There is a sewing school held two hours every Saturday afternoon, containing 125 girls under the care of twelve ladies. It has been established ten years. Also a girls' school for reading, writing and arithmetic, attended by twenty five or thirty pupils; and an evening school for the instruction of boys in writing and arithmetic, attended by sixty pupils. Linear drawing and vocal music are taught to some extent. The library for the children contains 600 volumes. We rejoice at these efforts to benefit the young, in a city like this, where there is so much need of it. Our primary schools do not reach all our children — notwithstanding our boasting. In proof of this, we need only to cite a single paragraph from the Report before us, based on the most unquestionable authority. We forbear comment. 'It appears from the first annual report of the Secretary of the Board of Education, for this State, that among the pupils of the public schools of 294 towns that have made returns, there is an average absence of 53,533, or about one third of the whole number, in winter; and 70,097, or more than two fifths, in summer. Still worse, there are besides, in these towns, out of the children between four and sixteen years of age, who are wholly dependent upon the public schools, 42,164 who have not, the past year, attended school at all in summer, and 23,216 who have not attended either in summer or winter. The largest towns probably, embrace most of these children. Our own city, with more than one ninth of the whole population, contains at least its full proportion.' PROF. STOWE'S REPORT. The Report of Prof. Stowe of Lane Seminary, on Elementary Education in Europe, has met with a very favorable reception in this country. Almost every newspaper we take up, contains extracts from it. This is one of the most favorable signs of the times. So valuable was the report deemed by the Massachusetts Legislature, at their late session, that they ordered 2500 copies of it to be printed for their exclusive use. SCHOOL COMMITTEES. The people of Northampton are awaking to the importance of common schools. Already they appoint, and as we understand, sustain, an active, vigilant and intelligent school committee. The town has fourteen district schools, besides two high schools, one for each sex. The committee examine teachers; visit the schools once a month, at least; meet frequently for advice and consultation; and make their annual reports; and all, we believe, without compensation. If there are philanthropists among us, they are the leading members of these spirited school committees. The Northampton Courier frequently speaks well on this subject; and it is high time for the editors of our papers to take Movements in Scotland. 237 an active stand in this common cause. A late number of the Courier 'Let the towns sustain their school committees. Let the parents encourage them to a fearless, honest, unfaltering discharge of duty. If faults are exposed — and they certainly should not be kept concealed let then be remedied. Let not parents, by their great sensitiveness to the errors of childhood, defeat the great purposes of Education. We repeat it, let the people sustain their school committees, if they would reap utility from their common schools, and elevate the character of their children.' ADDRESSES ON EDUCATION. These often become so numerous in the course of a month, that we scarcely know what to do with them. Among those received during the last month, is an Address delivered before the Penobscot Association of Teachers and Friends of Popular Education, at Levant, Dec. 28, 1837, by E. G. Carpenter, the Recording Secretary of the Association, in which the writer labors with much zeal and interest and success, to show that intelligence and virtue are the life of liberty. We have also received an excellent address delivered by Mr H. W. Carter, of Boston, before an association of Sunday School Teachers, June 30, 1837, on the law of intellectual and moral growth, and its application in the cultivation of mind. SCHOOLS IN PORTLAND. Judging from the Report of the school committees for 1837, of which a copy has been kindly sent us, the schools in that metropolis are slowly but certainly improving; though still far from what could be desired. server. MOVEMENTS IN SCOTLAND. The state of education in Scotland is pretty fully shown in Dr Humphrey's Tour,' as published in a series of letters in the New York ObBut we have more recent intelligence from that country. On the 23d of December last, a crowded meeting was held in Edinburgh, at the presentation of a silver vase, to John Wood, Esq., who has been for twenty years, the superintendent of the Sessional School in that city. The vase is said to have cost two thousand guineas, and to have been subscribed by the friends of education throughout the country, in testimony of their grateful admiration of his ability, zeal, and unparalleled success in diffusing among all classes of the community the blessings of a religious, moral and intellectual education." Rev. Dr Brunton, the chairman of the meeting, on presenting the vase, made a short but pertinent address; to which Mr Wood made a 238 Report on School Houses. long, but interesting reply, giving a narrative of his connection with the Sessional School, and of the principles by which he had been governed in the management of it; alluding in particular to his methods of moral and religious management-to which he attributed, under God, no small share of his great success. IRELAND. In our February number, we gave an account of the National schools in Ireland. We have just seen an account of the relative proportion of Catholic and Protestant children in these schools. The number of the former, at the latest report, was 90,869; and of the latter, 15,762. The population of Ireland is estimated at 8,500,000, of which 7,000,000 are are Catholics, and 1,500,000 Protestants. Thus the number of Catholic children to the children of Protestants is as eight to one and a half; while the number actually at school is as six to one. The Protestants, however, are more in the habit of sending to private schools than the Catholics. SWITZERLAND. The celebrated institutions of Fellenberg were as flourishing as ever, at the last accounts. So was also the institution for the education of poor children, and of teachers at Beuggen, near Basle, which was so fully described in our last volume. ALGIERS. The French are still pursuing their wise policy of cherishing education in their colony at Algiers. The whole number of pupils which are brought under instruction by their efforts is 1004. ISLAND OF CUBA. We have received from M. Domingo del Monte, of Havana, a tabular statement of the juvenile population of the Island of Cuba, from which we learn that of 99,599 children, between the ages of five and fifteen years, 9,082 are receiving instruction in the schools; of whom 8,442 are whites,and 640 colored persons. This information appears to be based on information collected in this island, several years ago, but was the latest which our informant, in November 1836, had it in his power to obtain. REPORT ON SCHOOL HOUSES. The Report of the Secretary of the Board of Education in Massachusetts, on the subject of school houses an octavo pamphlet of 64 pages is one of the most important documents on the subject of Letter from a Teacher. 239 common schools, which has yet been presented to our community. We would gladly say more of it; but it was received too late for our present number. In the next, we purpose to present a full description of the plan and structure-internal and external which Mr Mann prefers, with an engraving of the same. The correspondence of his plan accords in so many respects, with our own, as presented in our Essay, in 1831, is as gratifying as it was unexpected. He insists on separate desks for each pupil; on horizontal floors, an elevated platform for the teachers, and a similar arrangement to our own, in regard to the stove or fire place, the case for the library, &c. &c. He dwells much on the importance of a due and strict regard to ventilation and cleanliness. EXPERIENCE OF A TEACHER AT THE WEST. Previous to my entering college, I taught a district school two winters. Frequently, after having spent the day in attempting to teach ninety scholars from four to twenty four years of age, I have sat down at night, wearied out in body and mind, and sick at heart, at having accomplished so little of what I knew ought to be done. I saw and felt that all was not right. But I had, then, never seen a single work on education. From reflection and observation, I had been led to the conclusion that the mode of conducting common schools then in practice, was very defective. I made some changes in my own school; and was thought, by my patrons, to be a successful teacher. But my mind was very far from being satisfied. After graduating, I took charge of an academy, with somewhat more enlarged views, yet with no very just conceptions of what is really necessary to constitute a good teacher. The trustees of the academy, with an enlightened policy worthy to be imitated by the trustees of every school district, had taken the Annals of Education, for the use of the academy, from its commencement. Soon after entering upon the duties of my office, the back numbers were placed in my hands. Ere I had perused half a dozen numbers, the scales began to fall from ny eyes. I was in a new world. Every thing wore a new aspect. That period began a new era in the history of my life. From seeing them noticed in the Annals, I soon became acquainted with such works as Hall's Lectures on School Keeping, Locke and Milton on Education, Abbott's Teacher, the Annual Proceedings and Lectures of the American Institute of Instruction, and many kindred works. But the Annals has been my vade тесит. I have now been teaching in four years. I began with thirty pupils, and two assistant teachers; but for the last two years I have bad two hundred pupils in daily attendance, and six assistant teachers. My labors are very severe, and I feel the need of relaxation. I propose to take three months vacation next summer, and visit my native State, New York, and if so, I shall visit Boston. You must not think me indifferent to the 'Academian and Journal of Science,' published by our college of teachers. It is a good work, and I trust, will be sustained. But the Annals is my favorite. The two works have not, as yet, covered an inch of common ground, and taking one does not supersede the necessity of the other. SCHOOL CONVENTION AT CLEVELAND. A Common School Convention for the county of Cayahoga, Ohio, was held at Cleveland on 11th of January last, which appears to have been conducted with much spirit and to promise much good. Several interesting reports and resolutions relative to school books, school houses, the compensation of teachers, seminaries, the influence of lyceums, &c., were presented to the Convention and discussed. Among the measures most in favor with the Convention were the improvement of school houses, and school books, and the elevation and improvement, and better compensation of teachers; — and as one means of diffusing information, and awakening public attention, the establishment of a cheap common school paper, especially for that part of the State, called the Re serve. -- PREMIUM OFFERED. The Directors of the American Institute of Instruction, hereby offers a premium of Five hundreD DOLLARS, for the best Essay that may be furnished on 'A System of Education best adapted to the Common Schools of our country,' to embrace the formation of school districts, the construction of school houses, and the entire course of school education, from the most elementary department, to the highest embraced in our public schools; - it being understood that the premium will not be awarded, if no Essay be presented, which, in the opinion of the Directors of the Institute, shall be worthy of it. -- Candidates for the premium will please send their Essays, post paid, each accompanied by the author's name, and a private mark, sealed up, corresponding to the one borne on the title page of the Essay to either of the Committee, on or before the last Wednesday in May, 1839. The award is to be made at the annual meeting of the Institute in August, 1889. G. F. THAYER, Boston, JAS. G. CARTER, Lancaster, Ms. Boston, March 3, 1838. |