There is still much room for improvement in the architecture of the schoolhouses. * * * In fine, your committee would say, that in the course of their duties of the past year, they have received renewed assurances that no object is more worthy of the attention of the town than that of their district schools. Time and money expended in the improvements of these departments can never be lost. Such investments can never be depreciated by the ordinary occurrences of life. They produce an accumulation, which not only benefits the present state of society, but its influence will extend to posterity. SCHOOL COMMITTEE.-ZENo Scudder, BENNETT WING, Wm. B. JACOBS, ALFRED GREENWOOD, WARREN MARCHANT. (2) No. of Scholars of all ages in all the Schools-In Summer, 246-In Winter, 432. (3) Average attendance in the Schools-In Summer, 194-In Winter, 308. (4) No. of persons between 4 and 16 years of age in the town, 455.-No. of persons under 4 years of age who attend School, 36.-No. over 16 years of age who attend School, 87. (5) Aggregate length of the Schools, 52 mths. 14 days-In Summer, 31-In Winter, 21 14. (6) No. of Teachers in Summer-M. —F. 5.—No. of Teachers in Winter-M. 6-F. (7) Average wages paid per month, including board-To Males, $28 42-To Females, $9 83. (8) Average value of board per month-Of Males, $7 50-Of Females, $3 66. (9) Average wages per month, exclusive of board-Of Males, $20 92-Of Females, $6 15. (10) Amount of money raised by taxes for the support of Schools, including only the wages of Teachers, board and fuel, $1,051 50. (11) Amount of board and fuel, if any, contributed for Public Schools, $ (12) No. of incorporated Academies, Aggregate of months kept, Scholars, -Aggregate paid for tuition, $ -Average number of (13) No. of unincorporated Academies, Private Schools, and Schools kept to prolong Common Schools, 5.-Aggregate of months kept, 20.—Average No. of Scholars, 148.—Aggregate paid for tuition, $405 50. BOOKS USED.- Spelling-National. Reading-First Class Reader, National and Young Readers, Bible. Grammar-Alger's Murray's and Smith's. Geography—Olney's and Parley's. Arithmetic-Emerson's, Smith's, Adams'. All others-Walker's and Webster's Dictionaries, Emerson's Algebra, Goodrich's History, Watts on the Mind, Whelpley's Compend. Your committee SELECTIONS FROM REPORT. * find the schools generally in a prosperous state. Although there are striking defects, it is yet pleasing to believe, that the cause of education is making progress among us. SCHOOL COMMITTEE.-ENOCH PRATT, SAMUEL WILLIAMS. (2) No. of Scholars of all ages in all the Schools-In Summer, 561-In Winter, 696. (3) Average attendance in the Schools-In Summer, 372-In Winter, 493. (4) No. of persons between 4 and 16 years of age in the town, 726.-No. of persons under 4 years of age who attend School, 42.—No. over 16 years of age who attend School, 133. (5) Aggregate length of the Schools, 113 mths. 14 days-In Summer, 74-In Winter, 39 14. (6) No. of Teachers in Summer-M. 1—F. 11.—No. of Teachers in Winter-M. 9.—F. 3. (7) Average wages paid per month, including board—To Males, $29 33-To Females, $11 02. (8) Average value of board per month-Of Males, $8 00-Of Females, $4 20. (9) Average wages per month, exclusive of board-Of Males, $21 33—Of Females, $6 82. (10) Amount of money raised by taxes for the support of Schools, including only the wages of Teachers, board and fuel, $1,000. (11) Amount of board and fuel, if any, contributed for Public Schools, $ (12) No. of incorporated Academies, 1.-Aggregate of months kept, 9.-Average No. of Scholars, 30.-Aggregate paid for tuition, $375. (13) No. of unincorporated Academies, Private Schools, and Schools kept to prolong Common Schools, 3.-Aggregate of months kept, 3.-Average No. of Scholars, 67.-Aggre gate paid for tuition, $100. (14) Amount of Local Funds, $ .-Income from same, $ BOOKS USED.-Spelling-Town's, Webster's Dictionary. Reading-Young Reader, Mount Vernon and National Readers, English Reader, First Class Book. Grammar-Smith's. Geography-Parley's and Olney's, Woodbridge's and Malte-Brun's. Arithmetic-Emerson's 1st and 2d Parts, Smith's and Colburn's. All others-Parley's First Book of History, Goodrich's History of the U. S, Bowditch's Navigator, Blake's Natural Philosophy. REMARK." One thousand dollars was raised by a tax voted by the town; and about one thousand more was raised by the different districts. As the schoolhouses are owned by the town, and no rent is charged for them, nearly or quite all of the two thousand dollars named above was applied to paying teachers' wages, as also for board and fuel.” SELECTIONS FROM REPORT. In examining the schools, particular attention has been paid by the committee to the manner in which the schoolhouses were treated by the scholars. * * * During the past year, the committee have furnished about $200 worth of books, at wholesale prices, to the scholars in town; thus saving them about one third of the expense which they must otherwise have incurred, and at the same time securing a greater uniformity in the books used than there has formerly been. They have too, as authorized by law, supplied necessary books for the children of the poor; as also for those whose parents were at the time unable or unwilling to purchase them. * * * The committee find, that there has been a custom on the part of the older boys in several of the schools, of being absent from school for half a day or more, whenever they choose, for amusement merely, and this without permission either from their parents or teachers. To such a custom, we need not say, that a speedy end should be put by both parents and teachers. * * * SCHOOL COMMITTEE.-THOMAS CONANT, CHARLES ROCKWELL, E. W. CARPENTER. DENNIS, {(1) Population, 2,750. Valuation, $250,664 91. Number of Public Schools, 14. (2) No. of Scholars of all ages in all the Schools-In Summer, 477-In Winter, 502. (3) Average attendance in the Schools-In Summer, 404-In Winter, 431. (4) No. of persons between 4 and 16 years of age in the town, 799—No. of persons under 4 years of age who attend School, 25.-No. over 16 years of age who attend School, 75. (5) Aggregate length of the Schools, 74 mths-In Summer, 55-In Winter, 19. (6) No. of Teachers in Summer-M. -F. 14.-No. of Teachers in Winter-M. 13—F. 1. (7) Average wages paid per month, including board-To Males, $21 08-To Females, $9 85. (8) Average value of board per month-Of Males, $6 54-Of Females, $4 50. (9) Average wages per month, exclusive of board-Of Males, $14 54-Of Females, $5 35. (10) Amount of money raised by taxes for the support of Schools, including only the wages of Teachers, board and fuel, $1,000. (11) Amount of board and fuel, if any, contributed for Public Schools, $ (12) No. of incorporated Academies, Aggregate of months kept, Scholars, -Aggregate paid for tuition, $ -Average No. of (13) No of unincorporated Academies, Private Schools, and Schools kept to prolong Common Schools, 17.-Aggregate of months kept, 85.-Average No. of Scholars, 468.-Aggregate paid for tuition, $1,950. (14) Amount of Local Funds, $ -Income from same, $ BOOKS USED-Spelling-National. Reading-First Class Book. Grammar-Murray's, Hall's and Smith's. Arithmetic-Colburn's Smith's. REMARK. In giving the aggregate length of all the schools, the return includes the Private Schools, (which were kept to prolong Common Schools,) with the Public. There were seventy months of Private Schools kept to prolong Common Schools. This sum of seventy months is deducted from the aggregate length of the summer and winter schools, in proportion to the number of months they are stated to have been kept respectively, as the nearest approximation to correctness that can be made from any data furnished by the return. SELECTIONS FROM REPORT. * * The schools as a whole have, in the opinion of the committee, as far as their investigation has extended, made improvements on former years. More interest is taken both by parents and children. * * * Punctuality in the attendance of scholars your committee deem of great importance; let your efforts be what they may. let your teachers be as good as they may be, still it will be utterly impossible for your children to make desirable improvement unless they are kept at school punctually. Parents must look to it, or their children will lose the golden opportunity for acquiring an education. * * * Your committee, in closing this report, would recommend, in order to elevate the character and condition of our schools, and ensure their usefulness and proficiency, that parents on all occasions should evince a lively interest in them. Let them impress upon the minds of their children the importance of our schools, aid and sustain the efforts of teachers for their improvement, personally attend the examinations, commending the good scholar and reproving the bad, and they may then expect, that our schools will fully realize the best hopes that can be reasonably entertained of them. SCHOOL COMMITTEE.-ALEXANDER HOWES, EDMUND SEARS. EASTHAM, • (1) Population, 1,059. Valuation, $82,194 33. (2) No. of Scholars of all ages in all the Schools-In Summer, 246-In Winter, 393. (4) No. of persons between 4 and 16 years of age in the town, 341.-No. of persons under 4 years of age who attend School, 15.-No. over 16 years of age who attend School, 12. (5) Aggregate length of the Schools, 31 mths.-In Summer, 14-In Winter, 17. (6) No. of Teachers in Summer-M. -F. 6.-No. of Teachers in Winter-M. 6-F. (7) Average wages paid per month, including board-To Males, $27 00-To Females, $7 20. (8) Average value of board per month-Of Males. $7 50-Of Females, $3 00. (9) Average wages per month, exclusive of board-Of Males, $19 61—Of Females, $4 20. (10) Amount of money raised by taxes for the support of Schools, including only the wages of Teachers, board and fuel, $430. (11) Amount of board and fuel, if any, contributed for Public Schools, $190. (12) No. of incorporated Academies, Aggregate of months kept, -Average number of Scholars, Aggregate paid for tuition, $ (13) No. of unincorporated Academies, Private Schools, and Schools kept to prolong Common Schools, 5.-Aggregate of months kept, 12.-Average No. of Scholars, 65.-Aggregate paid for tuition, $75. (14) Amount of Local Funds, $1,400 00.-Income from same, $84 00. BOOKS USED.- Spelling-Alger's, Perry's. Reading-Young Reader, National Reader, Worcester's Fourth Book. Grammar-Smith's. Geography-Olney's, Smith's and Parley's. Arithmetic-Adams', Smith's. All others-Testament, Child's Companion, &c. * * * here, SELECTIONS FROM REPORT. * * In the examination of teachers, we have generally found their literary qualification sufficient, * but in their capacity to govern, and tact to communicate their knowledge to others,— in the opinion of your committee, is the greatest deficiency in our schools. A want of government and order, and, in many cases, a very ordinary gift of communication, arise in part, we think, from the youthful and inexperienced character of the teachers. ** * * The remedy for the evil complained of, is, in the opinion of your committee, for prudential committees to commence in season to contract for their teachers, and not go too far from home for this purpose. * * * In conclusion, your committee feel gratified in being able to say, that as a general thing, a desire exists in the minds of the young to acquire useful information. This desire of knowledge, in the minds of the young, we think may be materially aided by the united efforts of parents, municipal officers and ecclesiastics, who are by law required to use their best endeavors to see that the youth of our towns regularly attend the schools, provided for them. This duty of aiding and assisting, we think has been too much neglected by officers and ecclesiastics. Were it more faithfully attended to, we think many would be found regularly at school, who now make it a secondary business. * * * SCHOOL COMMITTEE -MICHAEL COLLINS, D. C. ATWOOD, ELIJAH E. KNOWLES. (2) No. of Scholars of all ages in all the Schools-In Summer, 389-In Winter, 599. (3) Average attendance in the Schools-In Summer, 309-In Winter, 491. (4) No. of persons between 4 and 16 years of age in the town, 714.-No. of persons under 4 years of age who attend School, 38.-No. over 16 years of age who attend School, 51. (5) Aggregate length of the Schools, 89 mths. 21 days.-In Summer, 39—In Winter, 50 21. (6) No. of Teachers in Summer-M. -F. 13.-No. of Teachers in Winter-M. 10-F. 8. (7) Average wages paid per month, including board-To Males, $27 20-To Females, $13 20. (8) Average value of board per month-Of Males, $8 40-Of Females, $5 94. (9) Average wages per month, exclusive of board-Of Males, $18 80-Of Females, $7 26. (10) Amount of money raised by taxes for the support of Schools, including only the wages of Teachers, board and fuel, $1,200. (11) Amount of board and fuel, if any, contributed for Public Schools, $217. (12) No. of incorporated Academies, 1.-Aggregate of months kept, 8.-Average number of Scholars, 28.-Aggregate paid for tuition, $250. (13) No. of unincorporated Academies, Private Schools, and Schools kept to prolong Common Schools, 16.-Aggregate of months kept, 67.-Average No. of Scholars, 371.-Aggregate paid for tuition, $537. (14) Amount of Local Funds, $ .-Income from same, $ BOOKS USED.- -Spelling National. Reading-Young Reader, Introduction to National Reader, National Reader, Political Class Book, Rhetorical Reader, Bible. Grammar-Smith's Productive and Brown's. Geography-Peter Parley's, Woodbridge's and Smith's. Arithme tic-Emerson's, Colburn's and Smith's. All others-Robinson's Book-keeping, Jones' Edition Blake's Philosophy, Bailey's Algebra, Watts on the Mind, Bowditch's Navigator. SELECTIONS FROM REPORT. * * By comparing the present with the former state of the schools, it will appear that great improvements have been already made. But few years since, some of the districts furnished melancholy examples of profanity among their scholars. This vice was immediately rebuked by the committee, as being, in their opinion, within the province of their "supervision;" and they have uniformly discountenanced it, both by their ad dresses to the scholars, and by requiring the teachers to suppress it, even at the expense of expulsion from the school. And it is not known to your committee, that there are any instances of violation of this requirement in the schools. But while the committee congratulate the town, on account of the discontinuance of this vice, they have to regret their want of success in suppressing another, which, though not of equal turpitude, is, to say the least, equally unnecessary, that of smoking and chewing tobacco in the schoolhouses. It is exceedingly annoying to some, who are exposed to its effects. These habits have gained a fearful ascendancy in a portion of our juvenile ranks; and it is suggested, whether some motives ought not to be presented, that shall induce their abandonment. * # Among the improvements, too, may be reckoned that of selecting persons for teachers, of better character than was sometimes the case formerly. The prohibitions of law would render any application for that employment unavail. ing, unless accompanied with testimonials of good moral character. But good moral character, and reputable literary qualifications, have not always been combined with aptness to teach; so that comparative failures have sometimes occurred. But the best security against such failures, is probably to be found in the discreet exercise of the trust reposed in the prudential committee. Another improvement results from the better understanding of the relative duties of parents, teachers, and committees. It is not long since, that an assumption of the proper authority by either, would have been considered an invasion of the others rights. Now, they are co-workers for the attainment of the same great end, the improvement of the young mind. But it is not to be concealed, that many defects still exist which demand a remedy; among which may be mentioned the time of commencing some of the schools. The law particularly provides, that every teacher shall be examined before the commencement of the school. This requisition has not been complied with in all cases, by the prudential committee; though such cases of delinquency have been less frequent, during the present season, than formerly. A want of compliance with this provision, is liable to subject the district and committee to serious embarrassment. In connection with this, may be mentioned the failure, in some instances, of the prudential committee to give due notice to the committee, of the cominencement and termination of the schools. But this duty, too, has been discharged with more than ordinary punctuality this season. Another source of regret is, the introduction of books, not embraced in the catalogue which the committee have recommended and published. * Teachers have sometimes been instrumental in contributing to this state, by recommending some book of their own preference to the schools; and individuals, not duly appreciating their own interest, nor that of the school, have purchased them, to the manifest injury of both. * * It is a source of regret, that parents have taken so little interest in visiting the schools. Their occasional visits could not fail to stimulate both teachers and scholars. It is true, that the general supervision of the schools is entrusted to the committee. And it is believed to be equally true, that parents can exercise quite as profitable "supervision," to a certain extent, not only of the teachers and scholars, but also to ascertain the faithfulness of the supervision by the committee. It is not the policy of some, generally to submit valuable interests to the care of others, without a strict "supervision" of their manuer of executing the trust; and it is not a little singular, that the education of their children should be an exception, when all will admit, that it involves a greater interest than all others combined. The Particular attention is also invited to the state of the schoolhouses; more especially to the seats and forms. In several instances, this season, the committee have found the scholars exposed, in consequence of broken panes of glass, and other neglects. * * The committee forbear to specify these cases, hoping that allusion to them will be sufficient to prevent their recurrence. seats and forms, too, require immediate attention. A great proportion of the seats, on which the small scholars sit, are too high to admit of their feet touching the floor, and some are destitute of backs, for the scholars to lean against. This posture cannot fail to produce great present inconvenience and pain, and probably future deformity. The distance between some of the seats |