It needs at this time neither argument, nor an exhibition of facts, to demonstrate to the legislature, that the free schools of the commonwealth are not such as they ought to be that they fail most essentially, of accomplishing the high objects for which they were established, and towards the support of which so large an amount of money is annually raised amongst the people. Upon this subject public opinion is fully settled.

Nor is there any difficulty in arriving at the true cause. Can it, in the large majority of cases, be traced to any other than the incompetency of teachers? And in this fact there is nothing mysterious. Can the teachers be otherwise than incompetent, when no pains are taken to instruct them in the business of their profession-when, in one word, they are not reputed or constituted a profession?

The great and leading object of school teachers should be, to learn how to communicate knowledge; yet, although the statutes of the state require them to be thoroughly examined as to their qualifications, it is hardly necessary to remark, that their capabilities in reference to the important object alluded to are, and must be, from the very nature of the thing, kept entirely out of sight. And this state of things must, in the opinion of the committee, continue, and indeed grow worse and worse, until some provision is made for bringing about an end of so much. consequence.

The several towns in the commonwealth are obliged by law to raise money for the support of schools: the sums contributed by the people for this purpose are of immense amount. Is it not beyond question the sacred duty of the legislature to see to it, that these contributions are made in the highest possible degree serviceable? Ought it not as a matter of course to be expected that the people will complain if the government are inactive and indifferent, where such is the stake? In what more suitable and rational way can the government interpose, than in providing the means for furnishing the schools with competent instructers-and in encouraging the establishment of seminaries, whose object shall be to teach the art of communicating knowledge?

Your committee ask the attention of the legislature to the ready patronage, which in past time. has been extended to the interests of learning in the higher institutions. They dwell, and the legislature, and the people whom they represent, cannot but dwell, with proud satisfaction, upon the cheering recollections, which the bare allusion cannot fail to bring up. In time gone

by, the fathers of the commonwealth have not been unmindful of the claims which the interests of literature have presented. These claims have not been disallowed.

But it is obvious to remark, that the patronage of the state has hithertofore uniformly been extended to the higher institutions alone. No hearty interest has ever been manifested, at least in the form now contemplated, in the success and improvement of the free schools of the land. Your committee ask, and ask with great confidence, whether the time has not arrived, when an efficient and fostering hand should be held forth by the legislature to these important institutions? The object in view, it will not be deemed invidious to remark, is not for the benefit of the few, but of the many, of the whole. We call the attention of the legislature to this pervading interest—the interest of the mass of the people; we ask them to cherish, encourage, and promote it; we ask them to let this community see that they are themselves in earnest in their endeavors to advance their true welfare.

Nor can the influence of education in the maintenance of our republican institutions here be overlooked. It is upon the diffusion of sound learning that we must mainly depend, if we mean. to preserve these institutions healthful and enduring. These interests are intimately and deeply connected. But for the great purposes in view, the learning to be diffused, must be that, which can be brought home to the business and bosom of every individual in the land. It is the every day, the common-sense instruction, which we must scatter abroad. All must be thoroughly educated, in order that all may be truly freemen.

No words, in the opinion of your committee, can sufficiently express the magnitude and importance of this subject. It is one, upon which the attention of the legislature of Massachusetts should be particularly fastened. To Massachusetts it eminently pertains to take the lead in a project, which cannot fail to accomplish so much in advancing the character, and securing the prosperity of the free schools. Here the system was first adopted. The pilgrims, from whom we derived honorable descent, placed the first hand upon the work. It belongs to the descendants of those pilgrims, and upon the ground where they trod, to finish and sustain it.

For the Committee,

W. B. CALHOUN.

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION.

The following remarks are extracted from the ninth and last of a series of valuable Essays on Education, published in the Harrisburg Christian Monitor.

However correct we may consider the opinions advanced in this little tract, we are not so sanguine as to suppose, that they will be generally approved, much less, that they will be shortly, to any great extent, adopted. Custom and prejudice will render most persons blind to an error, until it has been often presented to their view. This is a fact that the history of every improvement in the arts and sciences evinces. The most then, that is for some years to be expected, is, that the public mind should take a direction favorable to improvement in the art of communicating knowledge. A tendency to this is very perceptible at present, in the disposition that exists to encourage little elementary works in the different sciences, written in a popular style; and as the community becomes more enlightened, every subject of knowledge will become more and more simplified. The course of elementary instruction will receive a thorough examination, and the strictest attention will be paid to the manner of beginning to learn. The initiatory department in our schools will be thought the most important, and be made the subject of legislative attention.

But though these things will certainly take place, yet being among the events of future and distant years, a friend to some of our opinions might ask, "whether the present mode of teaching could not be so modified as to meet present feelings and prej udices, and nevertheless include in it many of the useful plans which are offered by the projectors of the day." This we think might be done to a considerable extent, and by this means pave the way for the adoption of such other innovations, as dare not. now be more than named.

tate.

With this view we will trace out a middle way, between the absurd spelling book mode, and that which reason would dicOn this plan of accommodation we should have to compromise difficulties. The spelling-book must of course retain its place by priority of possession; but we shall try to press it into our service by using it in a way to which it has not been ac

customed.

"The first lesson of a judicious education," says Godwin, "is, to learn to think, to discriminate, to remember, to inquire." The spelling books best calculated for producing these effects are

such as give children an opportunity of reading as soon as they know a few monosyllables. Murray's or Mavor's answer this end best, being composed with a view to teach children to read as soon as possible. We will now take a child of five or six years of age, who is unacquainted with his letters, and put him through the spelling book in our way. In learning the alphabet, he should be made acquainted with only one letter at a time. This letter should be the sole subject of one or more lessons, until he could recognize it in any part of his book. In this way the whole alphabet should be gone through; and would be acquired in less than half the time usually employed at it. To attempt to teach a child the whole alphabet together is as absurd as it would be to propose teaching a novice the first six books of Euclid at one lesson.

As soon as he could combine two letters and sound them, he should be taught to read.-Reading is no more than sounding certain combinations of letters at sight. Every spelling lesson should be thus sounded, after having gone over it in the usual spelling way, and would then form a reading exercise. This would produce a facility in reading that would show r.one of that sleepy monotony to be met with, where children are a long time kept at the stupid business of first naming letters and then sounding the words. The scholar would acquire a quickness of sight which will enable him to sound the word, by the time another would name one or two of its letters.

We now have our pupil reading, but not thinking of what he sounds or reads. Our next point and the most ueedful is to teach him to think. For inducing this habit he should give definitions or descriptions in his own language of all the easy words in his lessons, with the meaning of which he is acquainted. His errors should be corrected, and we should define all the remaining words, the meaning of which he might be able to understand.

To teach him to remember, he should be required at each succeeding lesson to repeat, from memory as much of the preceding lesson as he could. He should as soon as possible make oral phrases on all the words in his lesson to exemplify their meaning. And when he had advanced far enough he should get by heart a selection of classical English words with their meanings. On these he should write phrases and show how they are applied in constructing sentences. This will teach him to think, to compose and to spell well. He would also necessarily be led to

discriminate and to inquire. These exercises being daily corrected for him, would give him a practical knowledge of grammar, which would be the best introduction to the theory.

Reference to meanings is the main point in a course of English instruction. Without continual explanation, all other exercises are mere shadows without substance; and the remembering of what is read, is impossible. But if meanings are attended to, the mind will have something to act upon, and will gain strength at every step of its progress.

If our scholar meets with any narrative in the course of his lessons, he will be obliged to write it off from memory as well as to give an oral relation of its principal circumstances.

We should by no means keep our pupil the whole day at so disgusting a study as his spelling book affords. The same day that he begins his alphabet, he should begin arithmetic. Indeed, we should feel no qualms of conscience in having him at arithmetic and the nomenclature of geometry six mouths before he is put to his letters.

A class of little boys beginning their spelling book, might learn one alphabetic lesson, and then take a lesson in arithmetic on Pestalozzi's plan, as arranged by W. Colburn.* Their next les

son might be what a child would call a story lesson in which we should give the whole class a history of some natural curiosity or manufacturing process, and then require them in their turn to relate the same. This would give them an exercise for their memory, and teach them the art of expressing their thoughts orally in a connected series. This habit, formed thus early, might in many instances in after life, be called into useful exercise.

As variety is absolutely necessary to the comfortable existence of children, their confinement should never be more than an hour at a time, and mostly much less. To give an additional variety to their exercises, a lesson or two of vocal music might be introduced daily. Children cannot be taught to sing too soon; for by early exercising the muscles of the larynx, they will become capable of commanding higher tones during life, than they ever would have done without commencing so soon. The effect as respects their health would also be beneficial; for the exercise that singing would give their lungs would tend to strengthen their

*Or rather, for children under seven years of age, in the "Child's Arithmetic," by Mr. Fowle.-Ed. Teacher's Guide.