THE COUNTY TRUANT SCHOOLS.

Visitation by the State Board of Education. - The Legislature of 1898 ordered that county truant schools should be subject to visitation by the State Board of Education and by the State Board of Lunacy and Charity, and that said boards should report thereon annually to the Legislature.

Accordingly, agents of the Board have visited the different county truant schools, and made reports thereon to the secretary of the Board. From their reports as well as from such other sources as are available, the material of the present report has been prepared. No attempt has been made to give a complete or exhaustive view of the county truant schools. In some instances the report is limited to educational conditions only. County Truant Schools of the State. The following table gives a list of the different county truant schools in the State:

It will be noticed that but ten of the fourteen counties of the State are named in the foregoing list. The counties of Barn

stable, Berkshire, Dukes and Nantucket are by law exempted from maintaining truant schools of their own, but the county commissioners of each of these excepted counties are authorized to avail themselves of any existing county truant school as a place of commitment.

ESSEX COUNTY TRUANT SCHOOL.

REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT.

The School. The Essex County Truant School is located at Lawrence, about two miles below the city, on the bank of the Merrimac River. The buildings were formerly occupied as a school for boys, and owned by the city of Lawrence. At that time the number of pupils was much less than at present. The school, since its change to a truant school, has grown until the buildings are too small to accommodate the number of pupils now there. Much of the cellar has been taken for the steam plant, thus curtailing the playroom and laundry.

A farm of thirty-three acres is connected with the school. It yields hay enough to keep a stock of six cows and three horses, the cows supplying a liberal quantity of healthful food for the pupils. Many vegetables are also raised for home use, and the surplus is readily disposed of at the city, the proceeds of which add materially to the support of the school, as may be seen by the annexed table, and the work affords healthful open-air exercise for the boys.

The health of the pupils has been excellent, not a case of serious illness having occurred during the year.

Reasons for More Uniform Sentences. The act of the Legislature of 1898, which placed the pardoning power in the hands of the county commissioners, has in some cases seemed to shorten the time of sentence. Formerly most of the sentences were for two years, while now they are for less than eighteen months. Only five towns and cities of Essex County are now represented at the school. One city has committed eighteen pupils, while another city nearly as large has but four. Why is this? As much as possible (with the aid of the truant officers) we keep trace of the lives of the boys after they leave the school. But can it be expected that a large per cent. of

them can be saved, or that great progress can be made in fixing good habits, with only six to twelve months' teaching, and a return to the same conditions, environments and associates which were theirs before commitment? Are not the homes and their surroundings in many cases more to blame than the boys? Let us have more uniform sentences, as it is supposed that all cases are committed for truancy and not for crime. Why should not all be sentenced alike? It seems as if better results could be obtained if a full two years' sentence were passed at the school.

Receipts and Expenditures. — Receipts and expenditures for the year were as follows:

Amount received from towns and cities for board of boys,

Amount received from farm sales,

Amount received from chair seating, .

$3,160 12

1,337 24

652 18

$5,149 54

4,547 42

$9,696 96

2 07

22

11

1

34

36

70

70

Results of Releases on Probation. The following statement gives the results of releases on probation for a series of five

Why the Boys played Truant. To ascertain from the point of view of the boys the reasons for their truancy, 100 of them were asked to answer the following questions:

1. Why did you "hook Jack" (i.e., play truant)?

2. Where did you usually go, and what do?

4. Did you take the lead, or did some other boy lead you to "hook Jack"?

5. What did you like best about your school outside?

6.

What did you like least about your school outside?