There are now in the State more than 8,800 organized school districts; and to give full effect to the system, it is necessary to have a person in each of these schools who is not only thoroughly educated himself, but one who is "apt to teach," and is skilled in the art of communicating to others the information which he possesses. It is of the first importance that the best talent should be enlisted in the business of instruction; and the inhabitants of the districts ought to make it their special care, as it clearly is their interest, to employ teachers more with reference to their capability, than their monthly wages; always bearing in mind that the most capable are the cheapest teachers in the end.

Those who have turned their attention to the subject of giving a higher character to the common schools, in this as well as in other states, have recommended the establishment of seminaries for the exclusive education of teachers. This would serve to multiply the number of those who would be qualified to teach; but after being thus qualified at the public expense, what guaranty would there be that such persons would follow the business of teaching, unless they could be as liberally compensated in a district school, as in the other pursuits of life? If the inhabitants of the districts were resolved to have none other than teachers of the highest grade, and would pay the highest premium for talent, our academies and high schools would be thronged by persons fitting themselves for the business of teaching, and all these institutions would practically become schools for the education of teachers. If the districts could be induced to give an adequate compensation and constant employment to first rate instructors, then it would be eminently useful to establish seminaries for the special purpose of training persons as professional instructors. The graduate of our colleges is compelled to go through a course of studies to fit him for the profession of law or medicine; the mechanic qualifies himself by a severe apprenticeship of many years, before he asks the public to confide in his skill; but the person who is entrusted with the very delicate task of moulding the characters, and giving direction to the minds of the rising generation, enters the business without the slightest preparation for this peculiar

upon

task.

The first step taken by the British and foreign school society, is to prepare teachers and send them out to instruct the schools: In France, a society was formed some years since, for the express purpose of training teachers for the primary schools: In Prussia, still [No. 31.]

2

greater attention is paid to this subject by the government, and greater success has attended its efforts. One or more seminaries are established in every province, and supported at the public expense, for the preparatory education of instructors in the elementary schoools. Another important feature in their system is to give permanency to the occupation, by connecting with the school-house a dwelling for the teacher, built at the expense of the parish, together with a garden, and sometimes a few acres of land. Although the compensation is small, it is proportioned to the other occupations of life in that country. The teacher is paid $70 or $80 from the parish treasury, and a small sum is paid by the parents of the scholars. Parents are also required, under a penalty, to send their children to school after they arrive at a certain age.* In the parish schools of Scotland, the principle is adhered to, of giving permanent employment to their instructors, and thereby adding experience in the art of teaching, to the qualifications of a good education. Here also a dwelling for the school-master is attached to the school-house; and the arrangements are made with a view of inducing persons to engage in the occupation of instructors, as a business for life.

The practice under our system has very little tendency to give permanency to the business of teaching a common school. Thousands of our schools are taught during the winter months, by persons who resort to the occupation as a temporary employment; or for the purpose of obtaining the means of finishing their studies, or acquiring a profession. In this enterprising class, there is generally the required talent and intelligence: but persons thus situated have their minds too much estranged from the business in which they are engaged, and they can feel very little ambition to build up a reputation as instructors, when they intend to devote themselves to other pursuits. To secure permanent teachers, it is indispensable that the inhabitants of the districts should afford such reasonable compensation and constant employment, as will induce persons of good talents to devote themselves to the business of teaching as a profession. The statute, it is true, contains provisions intended to ensure the employment of competent teachers, by having inspectors chosen to examine them, and forbidding the payment of the public money to those who are not duly qualified according to law. But notwithstanding all these legislative guards, it must be admitted that too

* Dwight's Travels.

many teachers who are competent according to the forms of the statute, are incompetent in fact. A remedy for this evil is to be found only in the enlightened liberality of the trustees and inhabitants of the districts, aided by a firm and faithful discharge of the duties of inspectors. If the intelligent farmers in the districts would apply a small share of their attention and practical common sense to this subject, a revolution in the character of the schools would soon be effected. If a sagacious business man wants the services of a capable clerk or agent, he first satisfies himself as to the qualifications of the individual, and then offers him such compensation as will command his services. If the trustees and inhabitants of the districts would act upon the same principle, it would do more to elevate the standard of education in the common schools, than any legislative enact

ment.

But if there is reason to regret, that in many of the schools, the standard of education is below what it ought to be; it must be admitted that the general results of our system are in the highest degree gratifying and satisfactory. The schools are increasing in numbers as rapidly as could be desired, and they are gradually improving in their character and condition.

Our system of common school instruction is based upon the principle, that the State, or the school fund, will pay only a share of the expense; and that the towns, by an assessment upon property, shall pay at least an equal share. In addition to this, and in order to enjoy the benefits of the public money, the inhabitants of each district are required to tax themselves for the erection of a school-house, and furnishing it with necessary fuel and appendages. In order to ascertain more fully the practical operation of the system, an additional column was annexed to the forms for school reports which accompanied the revised statute, requiring trustees to return the amount paid annually for teacher's wages, over and above the sum received from the State treasury and from the town tax. A few towns only made returns the first year; but the abstract of the present year contains returns from seven hundred and twenty-nine towns and wards; showing a total amount paid by the patrons of the common schools, for teacher's wages, of $297,048.44; which, added to the public money, makes an aggregate of $511,888.58, paid for teacher's wages alone, in the common schools of the State. Thus it will be seen, that where the State, or the revenue of the school fund, pays one dollar for teacher's wages, the inhabitant of the town pays by a

tax on his town, and by voluntary contribution in his district, more than four dollars for the same object. This latter sum of four dollars, is made up in the proportion of one dollar assessed upon property, to three dollars paid by the scholar.

The above statement is founded upon actual returns, and reliance may be placed in its accuracy. It exhibits only the sum paid for tuition, which constitutes very little more than half the expense of supporting the schools, as the following estimate will show. The average between the number of districts organized and those which have made reports, is 8,582; this number of school-houses, at an average price of $200 each, would show a capital of $1,716,400, vested in school-houses; the interest of which, at 6 per cent, would be Annual expense of books for 480,000 scholars, at 50

...

$102,984 00

cents each, is....

240,000 00

Fuel for 8,582 schools, at $10 each, is..

is.....

85,820 00

Amount paid for teachers' wages, as appears by

abstract B,

....

511,888 00

16,988 00

Total expended annually,.

$957,680 00

Estimating in same ratio for 40 towns, not returning

amount besides public money,

There may be other contingent expenses to a considerable amount, and the items given above may amount to more or less than the estimate; but it is confidently believed, that the data furnished by the returns, afford a reasonable assurance, that about one million of dollars is annually expended in the support of the common schools of the State.

According to the foregoing calculation, the revenue of the school fund, (that is, the amount derived from the State treasury,) pays only one-tenth of the annual expenditures upon the common schools; another tenth is assessed upon the taxable inhabitants of the towns respectively; and the two-tenths thus made up, constitutes what is called the school monies. Something less than two-tenths is raised by a tax upon the property in the districts, and the residue, nearly six-tenths, or $600,000, is paid voluntarily by the parents and guardians of the scholars.

The commissioners of common schools make returns of "the school books most in use" in their respective towns. The paper marked F, is an abstract, exhibiting the kinds of books used in the different towns.

It will be seen by this abstract, that there are in use twelve different kinds of spelling-books; of arithmetics twelve kinds; of grammars 8; of geographies 13; of dictionaries 8; of readers, histories, and the various other kinds of books, 47-making a total of one hundred different kinds of books used in the common schools. The books most in use, it will be seen, are Webster's Spelling-Book, Daboll's Arithmetic, Murray's Grammar, Woodbridge's Geography, Walker's Dictionary, and the English Reader. The only abstract heretofore made of the books used, was in 1827; the list made out at that time, contrasted with the present, exhibits considerable changes, (see document F)-For instance, Cobb's Spelling-Book, which was then returned in 59 towns, is now used in 209. Woodbridge's Geography has increased in three years from 110 to 309 towns. In 1827, six towns only were reported as using a history of the United States: This number is now increased to 33; a number still quite too small for the credit of the schools.

The Legislature has frequently been called upon to adopt some particular book for the use of the schools; or to employ some professional book-maker to devise a set of class books, in order to make all the schools use books of a similar kind. It is important that the schools should be furnished with books which are the best adapted to the purposes of instruction: but the attainment of this object is attended with much difficulty. If the decision is in favor of one, out of a number of good books, what special benefit is reached? And if the decision is in favor of an indifferent book, then a very serious evil is entailed upon the common schools. It should be considered also, that great improvements are constantly going on in the character of school books; the greatest experience and much of the best talent of the country is enlisted in this business, and the fruits of their labors are constantly giving them new claims to the approbation of the public. The adoption of a particular book, would amount to a prohibition upon all improvements, and would subject the inhabitants to a loss of the prohibited books then on hand. The interests of the common schools may be seriously injured, and cannot be essentially benefited, by the adoption by law, of any book or set of books. The authors and publishers of meritorious works will be the last to apply to the Legislature to adopt their's and exclude all other books. These applications will be much more likely to come from those who wish to obtain from the Legislature a patronage which they have sought in vain from a discriminating public; and