H. NEALE, WILLIAM H. NEWELL, THOMAS M. CLARKE, FREDERICK EMERSON, HENRY DYER, FRANCIS C. LOWELL, WILLIAM J. HUBBARD, HUBBARD WINSLOW, CHARLES GORDON, MARTIN GAY, ZABDIEL. B. ADAMS, WILLIAM PARKER, EDWARD WIGGLESWORTH, ARTEMAS BOIES, WINSLOW Lewis, JR., JOHN A. BOLLES, OTIS A. SKINNER, BENJAMIN WHITTEMORE, NICHOLAS NOYES.

CHELSEA,

(1) Population, 1,659. Valuation, $244,261 25. Number of Public Schools, 8.

(2) No. of Scholars of all ages in all the Schools-In Summer, 435-In Winter, 491. (3) Average attendance in the Schools-In Summer, 328-In Winter, 377.

(4) No. of persons between 4 and 16 years of age in the town, 546.-No. of persons under 4 years of age who attend School, -No. over 16 years of age who attend School, 7.

(5) Aggregate length of the Schools, 78 months.-In Summer, 36-In Winter, 42.

(6) No. of Teachers in Summer-M. 3-F. 7.-No. of Teachers in Winter-M. 3—F. 7. (7) Average wages paid per month, including board-To Males, $40 33-To Females, $1567. (8) Average value of board per month-Of Males, $13 33-Of Females, 7 83.

(9) Average wages per month, exclusive of board-Of Males, $27 00-Of Females, $7 84. (10) Amount of money raised by taxes for the support of Schools, including only the wages of Teachers, board and fuel, 2,700.

(11) Amount of board and fuel, if any, contributed for Public Schools, 100.

(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, -Aggregate of months kept, -Average No. of Scholars,

Aggregate paid for tuition, $

(14) Amount of Local Funds, $

.-Income from same, $

BOOKS USED.- -Spelling-Emerson's National Spelling Book. Reading-Pierpont's First Class Book and National Reader, the Mount Vernon Reader, and Nos. 1, 2 and 3 of Worcester's Series of Reading Books. Grammar-Parker's and Fox's. Geography-Malte-Brun's, Worcester's. Arithmetic-Emerson's Series. All others-Worcester's Dictionary, Worcester's Compend of History, Comstock's Philosophy, and Colburn's Algebra.

REMARK.-The Return states that a number of Private Schools have been kept, but no particulars are given.

SELECTION FROM REPORT. * * * The committee rejoice, that, in March last, the town raised money sufficient to pay all the teachers, but regret that the distribution was such as to give one district more than sufficient, while the other three districts were considerably deficient. It is hoped, that hereafter it may be so justly and equitably distributed that there will be no deficiency in any district, and that every child in the town will have the advantage of a good Common School education.

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SCHOOL COMMITTEE.-HORATIO ALGER, O. A. BROWNSON, WILLARD BADGER, H. H. W. SIGOURNEY, CARPENTER STANIELS.

(2) No. of Scholars of all ages in all the Schools-In Summer, 539-In Winter, 351. (3) Average attendance in the Schools-In Summer, 394-In Winter, 255. (4) No. of persons between 4 and 16 years of age in the town, 559.-No. of persons under 4 years of age who attend School, 47.-No. over 16 years of age who attend School, 48. (5) Aggregate length of the Schools, 90 mths. 21 days-In Summer, 61-In Winter, 29 21. (6) No. of Teachers in Summer-M. 2-F. 12.-No. of Teachers in Winter-M. 9—F. (7) Average wages paid per month, including board-To Males, $22 27-To Females, $10 75. (8) Average value of board per month-Of Males, $7 00-Of Females, $4 89.

(9) Average wages per month, exclusive of board-Of Males, $16 27-Of Females, $5 86. (10) Amount of money raised by taxes for the support of Schools, including only the wages of Teachers, board and fuel, $1,550 02.

(11) Amount of board and fuel, if any, contributed for Public Schools, $ (12) No. of incorporated Academies, 1.-Aggregate of months kept,

Scholars, -Aggregate paid for tuition, $

.1

-Average number of

(13) No. of unincorporated Academies, Private Schools, and Schools kept to prolong Common Schools, 6.-Aggregate of months kept, 18.—Average No. of Scholars, 20.-Aggregate paid for tuition, $144.

(14) Amount of Local Funds, $ -Income from same, $

BOOKS USED.-Spelling-Emerson's New National. Reading-Bible, Rhetorical Reader, National Reader, Introduction to National Reader, Young Reader, Child's Guide. Grammar -Smith's and Parker's. Geography—Woodbridge's and Parley's. Arithmetic-Colburn's First Lessons, Do. Sequel, Emerson's First Lessons, Smith's Arithmetic. All others-Woodbridge's History of U.S.

REMARKS. NO school was taught in the incorporated Academy the last year. The Return states that the schools in districts Nos. 1 and 2 were kept, respectively, eleven and eighteen months, in the Summer term; but it is presumed, that there is some mistake in this statement:-the number in the Abstract is set down according to the Report.

SELECTIONS FROM REPORT. * * The aggregate length of the schools in the summer was sixty-one months, whilst in the winter it has been only twenty-nine and three quarters months. This has been owing to the arrangement in some of the districts, by which the town's money has been spent during the summer months. This arrangement, in the opinion of your committee, is exceptionable; for whilst it accommodates some of the smaller scholars, better than the usual methods of keeping a free school, during a part of the summer and a part of the winter months, it deprives many of the larger scholars of the privilege of a free school. Moreover it has been found, that, by extending the schools thus long in the summer, many of the scholars become weary, and make less improvement than they would if they could have enjoyed a longer vacation. It also causes a six-months' vacation in the winter, that season in which the mind is usually most vigorous. In view of these considerations, and others that might be urged, your committee would recommend, that a Public School be kept up in each district, during a part of the summer and a part of the winter months, and that the money usually expended in Private Schools, during the winter, be applied to lengthen out each season.

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In closing their report, your committee beg leave to submit to your notice a few considerations, which they deem important as connected with the prosper

ity of our schools. The first thing to which they would invite your attenton, is suitable care in the selection of teachers. Though your superintending committees have a right to reject those employed by the several prudential committees, (in case they find, on examination, that they have not acquired a sufficient amount of knowledge to render them competent teachers,) yet it is very obvious, that a person may have this amount, and still be so deficient in the skill of communicating it, as utterly to disqualify him to take the charge of our youth. Where this is wanting, there must of necessity be a great loss to the scholar; he will not feel that interest he otherwise would, and, in this way, contract habits of idleness But, concerning this qualification in a teacher, it is evident that the examining committee can form but very imperfect opinions, and often find the deficiency when it is too late to remedy the evil.

Another qualification in a teacher, to which your committee wish to direct your attention, is energy of character. If the teacher is deficient in this respect, the scholars will be very liable to copy his habits, which must be highly detrimental to the school. You might as well commit the superintendence of a company of men to an idle, inactive person, with the hope that they would successfully accomplish an important job of work, as to place your children under such a teacher. If we have an important work we wish to accomplish, but are under the necessity of committing the superintendence to a third person, we should seek for one who not only understands his business, but has some good degree of activity. Such a man would diffuse his spirit through the whole company, by which means more work would be accomplished, than though the superintendence of it were in different hands. On the same principle, our school teachers should be energetic men. If the teacher takes his chair and there sits from morning till evening, but little that is good can be expected from his school. If you wish to employ a lazy, indolent person to manage the concerns of your kitchens, your farms, or your work-shops, you have a right so to do, but do not place such persons at the head of your schools to teach your children idleness.

Another very important requisite in a teacher is a skill in governing a school. Unless good order is kept in school, there can be but little improvement. This is a faculty, the deficiency of which can never be made up by the application of corporal punishment. Children will very soon learn whether order is to be observed or not. And since we have, in all our Common Schools, those who are incapable of governing themselves, they must be governed, or there is an end to the improvement of that school. Your committee feel, therefore, constrained to direct your attention to these qualifications in a teacher, because they feel that our schools have suffered in consequence of deficiencies in these particulars. They have called your attention to these particulars, in hope that the several districts would instruct their prudential committees to make due inquiries concerning the character of the individuals who apply for our schools before they employ them.

Again, your committee would suggest the importance of the coöperation of parents with the teachers in sustaining good order in our schools. The influence of parents on their children, and, through them, on the school, is immeasurably great. If parents give their children to understand that they have lost their confidence in the teacher, or in any way countenance them in disregarding his authority, they exert an influence sufficiently strong to destroy, in the minds of their children, the salutary influence which their teacher might exert over them, and thus render abortive every effort for their good, however well directed. It is often the case that parents encourage their children in bringing home complaints against their teacher, and on these complaints, which are not always true to the letter, they unjustly condemn the teacher, find fault with his discipline, doubt the utility of his measures, or the sufficiency of his attainments, and frequently utter all this in the hearing of their children Nothing can be plainer than that, in such cases, they destroy the confidence of their children in their teachers, and thus deprive them of the means of profiting by his instruction, and then complain of him, because their children have not made improvement under his instruction, when they themselves are the guilty cause. The insubordination of the larger scholars is another point to which your committee would call your attention. It must be apparent to every reflecting

mind, that where the larger scholars show disrespect to the orders of school, the smaller ones will copy their example. The teacher must, in such cases, be under the painful necessity of enforcing his authority upon them, or give way to the influence of caprice and misrule; for he cannot consistently punish the smaller scholars and suffer the larger scholars to do the same things. Yet it has been with the most painful sensations that your committee have witnessed this spirit of insubordination in our schools. We regret to say, that there have been instances where some of the larger scholars had not sufficient respect for the school, the teacher, or themselves, to submit to wholesome discipline. Though these instances are rare, yet we are constrained to believe, that there are cases which demand the attention of the public in general, and parents in particular. *

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Again, the practice of some of the larger scholars in leaving the school on the day of examination, is an evil to which your committee would invite attention. If it is important that the school be visited, it is important that the scholars should be present, and it is the duty of parents to see that they are present. Your committee are happy to state that this evil is not prevalent to any very great extent.

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SCHOOL COMMITTEE.-L. W. CLARK, J. B. HADLEY.

ANDOVER,

(1) Population, 4,878. Valuation, $1,162,726 70. Number of Public Schools, 19.

(2) No. of Scholars of all ages in all the Schools-In Summer, 990-In Winter, 933. (3) Average attendance in the Schools-In Summer, 680-In Winter, 667.

(4) No. of persons between 4 and 16 years of age in the town, 1,050.—No. of persons under 4 years of age who attend School, .-No. over 16 years of age who attend School, (5) Aggregate length of the Schools, 149 mths. 7 days-In Summer, 90.-In Winter, 59 7. (6) No. of Teachers in Summer-M. -F. 23.—No. of Teachers in Winter-M. 13-F. 6. (7) Average wages paid per month, including board-To Males, $26 00-To Females, $12 39. (8) Average value of board per month-Of Males, $ -Of Females, $

-Of Females, $

(9) Average wages per month, exclusive of board-Of Males, $ (10) Amount of money raised by taxes for the support of Schools, including only the wages of Teachers, board and fuel, $2,500.

(11) Amount of board and fuel, if any, contributed for Public Schools, $1800.

(12) No. of incorporated Academies, 4.-Aggregate of months kept, 44.-Average number of Scholars, 238.-Aggregate paid for tuition, $3,969.

(13) No. of unincorporated Academies, Private Schools, and Schools kept to prolong Common Schools, 8.-Aggregate of months kept, 60.-Average No. of Scholars,

.-Aggre

BOOKS USED.-Spelling-National Spelling Book, Walker's Dictionary. Reading-American First Class Book, National Reader, Introduction to National Reader, Young Reader. Grammar-Smith's. Geography-Smith's. Arithmetic-Smith's and Emerson's Course. All others-Comstock's Philosophy, Political Class Book, Colburn's Algebra, and First and Second Books of History.

REMARKS.-Probably the average wages per month, including board, is not strictly correct. In regard to six of the districts, the whole amount of money expended in the districts, both for the Summer and the Winter Schools, is set down in the column of wages per month, including board. This fact, which for the purposes of the Abstract is useless, furnishes no data whereby the useful fact of the average of wages can be ascertained.

NO REPORT from School Committee.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE.-BAILEY LORING, SAMUEL FULLER, JR., JOSEPH RICE.

BEVERLY,.

(1) Population, 4,609. Valuation, $973,029 06. Number of Public Schools, 10.

(2) No. of Scholars of all ages in all the Schools-In Summer, 516-In Winter, 591. (3) Average attendance in the Schools-In Summer, 429-In Winter, 508. (4) No. of persons between 4 and 16 years of age in the town, 1,209.-No. of persons under 4 years of age who attend School, -No. over 16 years of age who attend School, 50. (5) Aggregate length of the Schools, 88 mths. 14 days-In Summer, 45—In Winter, 43 14. (6) No. of Teachers in Summer-M. 2-F. 10.-No. of Teachers in Winter-M. 10—F. 1. (7) Average wages paid per month, including board-To Males, $2793-To Females, $8 80. (8) Average value of board per month-Of Males, $9 20-Of Females, $5 00.

(9) Average wages per month, exclusive of board—Of Males, $18 73—Of Females, $3 80. (10) Amount of money raised by taxes for the support of Schools, including only the wages of Teachers, board and fuel, $2,219 20.

(11) Amount of board and fuel, if any, contributed for Public Schools, $

(12) No. of incorporated Academies, 1.-Aggregate of months kept, 12.—Average number of Scholars, 27.-Aggregate paid for tuition, $600.

(13) No. of unincorporated Academies, Private Schools, and Schools kept to prolong Common Schools, 21.-Aggregate of months kept, 160.-Average No. of Scholars, 532.-Aggregate paid for tuition, $2,200.

BOOKS USED.-Spelling-Cumming's Spelling Book, Worcester's Dictionary. ReadingTestament, Young Reader, National Reader and Introduction to do. Grammar-Putnam's, Murray's. Geography-Peter Parley's and Woodbridge's Geography and Atlas. Arithmetic -Colburn's First Part and Sequel, and Greenleaf's Arithmetic. All others-Sullivan's Political Class Book, Abridgment of Story's Commentaries on the Constitution of the U. S., Goodrich's History of the US., Colburn's Algebra, Holbrook's Geometry, Fowle's Linear Drawing, Bowditch's Navigator, Comstock's Philosophy, &c.

REMARKS.-The Private Schools are taught by females. The time of keeping varies from three months to a year.

By a rule of the School Committee, none under four years of age are permitted to attend the Public Schools.

SELECTIONS FROM REPORT. * * * In nearly all the schools the elementary lessons of the spelling book have been thoroughly studied.-Excepting a few instances of falsehood and profanity in some of the schools, their moral state, so far as it has come under the observation of the teachers, has been good. The chief and crying defect, here as elsewhere almost universally, is irregularity in attendance. In consequence of that, at least one quarter of the money raised for supporting Common Schools in the Commonwealth, and in this town, is virtually thrown away. They have undoubtedly been rising of late; but with due improvement in this respect alone, they might at once be elevated far above their present standard of efficiency and usefulness.- Our schoolhouses are for the most part in good repair, and furnish greatly improved accommodations, in comparison with those of only a recent date. Still they are, none of them, all which might justly be desired. They could, at small expense, be cleansed, ventilated, and have the seats altered in a manner that would add much to the comfort as well as the progress of the scholars. This subject deserves to be specially commended to the attention of the parents and prudential committee in each district. Judicious arrangements for the comfort and health of the pupils, it is clear, must be favorable to their mental improvement. Every wise and kind parent will, on this account, as well as from the desire to see his children happy, anxiously consult the former.

The committee are, if possible, more than ever convinced of the importance of great caution being exercised in the selection of teachers. Frequent changes of them are to be deprecated as highly injurious; the successor in such cases often has to begin, not where his predecessor left off, but where he began; and thus all the benefits arising from long acquaintance with a school are lost. But where new teachers are to be obtained, those charged with that duty cannot be too careful to employ only such as are best qualified for their office.