teachers employed, 107. Average number of pupils, 5,130. Average per cent. of attendance, 90.2. Average cost of each scholar for tuition, $12 77. Yearly expenditure, $119,154. The teachers in the primary schools are all women. In the grammar schools 7 are men and 40 are women. Of those in the high school 4 are men and 4 women. A teacher of penmanship and 1 of vocal music are employed in the high school. Within the year two free evening schools were established, at which 447 pupils were instructed by 8 teachers. During the present year there have been 49 fewer cases of truancy reported, and less than half the number of absentees by permission, than during the previous year. Report of the truant commissioner states that as the extent of territory to be traversed by him increases every year, it will soon be necessary to have another officer, and requests that some one be immediately appointed to learn the business, stating that three years would hardly suffice to give the experience necessary to a proper discharge of the duties of this office. Mr. Huse has served as truant commissioner during the past sixteen years, and he states that during that time there has never been so little truancy, and so good attendance at school, as during the past year.

CHARLESTOWN.

In 1865 this city had a population of 26,398; in 1868 it was estimated at 28,000. The number of children between five and fifteen years of age, in 1865, was 4,951, and in 1868, 5,824. Number attending school in 1863, 4,824. Number of schools: primary, 36; grammar, 5; intermediate, 3; high, 1. Primary schools contained 3,326 pupils1,700 boys and 1,626 girls; grammar and intermediate, 3,743 pupils-1,895 boys and 1,848 girls; high school, 167 pupils-60 boys and 107 girls. Whole number of schools, 45; teachers, 103. Average attendance in primary schools, 1,583 ; in grammar, intermediate, and high schools, 2,921. Ratio of attendance to whole number of children, .82. Value of school property, $409,700. School expenses during year, $65,169 07. Amount remaining in treasury unexpended, $23,895 93.

WORCESTER

contained, in 1865, a population of 30,000; estimated present population, 41,000; number of children between the ages of five and fifteen, 6,846; number of children received instruction during year 1869, 8,949, an increase over past year of 488; average yearly attendance, 6,321; in attendance at close of year, 6,418, being an increase of 386 over the previous year. Number of schools in the city, including 3 evening schools, is 117, an increase of 8 during the year. Number of teachers employed, 135, an increase of 11 during the year. Average yearly cost per scholar, $15 44. Ordinary yearly expenses, $97,651 82. Extraordinary expenses during the year, for furnishing, repairs, &c., $8,953 10, making total yearly expense, $106,604 92. Number of schools now in operation, 116; number of teachers, 138; pupils, 6,322. Within ten years these numbers have nearly doubled.

The school committee consists of twenty-four members, holds regular monthly meetings, and special meetings at the call of the mayor, who is president of the board. A superintendent and clerk are elected by the board. The superintendent is the executive officer of the board; supervises all the schools, reporting quarterly to the board in writing. A change in the methods of control and system of direction is recommended by the mayor, particularly in the abridgment of the number which constitutes the board, for the reason that "it is almost impossible to find competent persons of sufficient number to represent a majority of the board, who are able or willing to sacrifice the amount of time necessary."

The great want expressed by the report is a normal school-“teachers trained by practice." In this county, with its 34,000 children in schools, 850 teachers are at work. In consequence of changes, more than 200 new ones enter upon the work of teaching yearly, and to meet this demand for trained teachers there is no adequate source of supply.

Too much indifference is reported on the part of parents to the punctual attendance of children, so that about one-twelfth of the advantages of the schools is lost by irregular attendance. The truant officer has this year attended to 2,000 cases of truancy, and returned 1,200 of them to their respective schools. 130 obstinate truants have been assigned to the several public schools; and of these, 29 being apparently habitual truants, have been arrested and tried before the municipal court, 17 of whom were sentenced to the truant school, or "the farm," as it is called, for the term of six months or one year. It is found that the existence of this school acts as a very great check upon truancy, the great majority of the boys having a wholesome respect for the farm,'" and when once brought to school by the officers, and reminded that the first step thither has been taken, they are far more punctual at school than if no such school awaited them. Of those who re-enter the public schools from this school, nearly all, it is thought, are improved in respect to punctuality.

66

A training school, composed of 225 primary scholars, has recently been established, in

four rooms and in four classes, under the direction of two accomplished teachers. To instruct these children, and at the same time to acquire experience, and be instructed in methods of teaching, there is a practicing class of 18 young ladies. In each room two members of the practicing class remain during the morning session, one as instructor and the other as critic; and two others during the afternoon. Among these there is an exchange of duties once a month. The members of the practicing class receive a daily lesson from the training teachers, one of whom conducts it the first hour and the other the second. This kind of training is continued one year. It is asserted that as the result of this school, the children are interested and instructed in a great deal of useful knowledge, while the young lady teachers have the experience of one-half year's solid teaching, under the vigilant eye of an associate, with an instructor constantly at hand. It is believed that such a training for those who teach is a far better preparation than a much longer course of purely theoretical instruction, or of chance experiment.

DENNIS.

The number of public schools in this town is 16, which were taught during the year 1869 an average length of eight months and five days. The salaries of teachers amounted to $4,588. There were 8 male teachers during a part of the year, and 17 females. The average wages for the males was $57 87 per month, and that of the females $28 20. The number of persons in the town, between the ages of five and fifteen, was 841, of whom 175 were not in school. The average number in each school in summer was 45, and in winter 55. Voluntary contributions for support of schools during the year, $308.

Within the past few years an entire set of new school buildings has been provided, and all sections of the town have ample accommodations. The committee say, however: "All of our buildings are quite too barren of apparatus, especially in the primary and intermediate rooms." "Smallness of wages is an obstacle to the best results." "As a whole we have reason to speak with unbounded praise of the fidelity and efficiency with which our schools have been managed during the year."

SPRINGFIELD

has a population of 28,000; number of children between five and fifteen years of age, 4,156; number of pupils registered in schools, 4,617; of these 33 were under five and 240 over fifteen years of age. The number of schools is 87; teachers, 100. Amount expended for the year, $76,303 40. The high school contains 217 pupils, with seven teachers, a large increase over the previous year. A training school for teachers has been in operation a year and a half, and is doing good work. Free evening schools are in operation, four during the winter and two in the summer. As a result of these schools it is stated that: "Forty-three of the operatives in the mills, who made their mark upon the pay-roll for November, wrote their names upon that same pay-roll for February." There are about 25 boys at the truant school, who are reported "well fed, well clothed, well taught, and well behaved. The school is doing for them more than its best friends dared to hope. It is doing none can tell how much, to secure regular attendance in the other schools."

Each city or town is authorized to establish a reform school for children between the ages of seven and sixteen, who are "not attending school, or, without any regular occupation, are growing up in ignorance," and they may be sent there instead of being fined, if it is thought best. A reform school of this kind has been established in one wing of the alms-house, under the care of a suitable matron. An ungraded school has been established also, where habitual truants who ought not to be sent to the reform school may be kept under instruction until they can return to the graded schools. This is under the care of a gentleman who is also the principal truant officer, whose duty it is to look up all truants, and investigate the cases reported to him from the public schools. Having a female assistant, with whom he can leave his school when required to do so, he is able to attend to such cases. When satisfied that any one is a real truant, and that there is no other mode of preventing it, he takes him to the ungraded school and keeps him until his attainments and habits will allow of his being transferred to a graded school. If irregular still, the reform school is pointed to as the alternative, and this is generally effective; so that there are only 22 in the reform school, some of whom would be in the jail if not sent here. The result of these schools has been to increase the attendance upon the regular schools, so that 89 per cent. of the children of school age are in them.

There is also a half-time school at Indian Orchard, where the children employed in the manufactories attend school three hours each day through the entire year, and work the rest of the time in the mills. These operatives are paid full wages for three-quarters time, so that the arrangement is satisfactory to the parents. This is yet an experiment, which is looked upon with great interest.

The following letter from the agent of the Indian Orchard Mill to his treasurer gives the methods of this school:

"INDIAN ORCHARD MILLS,

"Indian Orchard, February 4, 1869.

"DEAR SIR: The number of children attending half-time schools is 30, aged from nine to fourteen. Number of boys, 9; girls, 21; hours school per week, 15; hours work per week, 481.

"The scholars leave work at 12 o'clock, school commencing at 1 o'clock, and closing at 4, with fifteen minutes' recess each session, thus giving them one-half hour for play before school and fifteen minutes during school hours. Number of school weeks in year, 40. The parents of the children attending school are much pleased with the arrangement. I have not had a case of truancy reported to me; this shows that the children like and appreciate the system. The school has been keeping seven weeks. I cannot as yet compare the earnings on job work; but I find that, where the children were before losing from one to four days per month, they are now working full time during the hours assigned to labor, the school hours being a real rest to them. I am watching the working of this school with interest, and while I do not wish to arrive at a conclusion hastily, I fully believe that the half-time system is practicable, and wherever adopted, the manufacturer as well as operator will derive a benefit from it. "Yours, truly, "C. J. GOODWIN, Agent.

"EDWARD ATKINSON, Esq., Treasurer."

NORTHAMPTON.

The number of teachers employed in all the schools of Northampton is 47-of whom 4 are in the high school, 11 in the three grammar schools, and the remainder in primary and ungraded schools. The primary and ungraded schools are taught thirty-six weeks in the year, in three terms, with suitable vacations; the high and grammar schools are taught forty weeks, annually. Every pupil in all the public schools must devote two half hours each week to the study of the principles of vocal music.

The annual expenses for all the schools are about $30,000. The salaries of the female teachers, of whom there are 45-the principal of the high school and the teacher of music being the only male teachers-are from $216 to $400-nine receiving the former, and eight the latter, sum, while others receive amounts between these extremes.

The course of instruction embraces twelve years, viz: In the primary, grammar, and high schools, four years each. As an evidence of an increasing interest in their work among the teachers, the superintendent, Hon. J. P. Averill, says: "Two years ago, to the best of my knowledge, only three copies of any educational journal were taken among the teachers; now there are nearly forty."

SALEM.

The population of the city of Salem in 1865 was 21,197, and in 1869 was estimated at 25,000. The number of persons between five and fifteen in May 1869 was 5,235; the number enrolled in the public schools, 4,412; the average number of all grades belonging to the schools, 2,986; the average daily attendance in all the schools, 2,590; average daily absence, 396; average per cent. of attendence, 87; average number of pupils belonging to the high school, 111; number of seats in the high school-house, 238; average number of pupils to each teacher, 22; average number belonging to the grammar schools, of which there are 7-two for boys and two for girls, and three for both sexeswas 1,107; average number of pupils to each teacher, 41; average number of pupils belonging to primary schools, 1,768; average number to each teacher, 49. The sum appropriated for each child between five and fifteen years was $9 55. The total expenditure for school purposes for the year 1869 was $60,143 66.

The school committee consists of eighteen members besides the mayor and president of the common council. The board has a secretary and messenger; and there is a superintendent, who has a salary of $2,000. The salaries of teachers amounted to $36,968 39.

In regard to the high school, the committee say that a class which graduates onethird of its entering number does remarkably well. Professor Morse, of the Peabody Academy of Science, gave two courses of lectures to the school, profusely illustrated on the black-board, upon the animal remains found in the rocks, and on the classification of the animal kingdom. They say, also: "Not many years since it was a standing reproach not only to this school, but to our city, that we had no representatives in any of the leading colleges. We rejoice that it is so no longer. There is now no class at Cambridge which does not contain graduates of the Salem high school, who are doing us credit, and of whom we are justly proud. The pupils now pursuing the college course number seventeen, exclusive of the junior class."

Truancy is spoken of as too common, and as a source of great evils. "The Plummer Farm School of Reform for Boys will probably be opened in the course of the coming year" for the reception of incorrigible truants.

Besides the regular public schools, there are evening schools for the males and fe males separately, both schools numbering about 300 different scholars during the year, from twelve to thirty years of age. The instruction in these schools is chiefly oral, with little attempt to form classes, on account of the irregularity of attendance. "The pupils are well behaved, and manifest a great degree of interest in the studies."

In May a special school was established for factory children, called the Naumkeag school, and opened on the 7th of June, 1869. The pupils are all of them employed in the Naumkeag Mills, between the ages of five and fifteen, and are formed in two divisions, attending alternately at the school and the mill, forenoon and afternoon. The school is kept through the entire year, five days in a week, except the legal holidays, thus securing to all equal time of attendance, and the half holiday on Saturday, with no interference with the regular progress of the work in the mill by this class of operatives. The average number belonging each half day is 31; per cent. of attendance,

93.8.

The operatives who attend school receive from the corporation two-thirds of the price for full time, and those employed by the piece receive 50 cents per week in addition to what they actually earn at the usual rates. The time-table of attendance at school is kept in the same form as at the mill, and the same deductions from wages are made for absence from school as for absence from the mill; and thus truancy and tardiness are rare. The committee express the opinion that they have "arrived as nigh unto perfection in the treatment of these school annoyances as is permitted in the administration of human affairs." "The teacher's brain is, in main part, the textbook, and the school exercises consist chiefly in oral instructions, readings, and recitations in concert, and slate and black-board lessons," &c.

EXTRACTS FROM THE "ABSTRACT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S REPORTS," MADE BY THE SECRETARY OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

The statutes of Massachusetts require each of the three hundred and thirty-five towns and cities in that State to publish at least annual reports of their school committees in pamphlet form, and to send one copy at least to the secretary of the board of education before the end of April. The following epigrammatic sentences are extracted from the reports of school committees for 1869, the name of the town from which the extract is taken being appended.

Parents. A strange system of ethics or religion exists, where personal or religious animosity is allowed to neutralize the efforts of any teacher.

Teacher's influence.-The school is usually a portrait of its teacher.-Brewster. Indifference of parents.-We venture the assertion that one-fourth of the time and money devoted to schools is thus wasted, and we see not how we can rid ourselves of this discouraging drag upon our prosperity, until parents manifest an increasing interest in the intellectual welfare of their children, and consider it a duty to keep them regularly at school.-Chatham.

School appropriations.-The school-houses in a town are the best bonds a property holder can have; and a successful free public school his best and safest policy of insurance for the continued and increasing valuation of his estate; so that from the lowest and most mercenary motives our schools should receive the fostering care of property holders. But when we regard our children as the representatives of something more than silver and gold, or greenbacks or houses or lands, or ships or merchandise, and which in the comparison cannot be measured with any or all of these, because of the infinity of difference, we might reason with a force a thousand times more momentous and consequential, for a generous and hearty support of our public schools; for every thing to which we can attach value in a community must be measured by the intelligence and virtue of its citizens.

Indifference of the poor.-It is a remarkable fact, and which to us is entirely inexplicable, that a majority of those who vote in town meetings against sufficient appropriations for a full term of free school are those who pay small taxes.-Dennis.

Educational sentiment.-There must be a firmer and more evident interest in the school room. The jails, prisons, and gallows, of our country testify to the efficacy of street education, and the parent owes it to the State as well as to the child that he has as little of it as possible.

The State wants productive citizens, who will yield valuable returns for the rich benefits she heaps upon them, and the more educated a person is the more precious may he become to his State. What more valuable service, then, can one render to his State, than by making use of all the means which she has put in his power, to give to those whom God has placed in his charge as thorough and liberal an education as his circumstances will admit ?-Sandwich.

The graded system-Has been in operation in our schools for the last three or four

1

COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION.

years, and experience proves it to be the most efficient plan for the progress of the
scholar and the usefulness of the teacher.

Physical training.-The great fault of the age-haste, is too evident in all our education. Children are crammed, not learned. Four hours a day are enough for a child under twelve years to study, or be in a school-room. The best gymnasium ever yet built is that which has a ground floor and a sky-roof; and nature is the best teacher of calisthenics. The scientific movements taught in school-rooms are but poor parodies on the easy flow of natural action. Let the school hours and studies be few and pleasant, especially to the beginner, lest he learn to hate them before he knows their value, and become a truant before he become a scholar.-Wellfleet.

Primary schools.-Our educational system may well be compared to a pyramid, of which the primary schools are the foundation, but which rises in constantly diminishing sections to its summit, crowned with the highest achievements of literature and art. The successful management of a primary school requires the rarest, and therefore the highest, order of talents. Ten teachers qualified to instruct an intermediate or grammar school can be found to one who can teach a primary school as it should be taught. The wages, therefore, of these teachers should be equal to those paid to teachers of the higher grades.-Adams.

High school wanted.-Private schools are the order of the day in our town; this will continue to be the case so long as there are no public schools for advanced scholars.Cheshire.

Attendance.-Tell us a school is steady and regular in attendance, and it needs no fur ther commendation.-Great Barrington.

High school.-The top stone of our educational system is the high school.-Lenox. No more school districts.—It is now generally known the present year commences the operation of a new school law abolishing the district system.-New Marlborough.

Mental culture.-A wise essayist says, "What sculpture is to the block of marble, education is to the human soul. It is a work with noble materials for great and good purposes, and one which also aims to make available the real wealth and resources of the State."-Otis.

Education vs. Crime.-When it costs Berkshire County five times as much for a courthouse, jail, and house of correction (to say nothing of the expenses of the detection, arrest, and conviction of criminals) as it does to furnish a year's tuition to every boy and girl between the ages of five and fifteen years in the county, there can be little doubt as to the proper direction in which to judiciously increase the public expenditure. It is entirely in accordance with the genius of our republican institutions that our means of public instruction should be the pride of all the people, and not in any sense a poor bounty for those who are unable to avail themselves of private tuition.-Pittsfield.

Education and citizenship.-The children in our schools are, so far as qualifying them for citizenship goes, a trust committed to the voters of this town. The law makes their education the care of the town. This it does because their education is a public benefit. You would have thought it madness to send out soldiers without equipments. Is it any less madness to send our children unequipped into the battles of life that await them?-Dighton.

Supervision. Of the system of superintendency of the public schools as pursued in this city, we speak with much confidence, believing fully in its efficiency and usefulness; the wonder with us is, that our large cities and towns should ever have done without it.

School appropriations.-I am confident that no corresponding amount of money has ever been expended in behalf of our schools that has been more profitably turned to account.-New Bedford.

The school buildings should be not less an exponent of our intellectual and social progress. When churches are magnificent, and houses are elegant, our temples of learning should not be barns.-Taunton.

School appropriations. We reap as we sow. If we sow sparingly, we shall reap sparingly. Small appropriations make small schools. This is the law, and this is the fact.

The law relating to children in manufacturing establishments does honor to Massachusetts. In it we see the State assuming the relation of parent to the poor and helpless child.

Text-books.-We give our unqualified approval to the plan suggested by the Massachusetts board of education, that commissioners, men of learning, and eminent educators be appointed to make selections in text-books for the whole State.-Andover.

Music in primary schools.-The scholars of every school have been taught the science of music. The pupils in the primary school are able to read music in any key.-Bradford.

Duty to future generations.-The greatness of the legacy we have received from those who have gone before us, increases our debt to future generations.—Danvers.