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"In every case of absence of a pupil for more than three half days in any four consecutive weeks, for any other cause than those above permitted, the absentee shall, without exception or favor, be suspended from the school, and the facts immediately reported to the Trustees of the District or their chairman, and shall not be reädmitted until the beginning of the next quarter, unless by the written order of a majority of such Trustees filed with the Principal of the school."

The committee regret that under existing laws nothing more thorough or effi cient can be offered as a remedy of evils which demanded all the energy and skill of the Board to provide against them.

The recommendation has not yet been acted upon by the Board.

EDUCATIONAL MATTERS IN CANADA.

We have had an opportunity to glance at the voluminous Report made by Dr. Ryerson, May, 1857, Secretary of the Department of Public Instruction for Upper Canada- -a document of 350 pages, containing a mine of wealth in relation to all the ramifications of the educational system of that Province-its Normal, Model, Grammar and Common Schools.

As an evidence of the increased interest in education in that Province, it may be stated that one hundred thousand dollars was expended for salaries of Teachers in 1855 more than in the preceding year.

This little fact is noteworthy-The desks and chairs which have been in constant use during four years, by children from 5 to 16 years of age, are without blot or marks, showing the practicability under a government, strict, mild and parental, to inculcate upon children order, neatness and care as to the objects of their daily use.

An eminent school superintendent of Ohio, at our elbow, bears witness from personal inspection to this creditable report of Young Canada. Young America of the West, profit by the example!

School Teachers grow old in the service in Canada, but when they do, and become helpless or infirm, they do not turn them out to die without some protection, but give them a pension, devote to their support a portion of a superannuated Teachers Fund. Whether that feature would be congenial to our soil, we can not say. We find some interesting items in the abstract of the personal history of the superannuated.

The Library fund afforded by legislative grant to a School District in Canada, is equal to that amount of not less than $5, raised from local sources by that district. An application must be made under the seal of the municipal authorities, with a pledge that this will not be diverted from public use. This encouragement has no limit.

- We have received a catalogue of the New Lexington Public Schools for '56-7,-James Cherry Supt. and Principal of High School. There are 201 pupils reported in the various schools, but no memorandum published by which strangers may know whether New Lexington is in Perry Co., Ohio, or in Texas.

APRIL-SPRING-EASTER.

The fourth month of the year has arrived. In this month, as has been said, the business of creation seems resumed. The vital spark rekindles in dormant existences; and all things "live, and move, and have their being."

The earth puts on her livery to await the call of her Lord; the air breathes gently on his cheek, and conducts to his ear the warblings of the birds, and the odors of new-born herbs and flowers; the great eye of the world 66 sees and shines" with bright and gladdening glances; the water teems with life, man him. self feels the revivifying and all-pervading influence; and his

pirit holds communion sweet

With the brighter spirits of the sky.

Teachers and your pupils, the Editor gives you a Spring-time greeting! The vigorous-winged swallow, the messenger of spring, twitters again on school-house roof and cottage eaves.

How appropriate that the instructors of youth should, at this season of the year, hold a special interview with their pupils on the loveliness of natural scenery at this jubilee of life, love and liberty, the lovely spring season, to indulge, with their promising charges, in the sweet thoughts and solacing interchanges of kindly feeling begotten by the soothing sights and sounds of this vernal period. Nothing tends so powerfully to extinguish all bad passions and plants more of that herb called hearts ease in our bosom, than the.contemplation of the still majesty of nature." Let us make the occurrence of spring the occasion of a practical lesson on the subjects matter of the season.

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Spring commenced on the 20th of March, when the sun entered Aries, the first of the spring signs of the Zodiac, and will continue 92 days, 20 hours, and 41 seconds, while the sun is passing, north of Equator, through the signs of Aries, Taurus, and Gemini; the summer season commencing June 21st, 7h., 18m., when the sun enters the sign Cancer.

Spring, as the commencement of the natural year, must have been hailed by all nations with satisfaction; and was, undoubtedly, commemorated, in most, by public rejoicings and popular sports. In spring the ancient Romans celebrated the Ludi Florales. The Greeks had their peculiar ceremonies. The Hebrews at the occurrence of the vernal equinox sacrificed a lamb, to commemorate their deliverance from Egypt. "Aries," or the ram, was the ensign of God. The Zodiacal sign of that name may be thus derived, or from the golden fleece of the Greeks.

Resulting from the ancient practice of celebrating with festival rites the period of the vernal equinox, is that relic of its pristine pleasantry, the general practice of making April-Fools on the first day of the month of April. The movable festivals of the church for this month are deserving of notice by Teachers, as, in our opinion, each day should have its practical notice of what is peculiar to the time and the season; that kind of observance of home subjects is valuable, and can be now imparted with the most effect.

Easter-Day is always the first Sunday after the full moon which happens upon, or next after, the twenty-first day of March, and if the full moon happen upon a Sunday, Easter-Day is the Sunday after. The first full moon in 1857, next after the 21st of March, occurs on Thursday, the 9th of April-consequently, Sunday, April 12th, is Easter-Sunday.

Good-Friday, of the Passion week, is on the 10th. Maundy Thursday, also calted Chare or Shere Thursday, is the day before Good Friday,

Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter, and is on the fifth of this month. The festival of Easter was instituted in honor of the resurrection of our Saviour, which took place on the third day after his execution as a malefactor. Friday had been fixed upon as the day of commemorating his death, and as that took place on the day of full moon, the first full moon after the twenty-first of March, was fixed upon as the regulator of the festival.

The day before Easter is called "Holy Saturday." In Ireland great preparations are made, on the evening of this day, for the finishing of Lent. Children are specially interested in the custom of Easter week of preparing colored or "pace eggs."

The pleasure-taking season now commences, and the Easter holidays bring happiness to old and young.

The sublime story of the Resurrection, involving the welfare of man, should be told to youth in such an impressive way as to be profitable by the recurrence of the anniversary of Easter.

The Hebrews observe one week in this month, from the 9th to 16th, as the festival of the Passover, in commemoration of the escape of the Hebrews in Egypt, when God, smiting the first born of the Egyptians, passed over the houses of the Israelites, which were marked with the blood of the paschal lamb.

EVENTS OF THE MONTH OF MARCH.

Congress closed on the 3d. President Buchanan was inaugurated on the 4th. A new tariff bill has been adopted, to take effect on the 2d of July next, by the provisions of which the free list is enlarged so as to include books and apparatus imported for schools and public institutions. Congress has appropriated funds to a company to assist in extending telegraph wires across the Atlantic, the tariff of prices to be fixed by the Secretary of the U. S. Treasury, and the British Government.

The new Cabinet is thus constituted:

Secretary of State-LEWIS CASS, of Michigan.

Secretary of the Treasury-HowELL COBB, of Georgia.
Secretary of War-JOHN B. FLOYD, of Virginia.
Secretary of the Navy-ISAAC TOUCEY, of Connecticut.
Secretary of the Interior-JACOB THOMPSON, of Mississippi.
Attorney General-JEREMIAH S. BLACK, of Pennsylvania.
Postmaster General-AARON V. BROWN, of Tennessee.

In the "Dred Scott" case, a majority of the Judges of the U. S. Supreme Court have decided that "Negroes, whether slave or free, are not, by the Constitution, citizens of the United States, and declaring that the Ordinance of 1787 and the Missouri Compromise are void as to those portions which give freedom and citizenship to negroes, and that the legal condition of a slave in the State of Missouri is not affected by his temporary sojourn in any other State, but on his return, his condition depends on the laws of the State of Missouri."

The Kansas Territorial Legislature has provided for the assembling of a Con

vention to form a State Constitution, the election of delegates to take place on the third Monday in June; all citizens of the United States who arrived in the Territory previous to the 15th of March, (three months before the election) to vote for delegates. The Convention to assemble on the first Monday in September. The Free State men have determined to take no part, and will recommend the aceptance of the "Topeka Constitution." The emigration to the Territory has been very extensive during the months of February and March.

Robert J. Walker has been appointed Governor of this Territory, vice Gov. Geary, resigned.

- Lord Napier, the new British Minister, has been accredited to the United States Government, and has had a formal reception from President Buchanan. ―The subject of National Education has again been brought before the English Parliament.

- The British are at war with China, and fierce contests are going on at Canton and other seaports of the Celestial Empire.

- Samuel Medary, whose first appearance in Ohio was as a School Teacher, leaves the Buckeye State appointed Governor of Minnesota Territory.

TEACHERS' INSTITUTES.-The generous Law under which the Teachers of Ohio are authorized to combine their efforts in the cause of educational training and mutual improvement, and for which a limited appropriation is made, should not be rendered powerless or inefficient, by inaction or indifference. The Teacher must progress in his profession. His social need and craving is for the companionship and counsel of associates. The listless are excited, and those of little faith encouraged on observing the manner even of an enthusiast, and soon are warmed up to a lively appreciation of the pith and matter of his discourse, also of their own deficiency, and determine to know and do as true men should.

The ninety days annually required to be spent by the State Commissioner, at least ten days in each of the nine judicial districts of the State, superintending and encouraging Teachers' Institutes, furnishing them with laws, forms and instruction, conferring with township Boards of Education or other school officers, counseling Teachers, visiting schools, and delivering lectures on topics calculated to subserve the interests of popular education, &c., is designed, we believe, to include the months of March, April and May.

May the almost apostolic zeal that inspired the lay efforts of the Pioneer agent in the field of Teachers' Institute enterprise, kindle the heart, and glow on the tongue of Rev. A. Smyth, the incumbent State Commissioner. Let the Teachers of the State be alive to this subject and embrace these opportunities to enrol their names on the subscription list as subscribers of the Journal.

Printed Prospectuses have been prepared, which we hope will be circulated by friends of the Journal on all occasions, and for convenience, they are enclosed in printed envelopes, addressed, "Ohio Journal of Education, Columbus." The following note from the State Commissioner, will explain the general outline of the plan of his visitation throughout the State.

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OFFICE OF OHIO STATE SCHOOL COMMISSIONER, Columbus, March 26, 1827. Section 50 of the School Law, requires that the State Commissioner of Schools spend ninety days, annually, in traveling, lecturing, etc., throughout the State. When the great amount of other labor which the law lays upon this officer, is considered, it is apparent that this requisition is severe and unreasonable. But

it is my intention to perform, to the letter, this demand. And for the purpose of informing any who may take an interest in the matter, I hereby give notice of my intention to spend most of the time from April 8th till July 20th in this service.

During that time I hope to visit the eastern and southern portions of the State, including the counties of Ashtabula, Lake, Geauga, Cuyahoga, Summit, Portage, Trumbull, Mahoning, Stark, Columbiana, Tuscarawas, Carroll, Jefferson, Harrison, Guernsey, Belmont, Monroe, Noble, Morgan, Washington, Athens, Meigs, Vinton, Jackson, Gallia, Lawrence, Scioto, Ross, Pike, Highland, Adams, Brown, Clermont, Warren, Hamilton, Butler, and as many others as my time will permit.

Some of these counties I may be obliged to pass by in my tour, and others, not here named, I doubtless shall visit. But when I depart from my established route, to attend Institutes, or for any like purpose, it will be in fulfillment of special arrangements. Economy of time and expense demands system in the performance of this work.

I shall, if possible, visit the county seats, as I wish to confer with the Auditors in regard to School interests. In some of the counties I shall spend but a single day, in others, two or three. To each point of visitation, I shall send word sufficiently early that due notice of lecture, etc., may be given.

A. SMYTH,

State School Commissioner.

REFORM SCHOOLS IN OHIO.-Our space will not permit us to publish one tithe of the interesting information proper to be communicated, in reference to the enterprise recently embarked in by the General Assembly of Ohio, which provides for a proper punishment and reformation of Juvenile offenders. It is worth a line of liveliest congratulation, that no more minors are to be confined in our Penitentiary. It will be a source of infinite blessing to these unfortunates and to humanity, that a christian-like and statesman-like mode of treating boys and girls convicted of crimes and misdemeanors punishable by the State, has been adopted in Ohio.

- Mr. Jos. Sullivant, President of the School Board, Columbus, was presented with a gold-headed cane by the Teachers of the schools, at a general meeting of the Teachers, on Friday, the 27th ult., the closing day of the winter term.

- See advertisement of Morton & Griswold, Publishers, Louisville, Kentucky, of something fresh and racy, a grand book for the boys. The Common School Speaker, by Noble Butler, A. M.

A series of Grammars by the same author, will be spoken of at large in an advertisement in next number.

- Observe the announcement of Messrs. J. B. Cobb & Co., which appears in our advertising columns.

The circulation of the Journal promises to be largely increased, and affords an excellent vehicle for publishers and others to communicate to the reading public. The Governor of this State, Salmon P. Chase, and a State Senator, Stanley Matthews, have been invited, and are expected to deliver addresses to the Ohio State Teachers' Association, to be held in Steubenville in July next. Mr. Matthews delivers an address at Kenyon College, on the 1st July, during the com

mencement exercises.

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