14 Number of primary school rooms in city, village, and special districts in 1875..... 3,580 432 Number of high school rooms in city, village, and special districts in 1875..... Whole number of school-rooms in city, village, and special districts in 1875............. Grand total of common school rooms in the State in 1875 ... 4,012 members of city, village, and special district boards (probable)........... 4,000 An army of 40,000 officers, whose duty it is to make that school provision for the country schools which could be made by less than 8,000 officers, with much greater economy of money, more intelligently in all directions, and productive of better results. The 31,299 local directors are frequently at war with the 1,337 members of township boards of education, making confusion and bad work generally. Hon. Thomas W. Harvey, referring to the evils of the subdistrict system, says in the twenty-first annual report: "The schools in the township districts have not kept pace, in improvement, with those of the towns and cities. The causes for this are manifest. The same influences have not been brought to bear upon them as upon other schools, and the circumstances by which they have been sur rounded have been adverse or not favorable to progress. Their organization is different from that of the schools in other districts, their affairs are administered in a different way, and there has been in their conduct a total absence of thorough, competent supervision. "Those best acquainted with these schools have little hope of their improving, to any great extent, so long as the sub-district system is continued. In many sub-districts, the number of youth enumerated is very small, and the number enrolled in the schools still smaller. To sustain a good school with a small number of pupils requires an expenditure nearly if not quite equal to that for a school twice as large. The subdistrict system, therefore, will necessarily be expensive, even though the instruction given in the schools and the method of management adopted be as good as in the best graded schools." And he adds: "The remedy for the evil of too small schools is to be found in the adoption of the township system of school administration. Sub-district boundaries ought to be abolished, pupils permitted to attend the schools nearest to their homes, and township school affairs conducted in nearly the same manner as in towns and cities." In the eighteenth annual report, Hon. Thomas W. Harvey, referring to the conflicting interests of the two boards of education provided by law for the township districts, says: "The practical working of this system is far different from what its authors intended or anticipated. That numberless complications must necessarily occur, may be readily inferred from the fact that powers and duties are divided between township and local boards, which should belong exclusively to either the one or the other to insure any effective adjustment of means to ends. For instance, the township board is required to keep the schools of the township in session six months each year, and apportions the funds raised by local tax for that purpose among the sub-districts, but has no control over its disbursement-the local directors hire the teachers, paying them such wages as they think best or most prudent. The township board locates a school-house site, and provides money for the building of a school-house-the local directors purchase the site, determine the plan of the house, and make contracts for its erection. The township board makes the rules and regulations for the purchase of fuel and for the repairing or furnishing of a school-house-the local directors make all contracts for such purchases, repairs, and furniture. Need we be surprised that a system so cumbrous and complicated is found to be a fruitful source of neglect, perplexity, misunderstanding, and litigation?” The remedy is simple and rational. Abolish all special, sub, and joint sub-districts. Let the State be divided for school purposes into city, vil lage, and township districts. With respect to incorporations, the legis lative provisions are now as good and complete as need be. Give the township district the same organization for school purposes that is now given to the city and village districts. Let the qualified voters of each township district elect annually, say, six judicious and competent persons to serve as members of the township board of education, electing two to serve for one year, two for two years, and two for three years, and annually, after the first election, elect two judicious and competent persons to serve three years as members of the township board of education. Let city and village districts remain as now, and let township districts. include all territory within the boundaries of the township, exclusive of all incorporated cities and villages within the limits of the township. Township boards of education thus elected will, in all probability, be composed of the best material for the purpose that the township contains. Each man of a board so elected will be chosen with a view to his fitness to do the work he is elected to do. This fitness will be a primary consideration in securing men to compose the township board of educationthat is, the especial qualification of the person elected, to make intelligent school provision for the schools of the township district, will be a primary consideration, and not, as now, a secondary or not at all a matter of consideration. The 32,000 local directors and 13,000 members of township district boards, almost constantly in some conflict as to authority or duty, would give place to 8,000 members of township boards of education, whose duties could be as well defined and as free from complication as are the duties of the city or village district boards of education. Intelligent location and construction of school-houses would be among the beneficial results arising from an adoption of the township system, and intelligence brought to bear in this direction would save to the State what is now a useless and extravagant expenditure of thousands of dollars. The township system has been tried in some of the States, and it has stood the test. Hon. Francis Adams, in his "Free School System of the United States," says: "Most of the States have, after an extended trial of the district system, reorganized under the township plan, and the complete abolition of the former system, if it can be secured by the almost unanimous condemnation of school officials of all grades, would appear to be a question of time only." The State Superintendent of Massachusetts, in his report for 1872, says: "Under the 'district system' these facts were patent-first, that school moneys were inequably divided, some districts receiving much more than they could profitably expend, others much less than was absolutely needed; second, poor school-houses in re mote and sparsely settled sections; third, short schools, or poor ones if the agent (local director) attempted to lengthen by hiring cheap teachers. Little money, poor school-houses, short schools, are the necessary attendants of this system." And to this may be added for Ohio, such an extravagant and irrational provision for the schools of the country districts as costs the State from one to three hundred thousand dollars annually more than an intelligent provision, for the actual school wants, would cost. Is there any remedy? A very simple one: abandon the sub-district system and all special school districts-the latter being in antagonism with the spirit of republicanism or democracy-and give to township districts the same administration that has already been given to the city and village districts. Why should there be any difference? What has proved to be a success in the city and village districts will be equally a success in the township district. NUMBER OF TEACHERS NECESSARY TO SUPPLY THE SCHOOLS. Number necessary to supply the schools in township districts in 1875 11,057 11,157 Decrease 100 Number necessary to supply the schools in city, village, and special districts in 1875. 4,030 15,087 Total number necessary to supply all the common schools in 1875.... NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TEACHERS EMPLOYED. Number of teachers employed in the township district primary schools- Total number of teachers employed in township district schools- 215 302 5 18 13 220 320 100 Number of teachers employed in city, village, and special district primary schools— Gentlemen-In 1875, 693; in 1874, Ladies Total 705: Decrease Number of teachers employed in city, village, and special district high schools- Total number of teachers employed in city, village, and special district schools 12 286 274 Whole number of teachers employed in primary schools- 203 Whole number of teachers employed in high schools- 72 Number of teachers permanently employed in township district primary schools- Number of teachers permanently employed in township district high schools— Total number of teachers permanently employed in township district shools- 199 22 177 7 3 195 15 180 |