management to more than two millions of dollars, and the interest, amounting to about one hundred thousand dollars, is annually distributed among the several school societies and districts, according to the number of children between the ages of four and sixteen. In 1836, that portion of the surplus fund belonging to the United States, which fell to Connecticut, was, by an act of the legislature, deposited with the several towns in proportion to their respective population, according to the census of 1830, on condition that at least one half of the income thereof should be appropriated for the promotion of education in the common schools in such towns. Under this act, $764,670 61, have been deposited with the towns. The other expenses of public instruction are defrayed from society and local school funds, from taxes on property, and assessments on the parents of children attending schools. Of the whole expense, it is estimated, that property pays one ninth, parents who send children, three ninths, and permanent funds, five ninths. Thus it will be seen, that of the three modes of sustaining common schools, namely, by permanent and liberal State endowments, by the property of local organizations, or by a school rate paid by the parents of scholars, Connecticut has not adopted either entire. Her main reliance, however, is on the avails of permanent funds, and in this respect her system is peculiar, and has attracted much attention. The fund has been supposed not to exert a favorable influence upon education; but Mr. Barnard, the Secretary of the Board of Education, in his second annual Report, maintains, that great injustice has been done to the system in this respect, and he suggests reasons in favor of a judiciously managed fund, which are entitled to much consideration from their intrinsic good sense, and his own knowledge and experience.

The example of Connecticut, however, and of many of her sister States, showed that neither wholesome laws nor liberal appropriation of money would create good schools, unless seconded by zealous, intelligent, and high-principled efforts in the people themselves. The attention of the judicious and thoughtful was called to the urgent necessity of improving the condition of common schools, and elevating the standard of public education. The subject was recommended to the consideration of the legislature by the Governor in his annual message in 1838, and official information respect

ing the condition of the common schools, was, for the first time, laid before the legislature, in the form of returns from one hundred and four, out of two hundred and eleven school societies in the State. A select committee on the part of the House and Senate was raised, to whom these and other documents were referred. Their Report embodied the following conclusions; that parents generally exhibit little or no interest in common schools by attending examinations or otherwise; that school visitors and school committees, in some school societies, were not faithful in the discharge of their duties as prescribed by law; that poorly qualified and inefficient teachers were employed in the schools, and that the rate of compensation was not adequate to their deserts or equal to the rewards of skill and industry in other fields of labor; that the diversity of school books was an evil of alarming magnitude; that school houses, in respect to location, structure, warming, ventilation, seats, and desks, were very much neglected; that many children of the proper age to receive instruction, did not attend any school; that this number, in 1837, was not less than six thousand; and that there were over one thousand persons, between the ages of sixteen and twenty-one who could not read or write.

With these facts before them, the committee unanimously recommended a bill for a public act "to provide for the better supervision of common schools," which was passed into a law by the unanimous vote of the Senate and with but a single dissenting voice in the House.

This act constitutes the Governor, the commissioner of the school fund, and one person for each county in the State, a" Board of Commissioners for Common Schools"; and it aims to secure the better supervision of schools by bringing their condition, in the form of annual Reports, first before the school societies by the local visitors, and afterwards before the legislature and the State, in the communications of the Board. To make these Reports subserve the progress of the system, both the State Board and the local visitors are required to submit such plans of improvement, as their own observation and reflection may suggest. To enable the Board to ascertain the condition of the schools, and collect materials for sound legislative action, they are authorized to call for information from the proper local school authorities, and to appoint a Secretary, who shall devote his whole time, if required,

under their direction, "to ascertain the condition, increase the interest, and promote the usefulness, of the common schools." The Board was clothed with no power to interfere directly with the organization and management of the schools. Its office is, by the agency of its individual members and its Secretary, to inquire into the state of the schools, to learn what their defects are, and the best means by which those defects can be remedied, and the further improvement of education secured; and then, by their communications to the Legislature and the people, to suggest such modifications of the system, and of practices under it, as may lead to its more extensive usefulness.

The Board met for the first time in June, 1838, and chose their Secretary. His duties as prescribed by the Board were; to ascertain by personal inspection of the schools, and by written communications from school officers and others, the actual condition of the schools; to prepare an abstract of such information for the use of the Board and the Legislature, with plans and suggestions for the better organization and administration of the school system; to attend and address at least one meeting of such parents, teachers, and school officers, as were disposed to come together on public notice, in each county, and as many local meetings as other duties would allow to edit and superintend the publication of a journal, devoted exclusively to the promotion of commonschool education; and to increase, in any way practicable, the interest and intelligence of the community in relation to the whole subject of popular education. It will thus be seen, that the Connecticut Board of Commissioners of Common Schools, resembles very closely, in its organization and objects, the Massachusetts Board of Education, and that the duties of their respective Secretaries are exactly parallel.

We have before us three annual Reports, prepared by the Secretary, Mr. Barnard, and three volumes of the "Connecticut Common School Journal," edited by him; and from the evidence, which these contain, of his talents, industry, conscientiousness, and ardent devotion to the great cause of education, we do not hesitate to pronounce the State most fortunate in having secured his services in that department. From his first annual Report, presented in May, 1839, it appears, that in the previous year, the Secretary attended a

common-school convention in each of the eight counties in the State, addressed more than sixty public meetings in various parts of the State, inspected more than two hundred schools while in session, received official returns from school visitors. respecting more than twelve hundred districts, had personal or written communications with school officers or teachers in more than two thirds of all the school societies, and superintended the publication of the "Connecticut Common School Journal," more than sixty thousand copies of the twelve numbers of which were circulated, for the most part gratuitously, over the State. And in the subsequent years substantially the same measures were pursued to awaken and enlighten the public mind, by the voice and the press.

The condition of the schools, and of the public mind respecting them, as appears by the Secretary's first Report, called most loudly for the quickening breath of a new life. The system was becoming paralyzed by apathy and want of interest in all its departments. The fatal dry-rot of indifference, a foe the more dangerous from its working silently and unobservedly, was slowly eating into its heart. School meetings were thinly attended; school officers neglected their trust, or were content with a mere formal discharge of their duties; incompetent teachers were employed, without being subjected even to a nominal examination; public money was appropriated to other objects than those specified in the law; school-houses were imperfectly constructed and ventilated, and ill furnished; there was a want of uniformity in books taught and studies pursued; the late and irregular attendance of the children in many schools was such as to amount to an almost perfect waste of their privileges; the instruction given was imperfect, and of an inferior quality; and, to crown the whole, as at once the cause and effect of the low state of the public schools, there was a profound apathy on the part of the public generally, and a want of that encouragement, sympathy, and coöperation on the part of the parents, which are so essential to the success of a teacher.

Though, of course, no great changes can be effected in the space of three or four years, yet we have in the documents before us, and from the testimony of gentlemen who have visited Connecticut, abundant evidence to show that much good has been done, and that more will be done. The proceedings of the Board and of the Secretary have been marked

by uniform good judgment and tact, and they appear to have met with the coöperation of the people in a manner creditable to both parties. No factious and short-sighted opposition seems to have embarrassed their path, and neither political nor religious jealousy has apparently retarded their progress. The Legislature have done their duty, and by various enactments have brought the system to a greater degree of theoretical excellence, remedied its faults, and supplied its deficiencies. And above all, the public attention is called to the subject, a new impulse is given to the mind of the community, and a new sense of the value of public education, and of the necessity of elevating it, awakened. Parents, teachers, school committees have aroused themselves from their slumbers into life and action, and the good effects of the change are beginning to be perceived, and an earnest of future and continued improvement is given. This is the great thing. Let the public mind be interested in this paramount subject, and all will go right. There is such a capacity both for action and thought in the New England mind and character, that every thing is pretty sure to be well done, which is zealously and earnestly undertaken. Let the community feel deeply and fervently, that their children must be well educated, and the work is already half accomplished. The willing head and hand will never want instruments. We wish our sister Commonwealth a cordial God-speed in her generous enterprise, and earnestly desire that her progress may be rapid and uninterrupted in that good path in which her older New England sister has but a year's start of her. We hope she may tread so closely upon our steps, as to make us quicken our efforts lest we should be outstripped. That is a noble strife, which we take pride in encouraging; for all, who engage in it, win. There is neither the insolence of triumph, nor the chagrin of defeat.

We commend Mr. Barnard's three Reports as valuable documents, ably and carefully prepared, and worthy the attention of all who feel an interest in the literature of education. The "Connecticut Common School Journal," also, is a useful and well-conducted work, containing many good original communications and a large amount of excellent selections. We would especially commend an elaborate sketch of the various systems of elementary education in Europe contained in the Appendix to the second volume,