BOOKS USED.-Spelling-Webster's. Reading-Emerson's 1st, 2d and 3d Class Readers, Testament. Grammar-Pond's Murray's, Smith's. Geography-Parley's and Olney's. Arithmetic-Adams', Smith's. All others-Goodrich's History of the U. S., Watts on the Mind, Parley's History, Day's Algebra, Webster's Dictionary.

* * *

SELECTIONS FROM REPORT. 'The school committee have endeavored to be faithful in the examination of school teachers, convinced, that, on their qualifications, depends the value of their instruction, and the best interests of the schools. For obvious reasons, it cannot be expected that schools will be properly managed without able and faithful teachers. Owing to a judicious selection of well-qualified teachers, by the prudential committees in the several districts, the schools, for the year past, and especially during the winter term, have very generally made good improvement. Believing that a thorough acquaintance with the elementary branches of learning, before advancing to higher studies, is an object of primary importance in the management of Common Schools, the committee have endeavored to invite the attention of teachers to this subject, as a means of promoting the improvement of the schools. Although some may derive benefit by pursuing a higher course of study than that commonly taught in our schools, great numbers of the pupils have claims on the unremitting exertions of teachers, to give them a competent knowledge of the more elementary branches of learning.

* * *

By the introduction of more improved methods of instruction, and by means of the Association of Common School Teachers, the management of schools has become more uniform, and has been attended with greater success. Parents have taken a greater interest in the subject, and have more frequently attended the examinations of the schools, and the result has shown, that much may be accomplished by persevering efforts to make the objects of Common School education more fully known and appreciated. *

* *

In district No. 13, two female teachers were employed, during the winter term. This school consists of one hundred and one scholars. It was divided into two schools, of nearly equal numbers. This method is believed to be productive of advantage to the pupils, and greatly diminishes the labor of teaching. The schoolhouses in districts No. 3, 5 and 6, are unsuitable for the purposes of a school, in their present condition. In district No. 3, the seats are inconvenient for so large a school, and they are so constructed as to render it difficult to preserve cleanliness, and comfort to the scholars. In No. 5, the seats are illconstructed and the house is out of repair. In No. 6, some improvement has recently been made in the method of warming the room;-a new arrangement of the seats is requisite to make it convenient. * * *

The attendance on the schools has been, generally, more punctual than formerly. This is essential to the discipline of the schools, and, without it, but little advancement can be made. It is an encouragement to the efforts of teachers, and greatly promotes the success of their labors. Greater uniformity appears to prevail with regard to the books used in the schools generally, and the supply of books requisite is more general. There are still deficiencies in this respect, which call for the attention of parents and teachers. As the subject of Common Schools is becoming daily of greater interest to the public in general, it is greatly to be desired, that those who feel disposed to favor the efforts made to improve their standing, should avail themselves of the light which modern improvements and late publications afford, and engage in the work with that spirit of candid inquiry which the subject demands. * * *

SCHOOL COMMITTEE.-JACOB COREY, WM. S. SANDERS, EMERSON JOHNSON, ERASMUS HOLBROOK.

SUTTON,

(1) Population, 2,457. Valuation, $491,953 00. Number of Public Schools, 13.

(2) No. of Scholars of all ages in all the Schools-In Summer, 450-In Winter, 583. (3) Average attendance in the Schools-In Summer, 327-In Winter, 444.

(4) No. of persons between 4 and 16 years of age in the town, 626.-No. of persons under 4 years of age who attend School, 30.-No. over 16 years of age who attend School, 30. (5) Aggregate length of the Schools, 67 mths. 18 days.-In Summer, 38 18-In Winter, 29. (6) No. of Teachers in Summer-M. —F. 12.—No. of Teachers in Winter-M. 10—F. 2. (7) Average wages paid per month, including board-To Males, $27 60-To Females, $12 42. (8) Average value of board per month-Of Males, $7 52-Of Females, $5 69.

(9) Average wages per month, exclusive of board-Of Males, $20 10-Of Females, $6 73. (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, $

(12) No. of incorporated Academies, 1.-Aggregate of months kept, 6.-Average No. of Scholars, 25.-Aggregate paid for tuition, $250.

(13) No. of unincorporated Academies, Private Schools, and Schools kept to prolong Common Schools, 1.-Aggregate of months kept, 6.-Average No. of Scholars, 15.-Aggregate paid for tuition, $90.

(14) Amount of Local Funds, $

.-Income from same, $

BOOKS USED.-Spelling-Webster's. Reading-American First Class Book, National Reader, Intelligent Reader, Child's Guide. Grammar-Murray's. Geography-Olney's and Worcester's. Arithmetic-Emerson's. All others—Bible.

REMARK.-"There is a Parish Fund-amount not known."

SELECTIONS FROM REPORT. * * The committee would here say, that all difficulty with respect to the question of qualifications would be prevented, if the prudential committee of each district would be present at the examination of their teachers.

*

It would be gratifying to the committee, to present full statistics of the schools, but this they are not able to do, as some of the schools have not closed, and the registers of others have not been returned to the committee. They will state, in general, that the prosperity of the schools has not differed essentially from former years. There have been some things to commend, and some to deplore. Some of the schools, that were last year worse than none, have the present year, under different instructers, redeemed their character, and made commendable progress in the various branches of knowledge. The committee are more than ever persuaded, that our district schools can never be what they ought to be, till greater care is exercised in the selection of teachers, -the standard of qualifications raised higher, and parents manifest a different, and greater interest in their prosperity. There are some qualifications absolutely essential, to form a good instructer, which cannot be the subject of examination, but must be found out by experiment;-such as an aptness to teach, and a tact for managing and governing a school. A man may know ever so much, but if he has no talent for communicating what he knows, he cannot be a good instructer. So, also, he may have the knowledge, and art to teach it to others, but if he cannot manage and govern a school properly, he is not fit to keep it. Much concerning these qualifications, can be ascertained on inquiry, before a teacher is engaged. It is true, that this will subject the prudential committees to some care, and perhaps trouble, but the committee see no way to avoid either care or trouble, if we have good schools. The improvement needed in our schools, will not come of itself. It will be the result of care and pains-taking.

* #

There is a great want of subordination in the schools. This arises in part, and a great part, from the incapacity of teachers to govern, and in part, from the unwillingness of parents to have their children governed. It has grown to be quite old fashioned, to exact obedience from children and youth. They are allowed to have their own way quite too much for their good, both in school and out. No school can prosper that is not well governed, and as the want of government is, in many schools, a glaring evil, it is hoped that efforts

will be made to correct it. The committee have done what they could, but the evil is in a great degree beyond their control. As a general thing, a school in this respect, as well as many others, is just what a district may say it shall be. There is also a great want of punctuality and regularity, in the attendance of scholars. This is the case in some schools more than in others. It is almost invariably true of some schools, that they dwindle away nearly one third before the close, even when there is no dissatisfaction with the teacher.

*

*

There is also a want of proper moral instruction in the schools. It is a maxim of sound wisdom in education, that the heart and intellect should be cultivated together, in order that any training may answer its desired end. Children should be taught to love the truth,-to hate a falsehood as they would the pestilence. They should be taught to reverence the name of God,—to do to others as they would wish others to do to them. In short, those virtues which adorn the character of man, which make him a good citizen, a kind friend and neighbor, the committee think ought to be inculcated in every school. Strictly religious instruction, the committee believe may, under present circumstances, be better imparted, and ought to be, elsewhere. Great care should be exercised in the selection of teachers, with respect to moral instruction. They ought to be persons of correct moral character. The committee would recommend this subject to the serious consideration of all.

In order to have a school flourish well, reference must be had to the comfort, convenience and pleasantness of the place where the school is kept. Every school-room should be so arranged and fitted up, that it may be well ventilated. There is nothing so detrimental to health and comfort, as bad air. The mind will operate to the best advantage, when the body is free from oppression, and at ease. But in some school-rooms, both ease and comfort are entire strangers. Most of the schoolhouses in town are in a decent condition, though the committee think the best might be rendered more comfortable, if they could be better ventilated. The schoolhouses in districts No. 5 and 7, are truly in a deplorable state. They are wholly unfit for the purposes for which they are used. Both of these schoolhouses ought to be demolished, and new ones immediately erected, and the committee would recommend that the schoolhouse in district No. 6 be rebuilt.

There is some excuse for the two districts first mentioned, in the fact that the schools in both are very small; consequently, upon the present plan of dividing the money raised for schools, they obtain but a small share. The committee think this plan operates very unequally. The design is, or ought to be, to give each child in town an equal chance to obtain benefit from the public funds, but this, at present, is far from being the case. In some districts, the school is twice as long as in others. In the small districts, they are under the necessity of hiring very cheap teachers, and usually poor ones, or of having a short school, or supporting it out of their own pockets, after paying their share to form the public fund. *

SCHOOL COMMITTEE.-H. A. TRACY, DANIEL L. B. GOODWIN.

TEMPLETON,

(1) Population, 1,690. Valuation, $378,358 00. Number of Public Schools, 11.

(2) No. of Scholars of all ages in all the Schools-In Summer, 307-In Winter, 396. (3) Average attendance in the Schools-In Summer, 227-In Winter, 313.

(4) No. of persons between 4 and 16 years of age in the town, 418.-No. of persons under 4 years of age who attend School, 34.—No. over 16 years of age who attend School, 42. (5) Aggregate length of the Schools, 45 mths. 21 days.-In Suinmer, 27 7-In Winter, 18 14. (6) No. of Teachers in Summer-M. -F. 8.-No. of Teachers in Winter-M. 7—F. 1. (7) Average wages paid per month, including board-To Males, $ (8) Average value of board per month-Of Males,

-To Females, $

-Of Females, $

(9) Average wages per month, exclusive of board-Of Males, $

-Of Females, $

(10) Amount of money raised by taxes for the support of Schools, including only the wages of Teachers, board and fuel, $800.

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

(12) No. of incorporated Academies, Aggregate of months kept,

-Average number of

(13) No. of unincorporated Academies, Private Schools, and Schools kept to prolong Common Schools, 1.-Aggregate of months kept, 3.-Average No. of Scholars, 30.-Aggregate paid for tuition, $350.

(14) Amount of Local Funds, $

.-Income from same, $

BOOKS USED.-Spelling-Lee's. Reading Franklin Primer, Improved Reader, General Class Book, Juvenile Lessons, Popular Lessons, New Testament. Grammar-Parker's and Fox's. Geography-Parley's, Olney's. Arithmetic-Adams', Colburn's, Emerson's.

REMARKS. "The Surplus Revenue of the town, amounting to $3,337 70, has been loaned by the town, and the interest thereof, amounting to $200 36, is annually appropriated for the support of Common Schools." No return is made of the wages and board of teachers.

NO REPORT from School Committee.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE.-JOSEPH MASON, LEWIS SABIN.

1

(2) No. of Scholars of all ages in all the Schools-In Summer, 275-In Winter, 472. (3) Average attendance in the Schools-In Summer, 243-In Winter, 395.

(4) No. of persons between 4 and 16 years of age in the town, 397.-No. of persons under 4

years of age who attend School, 24.-No. over 16 years of age who attend School, 80. (5) Aggregate length of the Schools, 31 mths. 20 days.-In Summer, 13 20-In Winter, 18. (6) No. of Teachers in Summer-M. -F. 7.-No. of Teachers in Winter-M. 6—F. 3. (7) Average wages paid per month including board-To Males, $29 33-To Females, $12 59. (8) Average value of board per month-Of Males, $7 66—Of Females, $5 92.

(9) Average wages per month exclusive of board-Of Males, $21 67-Of Females, $6 67. (10) Amount of money raised by taxes for the support of Schools, including only the wages of Teachers, board and fuel, $600.

(11) Amount of board and fuel, if any, contributed for Public Schools, $24.

(12) No. of incorporated Academies,

Aggregate of months kept, -Average No. of

Scholars, -Aggregate paid for tuition. $

(13) No. of unincorporated Academies, Private Schools, and Schools kept to prolong Common Schools, 2.-Aggregate of months kept, 4.-Average No. of Scholars, 75.-Aggregate paid for tuition, $86.

(14) Amount of Local Funds, $

-Income from same, $

BOOKS USED.-Spelling-National. Reading-Rhetorical and National Readers. Grammar-Ingersoll's. Geography-Olney's and Parley's. Arithmetic-Adams', Smith's and Colburn's.

NO REPORT from School Committee.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE.—BENJ. WOOD, N. W. HOLBROOK, H. S. ALDRICH.

24

(2) No. of Scholars of all ages in all the Schools-In Summer, 449-In Winter, 497. (3) Average attendance in the Schools-In Summer, 300-In Winter, 349. (4) No. of persons between 4 and 16 years of age in the town, 616.-No. of persons under 4 years of age who attend School, 52.-No. over 16 years of age who attend School, 58. (5) Aggregate length of the Schools, 67 mths. 26 days.-In Summer, 38-In Winter, 29 26. (6) No. of Teachers in Summer-M. .-F. 11-No. of Teachers in Winter—M. 9—F. 1. (7) Average wages paid per month, including board-To Males, $25 10-To Females, $11 85. (8) Average value of board per month-Of Males, $7 21-Of Females, $5 48.

(9) Average wages per month, exclusive of board—Of Males, $17 89—Of Females, $6 37. (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 number of

(13) No. of unincorporated Academies, Private Schools, and Schools kept to prolong Common Schools, 2.-Aggregate of months kept, 30-Average No. of Scholars, 145.-Aggregate paid for tuition, $1,195.

(14) Amount of Local Funds, $

.-Income from same, $

BOOKS USED.- -Spelling-Introduction to National, Cummings' and National. ReadingThe Young Reader, Introduction to National Reader, American First Class Book, The Sacred Scriptures. Grammar-Pond's Murray's, Smith's. Geography-Parley's, Malte-Brun's and Olney's. Arithmetic-Colburn's First Lessons, Smith's, Adams' and North American. All others-Goodrich's United States History and First Lessons in History.

REMARKS. "The income of the town's proportion of the Surplus Revenue is appropriated to the support of schools. Amount $4,469 96. Income $247.” Number of schools to prolong Public Schools not given. The time is six and a half months, scholars 78, and the expense $105-all included in the above aggregates.

SELECTIONS FROM REPORT. * * In our summer schools, our children commence their education, and it is of great importance that they commence well, that they be well taught and well disciplined. Effort should, then, be made to secure good teachers for all these schools,-teachers who are well educated, who are respected in the community, and who respect themselves,— and who, there may be sufficient reason to believe, will instruct and govern those, committed to their charge, with ease and success. In employing teachers for summer schools, the prudential committee, in districts in which the scholars are young, and, perhaps, comparatively backward in their education, appear often to think, that those of limited qualifications will be as useful as those more thoroughly educated. No one should suffer himself to reason in this manner. Every Public School, however young or ignorant the scholars may be, should have a teacher who is well acquainted with the branches designated by the law of the Commonwealth, and whom the parents and pupils will esteem and respect. In addition to this, it should be understood, that the committee can give no half-way certificate. The law is their guide, and they cannot consistently approbate one, who is to receive the public money, as a teacher, whose qualifications do not, in a good measure, correspond to the legal requisitions. They would, then, earnestly recommend great caution in the selection of female teachers,-an effort to obtain those, who possess good minds and good literary qualifications,-who appear to be active and energetic, and whose influence, over the manners and characters of their pupils, will be evidently good. *

* *

The committee have not known of any particular irregularity or insubordination in any of the other schools, during the winter. Many of the teachers have been employed in our schools, in previous years, and have been devoted to their duty and successful in the discharge of it. Some of them have been very sys