as associated with manual laThey exert also, as grammar schools of the villages, a bour. Some of our seminaries have considerable expecontrolling influence on education; and we may hope,in rience on that subject. The Rev. Mr. Junkin, princiPennsylvania, that the opportunity now afforded to pal of the Lafayette college, may be classed among the them, of instructing teachers for common schools, will most competent teachers of the Fellenberg plan: and be a means of restoring them to the rank which they the union of collegiate education and manual labour In Massachusetts, where the teach-has, under his direction, been very successful. Country ought to occupy. er's course is liberal, these academies attract sometimes schools may also be benefitted by a like union, by haas many as one hundred young men, who intend to be-ving small lots of land attached to a school house, that Were our academies to be shall be arranged for a work shop and farming. With come practical teachers. moderately endowed and remodelled, they might exer- these, a teacher can be maintained by the labour of the cise an intermediate influence in almost every county,be- boys, who may be made to work one hour and a half a tween the colleges and common schools, by qualifying day only for that purpose. This will be the means of teachers for one, and preparing students in classical stu- instructing and employing them, and laying the foun dation of future habits of industry. The connexion, however, is left by the bill, to the choice of the people. It may be adopted or omitted. The subject, nevertheless, is recommended to the special attention of the Legislature, as one that is more and more appreciated, as the successful experience of our seminaries fully demonstrate. We see there, young men between eighteen and twenty-tight, work out by manual labor of three hours a day, the whole expense of a collegiate education, and thus qualify themselves most perfectly for future usefulness as instructors. Having gone through the general provisions of the bill, your committee now offer a few observations, upon the ways and means for carrying them into effect, or rather for commencing a system that is intended soon, with the good will of their fellow citizens, to become general. The school fund, in April, will be five hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and the annual addition, arising out of the tax of one mill, land warrants, &c., will be, in round numbers, two hundred thousand, which, with interest accumulating in the internal improvement fund, under the provisions of the act of 1831, will in 1839 or '40, give a capital of more than two millions of dol lars, which at 5 per cent. will yield the one hundred thousand dollars set apart by said act, to be annually distributed for the use of schools. To this accumulating stock may be added large premiums and bonus on banks, the charters of which are soon to be renewed, and capitals increased. If this increase should go no further than two millions of dollars, at five per cent. bonus and a premium of five per cent. on selling the stock, would give two hundred thousand dollars, which your committee recommend to be appropriated for the use of schools and forming teachers, in the following manner: elevenths, (being $606,799,) is paid voluntarily by the By a tabular statement of the colleges in Pennsylva nia, the number of students is placed as 530, as fol. lows: 530 divided into 1 347,672, the amount of our popu lation will give about one college taught individual to every 2540 inhabitants. and the whole population of the state. We do not possess the means of ascertaining the com1. The year 1834 may require for teachers' instruc-parison between those who receive common schooling tion and initiative measures, twenty-five thousand dollars; that is to say, two hundred young men for future teachers at 40 dollars each, will be $8000, and to aid in organizing the new common schools, $17,000. 2. As the plan developes itself, the increase of schools and teachers will require for the year 1835, the sum of fifty thousand dollars. As to the mode of instruction, it is the opinion of distinguished individuals of experience in this State, that the course and subjects of study, ought to be left to the discretion of the district school officers and teachers. It is the practice in New York, where the laws, in relation to these matters, are silent. Mr. Roberts Vaux of 3. In 1836, we may hope that sufficient extension will Philadelphia, has given very valuable information on have taken place to require, according to the provi-primary schooling, which will accompany this report. sions of the bill, a state contribution of $75,000. He recommends likewise the plan of a book, to be com4. In 1837, a sum of fifty thousand will be left unexposed purposely for the use of schools, and to be widepended of the bank bonus, &c., which may go towards defraying the expense of that year, and to which may be added twenty five thousand from the school fund of the State. 5. In 1838 and '39, the school fund, should it furnish $75,000 for each of those years, will only postpone the accumulation of that fund to two millions of dollars, one single year; that is to say, until 1841, when it may pay, at 5 per cent., the yearly sum of $100,000, as called for by the law of 1831. Should these expectations be realized, it remains to see in what way these annual State contributions can be expended to the best advantage; and this brings us to consider the modes adopted elsewhere. In Ohio, with a school fund of $550,000, a tax of three fourths of a mill on the dollar, is collected in the same manner and at the same time that the general revenue is collected. ly diffused among them, with a motto, which the illus. trious Penn, founder of our state, placed on the seal of the first and only literary incorporation,granted by him, in the city and county of Pennsylvania, about 150 years ago: "Good instruction is better than riches." The force, beauty (and truth) of the sentiment, says that gentleman, has lost nothing by the lapse of time, nor by the experience of mankind. Your committee believe that a book which shall contain the duty of a child or adult, towards his Creator, his parents and teachers, and when arrived to manhood, his political and social duty, as voter, juror, arbitrator, &c., with like admonitory instructions to females, might be advantageously recommended and circulated by the superintendent of schools. This would contribute to the formation of good morals, and add to the instruction of the children. Let the children be kept con-tantly in mind of the necessity of self control, obedience to In New York, the school fund is $1754,046, and parents, and wherever else obedience is due; nor should yields annually, $106,800, only $100,000 of which is the masters or mistresses neglect manners. Early atdistributed; that is, about one eleventh part of the whole tention to manners, leads to a better deportment towards school expense: and no town can partake of the state each other, in periods of life when decorum becomes a distribution, unless it levies upon its inhabitants two-matter of social duty and civilization. At home and elevenths, or a sum double the amount of that to which it is entitled from the fund of general apportionment. This tax is laid upon the several towns and cities; another two-elevenths is raised by a tax upon the In concluding these remarks, your committee advert, property of the several districts, in pursuance of vote with very great pleasure, to the spirit and zeal for uni of the inhabitants thereof; and the residue, nearly six-versal education, which are at this moment animating all abroad, manners perhaps too much neglected by those who have the care of the rising generation, will in all future intercourse with mankind, be highly beneficial. to the people of the respective counties of the Commonwealth: Therefore, Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same: our own country, and many parts of Europe. Not an address is sent from the State Executives, to their Legislatures, without an exhortation in favour of this important object. One Governor calls the establishment of a system of universal education "a master stroke of policy." "If people would value it as they ought," says the distinguished president of the university of Section 1. That the city and county of Philadelphia, Transylvania, in Kentucky, "instead of placing it low and every other county in this Commonwealth, shall down on the list of dispensables, teachers and scholars each form a school division; and that every ward, townwould press forward to honour and profit by the sys- ship or borough, within the several school divisions, tem; the future men and matrons of our beloved coun- shall each form a school district, each of which shall try, would take their stations in life, intellectually fitted contain a competent number of common schools for the to perform, steadily, soberly,and of course usefully, their education of every child within the limits thereof, who several duties." In short, all depends upon the prev-shall apply, by his or her parents or guardian, for adalence of an enlightened and liberal public sentiment mission and instruction. with regard to the value of education. It is, if the people knew it, the best source of wealth. Knowledge is wealth, as well as power. Intelligence and wealth sustain to each other, the relation of cause and effect." Section 2. It shall be the duty of the sheriff of each county, thirty days previous to the election of supervi sors in the respective townships, of town council in the respective boroughs, and of constables in the respective For this reason it is, that many of the royal govern- cities of this Commonwealth, to give notice by proclaments of Europe are taking vast pains to enlighten mation, to the citizens of each school district, to hold their subjects. England is engaged in maturing a ge elections in their respective townships, wards and boneral system. Prussia has already perfected hers. In roughs, at the places where, and at the time when, they that kingdom, in the year 1829, there were twenty hold their elections for such supervisors, town council eight seminaries, with 1500 pupils, intended for teachers, and constables, to choose six citizens of each school diswhich furnished 600 annually besides many private trict, to serve as school directors of said districts, resseminaries engaged in the same work. The whole num-pectively; which elections shall be conducted and held ber of teachers in Prussia, for a population of thirteen by the same persons, and in the same manner as such millions, is 22,000. The annual demand is 900. By elections for supervisors, town council and constables, common consent, the profession of teaching is allowed are by law held and conducted. to rank there with the liberal professions. Section 3. It shall be the duty of the said school diIn France, general education has been resorted to, rectors, within ten days after the period of their first for the purpose of suppressing crime. The courts of election, to meet in their respective school districts, criminal justice of that country tried, in the year 1831, when each board shall choose, out of their own body, a seven thousand six hundred and four cases, out of which, president and secretary, and a delegate to the joint defour thousand six hundred could neither read nor write; legate meeting provided for in the following section; two thousand and forty-seven possessed a very imper-and it shall be the duty of each board, on the day of fect knowledge of reading and writing, and one hun-their first assembling as aforesaid, to divide themselves dred and ninety only, had received a superior education, into three classes, the first of which shall serve until the out of whom, sixty-nine were acquitted. These re- next election, the second until the second election, and sults induced the French government to establish ele- the third until the third election following, so that onementary schools in every commune, or township, through-third of each board may be chosen annually; and if any out France. vacancy shall occur, by death or otherwise, it shall be the duty of the board in which such vacancy may occur, to fill the same, who shall serve as a school commissioner until the next election. Considering, then, our own great deficiency in Pennsylvania, the numerous solicitations from our fellow citizens, and the bright examples set us both in America and Europe, your committee recommend, with great Section 4. On the first Monday in May, in each year, earnestness, to the Legislature, the passage of the bill there shall be held, in each division, a joint meeting of now reported, or some other of a character suited to the county commissioners and one delegate from each the subject; so that this session may not close, without board of school directors within said county or school enacting a law which shall serve as a beginning to a division; in which, it shall be decided whether or not a system of education, that may from year to year be in-tax for the expenditure of each district be levied; and creased, until it becomes co-extensive with the State, and commensurate to the wants of the people. All which is respectfully submitted. if a tax be authorized by a majority of the joint meeting, it shall be proportioned among the several districts, according to the number of taxable inhabitants in each district: each delegate to the joint meeting, shall be entitled to receive one dollar per day, for each day's attendance spent by him in travelling to and from, and attending said meeting; to be paid out of the county treasury. AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A GENERAL SYSTEM OF EDUCATION BY COMMON SCHOOLS. Whereas, universal education would operate as a pow- Section 5. The appropriations made for the common erful check upon vice, and would do more to diminish schools, by the joint meeting, shall be considered part the black catalogue of crimes than any other measure, of the authorized estimates of county expenditures, and whether for prevention or punishment: And whereas, shall be levied and collected in the usual manner: Proit is enjoined by the constitution, as a solemn duty, which vided, that no tax shall be less in amount, than double cannot be neglected without a disregard of the moral the funds which may be furnished, as hereinafter directand political safety of the people: And whereas, the ed, out of the treasury of this Commonwealth, in aid of fund for common school purposes, under the act of the common schools, organized according to the provisions second of April one thousand eight hundred and thirty-of this act: And provided further, that to constitute a one, will, on the fourth of April next, amount to the sum joint meeting, at least two of the county commissioners of five hundred and forty-six thousand five hundred and and a majority of the delegates of the school districts in sixty-three dollars and seventy two cents, and will soon each division shall be required; and if no quorum be reach the sum of two millions of dollars, when it will present, it shall be lawful for them to hold further meetproduce an interest of one hundred thousand dollars,ings until one is obtained. which, by said act, is to be paid for the support of common schools: And whereas, provision should be made by law for the distribution of the benefits of this fund, Section 6. If it shall be determined by such delegate meeting, that no appropriation for common schools shall be made by a tax on the school districts of the division or county, for the current year, the said division or coun- arts, and where practicable, in agricultural pursuits: ty, for that year, shall receive no proportion of the Provided, nevertheless, that no such connection shall school fund from the State, for that year; but such pro- take place in any common school, unless four out of the portion of such school fund as would have gone to such six directors of the district shall agree thereto. division or county, if such appropriation had been made, Section 10. It shall be the duty of each board of school shall go and be appropriated to such other divisions or directors, by two or more of their number, to visit every counties in the Commonwealth, for that year, in the ra-school within their school district; at least once in every tio of the taxables of such divisions or counties, as do by month, and cause the result of said visit to be entered such delegate meetings determine to make such appro- in the minutes of the board; and it shall be their further priation; and it shall be the duty of the county commis- duty, to make an annual and full report to the district sioners of each county, in each year after such delegate inspectors, to be appointed as hereinafter directed, of meeting may have been held, to communicate the pro- the situation of each school in their district, the number ceedings thereof to the general superintendent: Provi- of scholars, the studies pursued, and whether in connecded, that in case it shall have been determined, by any tion with manual labor, the number of months in the such delegate meeting, that no appropriation for com- year the school shall have been opened, the expenses mon schools should be made for the current year, the attending each school, salary of the teacher, and his acts of Assembly to provide for the education of the poor or her qualifications and general conduct, together gratis now in force, shall remain in force in such divi- with such information as may be beneficial in forming a sion or county, for the current year. just estimate of the value of such schools; and this reSection 7. Within twenty days after such joint meet-port to the said inspectors, shall be made on or before ing of the delegates as aforesaid, or at such time as such the first day of October in each year. joint meeting shall fix and determine, if such delegate meeting shall have determined to make an appropriation as aforesaid, the people of the several school districts shall assemble in their respective wards or districts, at the usual place of holding ward or township elections, or at such place as may be fixed by such delegate meeting; and it shall be the duty of said delegate meeting, to give due notice of the time and place of holding such meetings of the people, in the said school districts. And the people of said districts, when so assembled, shall be organized by appointing a chairman, and the secretary of the board of directors of the proper district shall be secretary of the said meeting, and shall record the proceedings of such meeting, in the book of minutes of the said board; or in his absence, that duty shall be performed by some other director of the said board. It shall be the duty of the board of directors, to communicate to such meeting, such matters in reference to the common school of the district, as may be important, which may be considered by such meeting; And it shall be in the power of the said meeting to decide, by a majority of votes, whether they will raise for the current year a sum in addition to that determined on by the delegate meeting aforesaid, to be applied to the common schools of the said district; and if such meeting shall so determine to raise such additional sum, it shall be the duty of the secretary to certify the same to the commissioners of the county, whose duty it shall be to add the same as an increase upon the assessment or tax of the said district, and the same shall be collected as county rates and levies are by law collected. Section 11. Annually on the first Monday in April, the District Court of the city and county of Philadel phia, shall appoint two competent citizens of each school district in the school division, composed of the city and county of Philadelphia, to be inspectors of the public schools therein; and a similar duty shall be performed by the several courts of Common Pleas in this Commonwealth, annually, at their first session after the election of school directors for each district within their respective counties or divisions. Section 12. It shall be the duty of the school inspectleast once in every three months, and as much oftener ors to visit every school in their respective districts, at character, learning and ability of the several teachers as they may think proper, to inquire into the moral employed therein; they shall have power to examine any person wishing to be employed as a teacher, and if found qualified and of good moral character, shall give him or her a certificate to that effect, naming therein the which certificate shall be valid for one year from the branches which he or she is found qualified to teach, date thereof, and no longer; and no person who shall not have obtained such certificate, shall receive from the county treasury or the treasury of the Commonwealth, any compensation for his or her services. Section 13. The inspectors of any school division may meet at such time and places as they may deem expedient, and adopt such rules for the examination of teachers and schools, and prescribe such forms for certificates as they may deem necessary to produce uniformity in Section 8. It shall be the duty of the several boards such examinations and certificates throughout the school of school directors, to determine the number of schools division; and they may, if they deem it expedient, apto be opened in their respective districts; to cause suita- point days for the public examination of teachers, and ble buildings to be erected, purchased or hired, for require all teachers to be examined in public; and said schools; to appoint capable teachers at liberal sala-inspectors, or any one of them, may visit all district ries; to admit scholars; to have the general superinten schools in their school divisions, and examine the dence of the schools of their respective districts; to pay the necessary expenses incurred thereby, by orders drawn on their treasurer, signed by the president, and countersigned by the secretary of the respective boards. Provided, that no school director shall receive any emolument whatever, for his services, except when serving as a delegate, according to the provisions of this act; but he shall be exempted, during the performance of the duties of said office, from militia duty, or serving in the offices of constable, supervisor, or overseer of the poor. same. Section 14. Whenever the inspectors meet together, as they are empowered by the preceding section, they shall organize themselves for the proper transaction of business, and each inspector shall be governed by the rules then adopted in his examinations, and observe such forms, in his certificates, as shall be prescribed by the majority of the inspectors of the school division thus assembled; and no certificate of qualification shall be given by the inspectors, or any of them, to any teacher, unless he or she be found qualified to teach reading, Section 9. Whereas, manual labor may be advanta-writing, and arithmetic. geously connected with intellectual and moral instruction, in some or all of the schools, it shall be the duty of the school directors to decide whether such connection in their respective districts shall take place or not; and if decided affirmatively, they shall have power to purchase materials and employ artizans for the instruction of the pupils in the useful branches of the mechanic Section 15. The school inspectors shall minutely examine into the state and condition of the schools, both as respects the progress of the scholars in learning, and the good order of the schools; give their advice to the school directors as to the government thereof; make an annual report to the superintendent of the public schools, on or before the first Monday in November, of the situa |