Repairing school houses ........................................................................ Cases for books and apparatus.. Other contingent school expenses................................................. Sustaining high schools.......... Total....... $15,596.88 455,027.07 1,726.41 47,688.31 34.418.61 775.06 88.265.70 409,022.57 13.369.23 $1,065,759.89 The reports of the County Auditors warrant the following statement of the amount paid for teachers' wages in 1855: A more satisfactory view of the forgoing statistics will be afforded by comparing the items as returned in 1854 and 1855 respectively: ....... high 66 ............... ..... Wages per month of male teachers in common schools.. Total amount of teachers' wages.. Special school tax levied..... Of this last item, amount levied for prolonging schools seven months 28.50 30.60 Cost of new school houses....... Average cost of new school houses ... The foregoing statistics indicate distinctly that the present school system is advancing in efficiency and usefulness. There is less dissatisfaction expressed by local school officers than during the two previous years, since the enactment of the school law. LIST OF COUNTIES which received, in 1855, more than they contributed to the State Common School Fund, with the amounts annexed. LIST OF COUNTIES which contributed, in 1855, to the State Common School Fund more than they received, with amounts annexed. $9,467.00 Greene. ........ $6,739.38 Miami $1,914.49 Champaign .... Clark .......... ..... Cuyahoga Fayette ... 3,502.18 Hamilton ...... 65,179.33 Montgomery 11,135.51 5,709.20 Harrison.. Clinton ........ 1,469.77 Highland Erie....... 15,272.65 Huron 1,540.41 Licking 2,382.72 Madison 3,345.89 Mahoning Franklin ....... 7,112.92 Marion... ....... ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ON THE SCHOOL LAW. BY THE STATE COMMISSIONER OF COMMON SCHOOLS. QUESTION 112. Does the school law of this State confer upon colored youth the privilege of entering, as a matter of legal right, the common schools of the city, village or township in which they reside? In case the law does not allow them this privilege, how shall provision be made for their education when there are only two or three such youth in a school district? ANSWER. Under the general school law of this State, colored youth are not allowed to enter, as a matter of right, the schools provided for white youth. But they are entitled to a per capita share of all school funds made applicable to the payment of teachers; and it is the duty of the several boards of education to see that said share of the school funds is properly expended for the education of said colored youth, and for no other purpose. By sec. 31 of the school law, the board of education in each township, city and incorporated village in the State, is required to establish within its respective juris diction, one or more schools for colored children, whenever the whole number exceeds thirty by enumeration. Whenever the number does not exceed thirty, then it is the duty of said board to reserve the money apportioned to any township, city or village on account of said colored youth, and expend the same in such manner as said board may deem most expedient and advantageous for the education of said youth. In most of the sub-districts in which there are only two or three resident colored youth, the inhabitants have waived all legal objections to the education of said youth in the common school of the district. And it is hoped that in no sub district in the State, the inhabitants will be found so extremely fastidious or unphilanthropic, as to deprive a poor colored youth of all education, rather than allow him to attend the common school. QUESTION 113. Before the enactment of the present school law, a meeting of the qualified voters of a certain village, and two contiguous school districts, was called for the purpose of deciding upon the formation of a Union School District, embracing the territory of said village and adjoining district. As very few of the inhabitants of said districts attended said meeting, a majority of those present voted in favor of establishing said Union School District, and hence the school houses of said districts were sold, and all the inhabitants were embraced in a single school district. Owing to the great distance at which some of the inhabitants reside from the school house in said Union district, they are obliged to send their children to school in the adjoining sub-districts, and pay for their instruction; the board of education of the Union district claiming that they have no power to set off said inhabitants to other school districts, or to allow them any portion of the school funds apportioned to said Union district. How shall the inhabitants referred to, be relieved from the inconveniences and hardships to which they are subjected? ANSWER. By an act passed at the last session of the General Assembly, it was provided that the board of education of any city, town, incorporated village or district, organized as to schools under any special school law, might, with the assent or concurrence of the township board, attach thereto, or detach therefrom, for school purposes, territory not included with the corporate limits of said city, town or incorporated village. Hence, it is now perfectly competent for the board of education of said Union district, to detach therefrom, with the concurrence of the township board, such of the inhabitants as would be far better accommodated at the schools in the adjoining sub-districts. The spirit and the common sense of the school law demand that all the inhabitants of the State be provided with reasonable facilities for sending their children to school. Upon all the wealth and property of the State, the law allows and requires a tax to be assessed for the purpose of affording the advantages of a free educa tion to all the youth of the State; and hence it is the duty of boards of education to so arrange the school districts and locate the school houses therein, as to afford to said youth all reasonable facilities for attending school. H. H. BARNEY, Commissioner of Common Schools. EDITORIAL. AN AFFECTIONATE MANNER IN TEACHERS. Of all the forces in the universe, whether physical or moral, Love is the most potential. Nothing else will prompt to so great effort, so great self-denial. No other power goes forth to its struggles with opposing forces, so reliant on its own strength to endure and achieve,- so certain that success will crown its efforts. The world, on all the pages of its history, the church of God, in all its annals, and the memories of every benevolent soul, all testify that Love is the mightiest of all the powers ever known in human conflicts and conquests. And this spirit of benevolence, of good-will, this controlling regard for the happiness of others, is the law of Heaven. The atmosphere of that blissful and blessed world is love. "God is Love ;" and love prompts to all his grand and gracious providences. As an educational power, this kind, affectionate, or benevolent spirit, is far more important than any other. What are talent, learning and industry in a Teacher, if associated with cold-hearted selfishness? What though a Teacher speak with the tongue of men and of angels,-what though he understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and have not charity? Send him to a slave plantation; he may be qualified for a "driver," but never let him take charge of a school-room. The first and greatest of all requisites for success in teaching, he wants. He does not love to do good; he cares little for the happiness of his pupils; he has little sympathy with their joys and their sorrows; they are not in his heart, and he will not be in theirs. Children will be little beneand they will not love one fited by a Teacher whom they do not love; who does not love them. We speak with special reference to the younger class of school-children, and to the Teachers of such our remarks in this article will be chiefly applicable. "The disciple whom Jesus loved," loved Jesus. Now, Jesus loved Martha," and, as a natural result, she loved "the Master." "We love Him, because He first loved us." Affection is ever refluent. truth more manifest than in the school-room. Teacher, there flows forth a current of benevolence towards the pupils, And no where is this If, from the heart of the scores of loving little hearts will send back rills of love, and affection will repay affection. There are Teachers who possess very many excellences of character, who are talented, educated, accomplished and conscientious, and yet who fail of success in teaching. They are not misanthropic; they are not destitute of benevolence. But they do not appreciate the duty and importance of an affectionate manner before their pupils. They may possess much kindness of heart, but they do not exercise their kindly feelings. Their pupils see little evidence of a regard for their happiness; and their cold and indifferent manner, might, so far as practical purposes are concerned, just as well arise from real as apparent coldness and indifference. Teachers should, in all their ways, show a deep regard for the happiness of the children committed to their charge. For this there are far more reasons than can be adduced in this article, but to a few of which we would call most earnest attention. And as we would still be counted among the Teachers of the State, and for the sake of convenience of expression, we shall use the first person, instead of the third, when speaking of Teachers. Parents commit to our care children whom they love with an intensity and tenderness which none but parents can exercise. Their lives are bound up in the lives of their children. And when from their arms, their homes, and their oversight, they send forth their little ones, and to us commit them into our hands place their jewels for polishingwe take the place of those parents for the time; we are employed and paid by those parents for the performance of sacred duties to their children. Many a mother in the morning prepares her dear ones to leave for school. Eight long hours will they be absent from her. She follows them to the door, tells them to be obedient to their Teachers, and, with a mother's holy kiss, bids them good-by. Her affections and her prayers follow them through the day. Is it not due to that mother that we sympathize with her feelings, and exercise an affectionate regard for those children, to her so precious? Our pupils are the subjects of numerous cares and griefs-distresses of body and mind-which our affectionate attentions, our sympathies and our efforts, should seek to lighten and relieve. None but a truly loving heart can enter into the feelings of grief which children expe rience; can in their afflictions be afflicted. A selfish and unfeeling Teacher will view the sorrows of children as unworthy of his commiseration. He sees a child of six or eight years of age, weeping as though |