Schools of Union Township

The Lebanon Patriot
Lebanon, Indiana, Thursday, 14 January 1869

Schools of Union Township
There are eight schools in this township taught by the following persons;

No. 1. Miss. M. E. Smith
No. 2. Wm. A. Bell
No. 3. A. B. Foote
No. 4. J. N. Vance
No. 5. Miss. C. Lewis
No. 6. Newton Vance
No. 7. Miss. Amanda J. Miller
No. 8. George H. Gifford

We visited seven of the schools and from our memorandum learned the following items;
No. 1 In good condition; pupils quiet, orderly and attentive to study; teacher, though young, efficient, and through and attentive to business, and gives evidence of future usefulness in his profession, number of pupils enrolled 44; average attendance 40

No. 2 Just commencing, number enrolled 32, with an average attendance thus far of 28; teacher young and inexperienced, but laboring assiduously in the discharge of his new duties, with evidence of success; order commendable, considering the bad arrangement of seats and desks.

No. 3. Has too much noise, owing principally to the bad arrangement of seats and desks, though impart to an evident lack of the proper discipline; number of pupils enrolled 50; average attendance 30; general condition of the school backward, though about the average grade of schools of the township; pupils much embarrassed owing to our impromptu arrival.

No. 4. Schools small and backward; rather quiet and orderly, but much room for improvement in discipline; No. enrolled 40; average attendance 28.

No. 5. School rather large; No. enrolled in 58; average attendance 55; instructor efficient and through, and evidently doing a good work; house very small, poorly arranged and consequently much disorder.

No. 6. Teacher young and inexperienced, but laboring hard and teaching a pretty fair school, though not a strict disciplinetarian[sic]; number of pupils enrolled 51; average attendance 43; school above the average grade of the township.

No. 7. School small No. enrolled 38; average attendance 21; general condition of the school; pupils courteous orderly and studious; recitations thorough and practical, and well conducted; teacher experienced, efficient and in every respect a credit to her profession. Indeed Ms. M. is one of the first-class teachers of our county, and is a credit to any school.

The teachers of this township have many difficulties to contend with. The school houses, although not of the "modern skylight" pattern of Marion Township, are with one or two exceptions, very poorly constructed, and imperfectly adapted to easier the comfort in the pupil or the accommodations or convenience of the teacher. With two bare exceptions there is not a blackboard in the township to fit to be used, and in but one school house is their suitable arrangements made for ventilation. Manifestly, this is a sad neglect. Teachers here complained that school officers and parents do not visit them, that they seem to have no interest in their school. Clearly there is a warrant of reform in this respect. Trustee, directors, parents and guardians, how can you expect your pupils to become interested in their studies, or your teachers to give you value received, unless you show them by an occasional visit, that you're interested in what they're doing.

Signed J. M. Saunders, S. E. B. C.

Transcribed by: Janet Isley Price.