SECRETARY'S REPORT. VERMONT BOARD OF EDUCATION. By the law organizing the Board of Education, it is provided that the Secretary of the Board shall Prepare and present to the Board of Education, on the first day "of their annual session, a report of his officia' doings for the pre"ceding year, and a statement of the condition of the common schools "in the State; of the expenditure of the school moneys therein, and "such suggestions for improving their organization and modes of in"struction, together with such other information in regard to sys"tems of school instruction in other States and Countries, as he shall "deem proper." To the Honorable Vermont Board of Education: Pursuant to the direction of law, I now present the Seventh Annual Report of this department. OFFICIAL DOINGS. The Legislature of the State, at their last session, in making a general revision of the Statutes, effected various changes in the laws in regard to common schools. While some of the alterations are of great importance, there are many changes in regard to minor points; but an early knowledge of them all is indispensable to the thorough and intelligent discharge of the duties of the various school officials. In view of the fact that, of necessity, the publication and distribution of the Revised Statutes, could be effected but a short time before the time appointed for them to take effect, and that, however general the distribution might be, it would require much time to inform all interested in our schools of the many changes in the school law, I deemed it best to insert the revised school law in the annual report for the present year. A more intimate acquaintance, on the part of the people with the State school system can hardly fail to increase the general appreciation of its power for good when thoroughly understood and faithfully carried out. And it is patent to observation that a lack of intimate knowledge of our school laws is the cause of that general want of active interest on the part of communities, and of that laxness in the discharge of oflicial duty, which, aggravated by the ill judged indulgence it has received, has derogated largely from the efficiency of our schools. al Actuated by all these considerations then, I have thought that I could do no better work than to make a knowledge of our school laws accessible to all. I have therefore embodied in the present report the School Law as revised, an abstract of the decisions of our Supreme Court upon questions arising out of the school law, and a complete set of school forms, adapted to the revised school law, each with a very full and complete index. This work, which I deemed necessary and expedient, has occupied a good deal of time and it will take up a large portion of the Report; but I am entirely satisfied that thus, both time and labor are well bestowed and will be appreciated. The regular duties prescribed by law, in regard to the general visitation of the State, the preparation and distribution of Registers, and the collection of statistics, have all been performed to the best of my ability. In the general visitation of the St te, special prominence was given to the topic of Graded Schools, in accordance with the instructions of the Board, whenever a discussion of that matter was deemed expedient, and the selection of towns for visitation was made somewhat with reference thereto. The audiences gathered in different parts of the State were as large as usual generally, and in many instances the attendance was unusually full. TEACHERS' INSTITUTES. The first of the series of Teachers' Institutes for the year was held in Fairfield, in the County of Franklin, on the 4th and 5th days of November, 1862. The former Superintendent of Franklin had previously come to Burlington expressly to urge the location of an Institute in that town, and obtained a promise to that effect. But before the time for the Institute arrived, the Superintendent had removed from town and no one had been appointed to the vacancy, so that in the lack of any town official to co-operate with me, the Institute took the people of the town somewhat by surprise. The attendance here was not very large, not nearly as large as it would have been with more complete notice and co-operation. But a good degree of interest seemed to be stirred up among the people. Rev. Messrs. Fay, of St. Albans, Perry, of Swanton, and Buckham, of Fairfield, were constant in attendance, and assisted in the Institute. Mr. Taylor, of St. Albans Graded School, and Mr. Mead, of the Graded School in Swanton, were present and contributed largely to the interest and usefulness of the session I am inclined to think that a wholesome influence resulted from the meeting. The second Institute was held at Westford, in the County of Chittenden, on the 7th and 8th of November, 1862. The known intelligence and thoughtfulness of the citizens of Westford induced the expectation of a cordial and appreciating reception, and the expectation was very fully realized. The weather was unfavorable, but the attendance from the beginning was large. Rev. Messrs. Torrey and Pierce, of Westford, and Dunn, of Fairfax, were present during the session. Mr. Camp, of the Burlington High School, gave a very pleasant and unpretending but effective address on the practicability of introducing music into the public schools, which was well received by all. Rev. Mr. Torrey asked the attention of the Institute to the practicability and importance of phonography, in an off-hand and earnest lecture. There was a large attendance of the teachers and superintendents of the County, and of the citizens of the vicinity, and nothing could exceed the warmth and cordiality with which all from abroad were welcomed by the citizens. The Institute at Westford was one of the most successful educational gatherings that has been held in this County. The third Institute was held at Stowe, in the County of Lamoille, in the Town Hall, on the 11th and 12th of November, 1862. The attendance here was very fair, although not as large as it has sometimes been in this County. Rev. Messrs. Ford and Whitney, of Stowe, Bartlett of Morristown, and Bailey of Hydepark, and several of the Superintendents of the County were present. The citizens of Stowe have recently manifested their own interest in popular education by the adoption of a system of public Graded Schools, which, under the able instruction of Mr. Leavens, seems to have given general satisfaction. They have erected upon a desirable site a very tasteful and convenient school house, for the accommodation of the Graded School, which on the evening of the last day of the Institute was filled with a throng of the friends of education, meeting the pupils and parents in a social levee. The school house in its tasteful exterior, convenient arrangement and full equipment, is a pleasant monument of the liberality and wisdom of the inhabitants of the beautiful village of Stowe. The session of the fourth of the series of Institutes began at East Calais, for the County of Washington, on the 14th of November, 1862. The first day's session was not very fully attended, and was interrupted by the funeral of a deceased soldier, appointed in the same church, but the attendance during the evening of the first and the whole of the second day was very large. Mr. A. J. Sanborn, the Principal of South Hardwick Academy, and Superintendent of that town, was present with thirty-five of his older pupils, and assisted very acceptably in the discussion of Geography. The topic of Grammar was discussed by Mr. A. B. Corliss, of West Topsham, and the sessions were enlivened by excellent music from the choir, under direction of Mr. Bradish. The Institute was quite successful and seemed to be very well received by many who never before had attended such a gathering. The fifth Institute was held at Glover, in the County of Orleans, on the 18th and 19th of November, 1862. The sessions were held in the Academy Hall, and although the weather was unfavorable, rain falling constantly during the second day, the attendance was very good. Mr. Corliss, of West Topsham, discussed the subject of English Grammar, and Mr. Todd, the Principal of the Glover Institute, occupied one evening in an address upon the subject of Reading. The Rev. S. R. Hall, of Brownington, so well known as a pioneer in the cause of educational improvement, gave a most acceptable lecture upon the elements of Geology and Mineralogy. A committee of reception had been previously appointed by the citizens, who faithfully carried out the hospitable intentions of the inhabitants in extending a cordial welcome to all from abroad; and to them and the Rev. Mr. Perkins and Mr. Todd, of Glover, those in attendance were much indebted. The sixth Institute began its session at Waterford, in the County of Caledonia, in the Congregational Church, on the 21st day of November, 1862. The Institute was located here at the urgent solicitation of citizens of the vicinity, and although the weather was exceedingly forbidding and rain fell almost constantly during the whole session, the attendance, both of citizens and teachers, was larger than could reasonably have been anticipated. No gathering of a like kind had ever been held in this part of the County, and the very novelty of the Institute gave an additional attraction to its other claims; and the thoughtful and close attention of large audiences completely vindicated the selection of the location. The seventh Institute was held at Guildhall, in the County of Essex, on the 25th and 26th days of November, 1862, in the town hall. The attendance here was not as large as for several previous years in the same county when held at West Concord and Lunenburgh, but still it was very good. Mr. Heywood, the Superintendent of the town, was active and efficient in furnishing every needed assistance, and the majority of the thoughtful and intelligent citizens were present. Rev. Mr. Sewell and Mr. King, the Superintendent of Lunenburgh, were in attendance with the teachers from that town. And several of the friends of education from the vicinity in the State of New Hampshire; and by all the Institute seemed well received. The eighth Institute was held at Grand Isle in the County of Grand Isle, on the 4th and 5th days of February, 1863. This time was chosen that advantage could be taken of the ice to facilitate access— but when the time appointed arrived it proved to be in the midst of the severest weather of the year. The thermometer stood at 28° below zero on the morning of the first day, and varied but little during the session, but notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather the sessions of the Institute were very largely attended by citizens |