“tion of children must begin, in the heads and hearts of parents, in "the enthusiasm, enlarged knowledge and practical skill of teachers, and in the well considered and liberal action of school officers and "the public generally. "Permanent associations of teachers, for mutual improvement and "advancement of their profession, have accomplished much good, "and may be made still more widely beneficial, and should receive "the aid and countenance, not only of teachers but of the legisla"ture and the people. But a well arranged and judiciously conduc"ted series of Institutes, will, in a single year, without wasting "time in forming and amending constitutions, or election of officers, "and discussing questions of order, or places of meeting, and avoid"ing all occasions of jealousy on charges of exclusiveness, reach a "larger number of teachers, secure a more thorough and systematic "presentation and discussion of the principles and method of teaching and discipline, exposing and exploding those which are obsolete "and defective, and explaining and commending those which are "new and valuable, awaken more professional spirit, and form and strengthen more bonds of connection between the older and young"er teachers, than all the State, County and Town associations, act"ing together, with meetings extending over only one or two days, can do in many years. "A well equipped Normal School, or Institution for the special "training of teachers, modified to suit the peculiar circumstances of "the State, and the present condition of the schools, is unquestionably the most direct and efficient instrumentality for thoroughly educating and training young men, and young women, for the work "of teaching; and if in its practical operations, the staff of profes"sors could be so numerous, and of the peculiar qualifications re"quired, as to conduct the County Institute, examine in connection "with a County school officer, all candidates for teaching, and with "your Board, all Normal classes participating in the funds which "you administer-such a Normal school, organized in connection "with other parts of the school system, and other agencies for the "professional improvement of teachers; would be an unmixed blessing to the State, and improve at once, and largely, both the quali"ty and quantity of instruction given in the public schools. 66 "But in the present state of popular feeling, and wide spread "financial embarrassment, such a Normal school cannot be looked "for; and even if it could be established at once, the Teachers' "Institute, under your general direction, and the educational lec"ture, in connection with the operations of the Superintendent of "public instruction, can do more to create a demand for, and appre"ciation of the services of well qualified teachers, and at the same "time, in connection with the State University, the Colleges, Acade"mies and High Schools, contribute more largely to the better quali"fication of such teachers as the districts will employ for the present "to teach their schools, than even such an institution, unless under "the favorable conditions above supposed. The men employed to "conduct Institutes and examine Normal classes, must be men of 'Normal training and capable of giving Normal Instruction; and if "such men can be employed, they will constitute, if not a Normal school, an itinerating Normal agency, which will, every year, be "felt directly in every county, and indirectly through the teachers, on a majority of the public schools and children of the State." 46 Horace Mann, when Secretary of the Massachusetts Board, introduced the system of Teachers' Institutes into Massachusetts from New York, and throughout his life was unceasing in commending them as an agency of great value. Mr. Sears, who succeeded Mr. Mann, speaks in all of his official reports in praise of the Institutes. Mr. Boutwell concurs in the statements of his predecessors, and alluding to the Institutes as agencies acting upon the general mind says: "The Institute is not "only a valuable help to teachers, whether experienced or inexperi"enced, but it has become a most important means of influencing the "public at large." And again he says: "The institute is a power"ful agency in the right direction, and within the sphere of its influ"ence is far superior to any that has been employed or suggested." In his last annual Report, Mr. Rice, Superintendent of New York, says: "No other provision for the instruction of common school "teachers has been more successful than these modern organizations; "and it is gratifying to be able to report that the importance of their 'agency in the successful operation of our school system within the "past few years is universally acknowledged and appreciated. These 'Institutes are devoted to practical instruction in the most approved "methods of imparting knowledge to the young, and of disciplining "and awakening their faculties. This method of providing the com"mon schools with teachers, whatever its imperfections, has the ad"vantage that it affords instruction to persons who give earnest of "their interest in the vocation, and who immediately carry back into "the schools whatever increase of information and ability they may "have derived from the Institute." Remarks similar to these might be quoted to almost any extent, were it necessary or desirable. No other single educational agency has been so often and so stongly commended. And however, useful and effective they may have proved themselves to be elsewhere, they have been still more useful here. In the absolute tranquillity of the public mind which of course resulted from an entire dearth of educational discussion, the first and greatest need of Vermont, was a vitalizing agency which would be able to revive, and indeed almost to create a wide-awake public opinion, which should examine faithfully into the real condition of the schools, as appreciating their importance and the incomparable magnitude of the interests intrusted to them, and then imperatively demand those improved facilities in the way of school houses and equipments, those increased qualifications on the part of teachers, and that higher estimation of the desirability of mental and moral culture, which are the indispensable condition that must precede any sound and wholesome improvement of the schools. And the Institutes, as a means of regular, consistent, and permanent agitation, so directed as under all circumstances and in each different locality, while adapting themselves to the peculiar local needs, at the same time continually to tend in their general drift towards the accomplishment of certain previouly determined ends, have been remarkably successful. They have very successfully accomplished all that could reasonably have been expected, and much more, with less expense than could have been effected in the same direction by any other means whatever. I consider the Institutes the most powerful, the most convenient, the most economical and the most acceptable of the agencies within the control and under the direction of the Secretary of your Board. At the late session of the Legislature, either by omission or premeditation, in the revision of the laws, the clause of the act of 1856, which appropriated not to exceed $30 to each Institute, was left out, and thus the power of the Board was very seriously crippled, for although the appropriation was the smallest that was ever made for the same purpose, it had accomplished much good work. It has not heretofore been the custom of our own or of other legislative bodies to make important changes in the laws regulating the school system, without some consultation with the agent of the State who may have its educational interests in charge; but as I had no knowledge of any intention to take away the appropriation referred to, until it was accomplished, I have felt constrained to speak of the Institutes at some length in the present Report. And I most respectfully request your Honorable Board to urge upon the Legislature the restoration of the clause of the act organizing the Board, by which an appropriation of not exceeding $30, was made to each Institute. STATISTICAL AGGREGATE FOR 1863. Number of heads of families.... 56,070 of money raised on scholar.. paid for wages, board and fuel.. Number of weeks of school supported by district. Average number attending school meeting. Number of registers required..... different teachers employed.. 25,495 242,807 27,973 15 2,977 4.744 twenty years..... 46,883 Number of scholars between four and eighteen who have attended school..... 71,887 scholars between eighteen and twenty who have 2,622 districts deprived of school by vote..... 31 Amount of superintendents' bills for services as claimed.... $4,647 Number of districts not filing registers... แ 320 28 64 SCHOOL STATISTICS, THEIR DIFFICULTY AND THEIR RELIABILITY. As usual, many difficulties have been encountered in the collection of the statistics of the schools, by all who have had the matter in charge. But the general character of the statistical returns has steadily improved since the beginning of the attempt to gather them in this State, although it must be confessed that further improvement is not by any means impossible. At first the officials connected with the schools were entirely unaccustomed to any effort of the kind, and did not succeed as well as they have recently done. And the officials and all others, including many intelligent friends of education, failed to be sufficiently impressed with the importance of the end in view, as well as of the means upon which reliance must necessarily be had. It does not appear necessary or desirable to go into an argument in support of the value of accurate knowledge of the condition of the schools. Few intelligent men at present entertain any doubts upon the subject, for it is perfectly apparent that energetic and effective action or legislation for the progressive and wholesome improvement of the means of general education can only be expected when it proceeds under the intelligent direction of accurate and reliable knowledge of the condition and wants of the schools. This proposition is always and every where true, and is still more than commonly true in our State, where a prevalent suspicion and dread of "fanciful and hazardous educational theories," as they have often been styled, were acceptable excuses for the absence of all reformatory effort. The collection and publication of statistical information was thus particularly desirable, as the only corrective of general apathy and as the only safe and valuable basis for thought, for discussion, for practical effort and for legislation. The statistics gathered in the first year sufficiently vindicated the general design and created a profound effect upon the minds of many-but while thus the general result has received a tolerable appreciation by many, the means by which alone the result can ever be attained have not been so fortunate, and many who appreciate and make valuable use of the statistical aggregates, are inclined to think and care little for the registers; and this feeling operates upon the minds of school officials and tends to make them heedless or negligent. It will be seen from the reports of the superintendents that while many of the registers have been accurately kept and filled out by the teachers, the work of the district clerks has often been done in a bungling and imperfect manner. As has been stated before in former reports, the facts about the |