(13) No. of unincorporated Academies, Private Schools, and Schools kept to prolong Common Aggregate of months kept, -Average No. of Scholars, Schools, -Aggre BOOKS USED.— -Spelling-Webster's and Hazen's Speller and Definer. Reading-Testament, Child's Guide, Parley's Third Book of History, English Reader, National Preceptor, History of the U. S. Grammar-Murray's, Smith's and Kirkham's. Geography-Parley's, Olney's and Smith's. Arithmetic-Daboll's, Smith's and Botham's. SELECTIONS FROM REPORT. * * We would recommend, that particular attention be paid to the examination of teachers; and would suggest the propriety of having the teachers of the several schools seasonably engaged, so that they may all be examined at one time, that is, all those of the summer schools at one time, and all those of the winter schools at one time; and in this way the examination will become a matter of interest; the committee could all be present; there would be a saving of time to the committee, and of expense to the town. Notwithstanding the exertions made by our Legislature, in endeavoring to remove all obstacles tending to retard the progress of our Common Schools, and the much that has been said on the subject otherwise, there yet remain obstructions, that demand attention. We would notice among them, too great a variety of books, which prevents classing the scholars properly, thereby increasing the task of the teacher, and hindering the progress of the school. Irregularity in the attendance of scholars, is a serious evil, the consequences of which are palpable. The seats, in some of our schoolhouses, are so constructed that the small scholars cannot rest their feet or backs, thereby rendering the children very uncomfortable and restless, and augmenting the task of the teacher, in keeping the school still. Lastly, we would notice emphatically, the want of coöperation on the part of parents, in visiting schools, and we earnestly solicit the aid of parents and guardians, in this particular. Children love to be noticed. It excites in them a spirit of emulation, without which the labors of the most judicious and experienced teacher must prove, in some measure, unavailing. Let us not be too ready to believe all the stories circulated to the prejudice of the teacher. But let us teach our children to be obedient to the regulations of the school, to show proper respect to their teacher, and not endeavor to provoke him to wrath. In short, let parents see to it, that the want of subordination in their children at school, is not owing, in the least, to their management at home. Let us all, fellow citizens, act simultaneously with our Legislature, in trying to elevate the character of our Common Schools, bearing in mind, that in them the great mass of our community receive their education; they ought, therefore, to be pruned and cultivated by us with the kindest attention, and most scrupulous care, for they are the main pillars upon which rests the permanency of our free institutions. * * * SCHOOL COMMITTEE.-SAMUEL H. BURT, MARK R. VAN DEUSEN. BECKET, S (1) Population, 957. Valuation, $163,583 15. (2) No. of Scholars of all ages in all the Schools-In Summer, 198—In Winter, 301. (4) No. of persons between 4 and 16 years of age in the town, 335.—No. of persons under 4 years of age who attend School, 16.—No. over 16 years of age who attend School, 32. (5) Aggregate length of the Schools, 61 mths. 21 days.-In Summer, 33 7—In Winter, 28 14. (6) No. of Teachers in Summer-M. -F. 9.-No. of Teachers in Winter-M. 8-F. 2. (7) Average wages paid per month, including board-To Males, $23 43-To Females, $11 83. (8) Average value of board per month-Of Males, $8 00-Of Females, $600. (9) Average wages per month, exclusive of board-Of Males, $15 43-Of Females, $5 83. (10) Amount of money raised by taxes for the support of Schools, including only the wages of Teachers, board and fuel, $413. (11) Amount of board and fuel, if any, contributed for Public Schools, $556. (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, 3.-Aggregate of months kept, 5.-Average No. of Scholars, 60.—Aggregate paid for tuition, $28. (14) Amount of Local Funds, $1,200 00.—Income from same, $72 00. BOOKS USED.-Spelling-Webster's. Reading-Testament, English Reader, National Reader and others. Grammar-Murray's and Smith's. Geography-Olney's, Brinsmade's and Peter Parley's. Arithmetic-Daboll's, Smith's, Pike's. All others-A variety. REMARKS." A school was kept by subscription 12 weeks during the winter, for the benefit of families employed upon the rail-road." The Surplus Revenue,-income $126—is applied to the support of schools. SELECTIONS FROM REPORT. * * The average attendance, even in the winter, when the schools are always the most fully attended, was only 197, a little more than one half the whole number of scholars. Experience affords satisfactory evidence, that such irregularity in attendance involves a far greater mispense of advantages, than parents are generally aware of; and that sending a child to school occasionally, or only when it happens to suit the convenience of the parent, or the humor of the child, will, in most cases, be of little or no benefit, if not even worse than useless, by inducing early habits of negligence, irregularity and insubordination. All the schools have been visited, as the law requires. As the result of these visits, we may say, in general terms, that the sunimer schools succeeded well. For, though there might be detected, in some of them, a want of thorough energy and system, yet there was no defect so marked, as to merit censure, or to prevent approbation. We wish we could speak in the same terms, concerning the schools during the last winter. * * Some of these have failed of answering reasonable expectation. * * The great diversity of school books, upon the same general subject, is exceedingly perplexing in most of our schools. If a parent chooses to sustain a private or family school, no one will question his right to dictate what books his children shall use. But the subject assumes a different aspect, when that parent claims the benefit of the public money, and of the schools thereby supported. For, in that case, he is bound to consider each member of the district, as entitled to the same advantages with himself; and he cannot claim a right to monopolize the time of a teacher, in hearing the individual recitations of his children, which is quite unavoidable, when books are sent to the school, and required to be used, according to the arbitrary opinion or caprice of each and every parent; and when, at the same time, all, or many of these scholars, might, with the advantage of uniforın books, be classed, to the great relief of the teacher, and to the mutual benefit of every learner. * * * As the statute requires your committee to report upon the state and furniture of the several schoolhouses, we would, therefore, recommend, to the members of all the districts, to examine, without delay, into these subjects; and to decide whether some of these houses do not need to be thoroughly repaired, if not to be rebuilt. We speak in the language of general experience, (not so commonly heard, indeed, as it ought to be,) when we say, with unhesitating conviction of the truth, that the location of a schoolhouse, together with the state of repair and convenience, in which the building and its accompaniments are kept, does actually exert an important influence upon intellectual improvement; and, hence, a less direct, but scarcely less certain influence upon moral character. We cannot, in faithfulness to our trust, close this report, without a few words to parents, upon the importance of personal attendance to the state of the schools. We are confident, that that parent has performed but a part of his duty, and not always the most important part, who has merely paid his proportion, and sent his children to some place, where he is informed that a school is in operation, without further attention to the subject; and THAT, more especially, when he is aware that difficulties exist in the school. * * * SCHOOL COMMITTEE.—J. L. MILLS, ELIJAH D. HARRIS, MILTON JOHNSON. CHESHIRE, {(1) Population, 924. Valuation, $269,938 75. (4) No. of persons between 4 and 16 years of age in the town, 270. (10) Amount of money raised by taxes for the support of Schools, including only the wages of Teachers, board and fuel, $400. REMARKS.-The return states, that "the board and fuel expenses are added to the amount of final [or fiscal] expenses, and raised by tax made up on the scholar." No return is made of books used. Under that head appears the following: "Parents and guardians procure the most popular and approved books, often changing as scholars advance, to give interest and animation to pupils.” One side of the blank is left without any entry by the committee. NO REPORT from School Committee. SCHOOL COMMITTEE.-LANSING J. COLE, RUSSELL BROWN. (2) No. of Scholars of all ages in all the Schools-In Summer, 120-In Winter, 112. (3) Average attendance in the Schools-In Summer, 83-In Winter, 72. (4) No. of persons between 4 and 16 years of age in the town, 122.-No. of persons under 4 years of age who attend School, 7.-No. over 16 years of age who attend School, 12. (5) Aggregate length of the Schools, 27 mths.-In Summer, 16-In Winter, 11. (6) No. of Teachers in Summer-M. 1—F. 4.—No. of Teachers in Winter-M. 1—F. 3. (7) Average wages paid per month including board-To Males, $15 50-To Females, $12 00. (8) Average value of board per month-Of Males, $7 00-Of Females, $6 00. (9) Average wages per month exclusive of board-Of Males, $8 50-Of Females, $6 00. (10) Amount of money raised by taxes for the support of Schools, including only the wages of Teachers, board and fuel, $150. (11) Amount of board and fuel, if any, contributed for Public Schools, $187 57. (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, 1.-Aggregate of months kept, gate paid for tuition, $7 52. -Average No. of Scholars, -Aggre (14) Amount of Local Funds, $175 00.-Income from same, $10 50. BOOKS USED.— -Spelling-Webster's. Reading-Angell's Series, Testament, English ReadGrammar-Smith's, Greenleaf's. Geography-Olney's, Peter Parley's. Arithmetic— Daboll's, Adams' and Colburn's. All others-Walker's Dictionary. er. NO REPORT from School Committee. SCHOOL COMMITTEE.-NOAH FORD, RICHARD SHATTUCK. DALTON, {(1) (1) Population, 830. Valuation, $183,151 50. (2) No. of Scholars of all ages in all the Schools-In Summer, 135-In Winter, 184. (4) No. of persons between 4 and 16 years of age in the town, 244.-No. of persons under 4 years of age who attend School, 10.—No. over 16 years of age who attend School, 10. (5) Aggregate length of the Schools, 31 mths. 14 days.-In Summer, 17 14.—In Winter, 14. (6) No. of Teachers in Summer-M. -F. 5.-No. of Teachers in Winter-M. 4—F. 1. (7) Average wages paid per month, including board-To Males, $23 50-To Females, $9 40. (8) Average value of board per month-Of Males, $8 00-Of Females, $400. (9) Average wages per month, exclusive of board-Of Males, $15 50-Of Females, $5 40. (10) Amount of money raised by taxes for the support of Schools, including only the wages of Teachers, board and fuel, $530. (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, -Aggre BOOKS USED.-Spelling-Webster's. Reading-Child's Reader, Popular Lessons, Porter's Analysis, Testament. Grammar-Smith's Geography-Olney's and Smith's. ArithmeticColburn's, Adams', Daboll's, Smith's, Botham's. For SELECTIONS FROM REPORT. * * One of the greatest evils in our schools, has been the want of a proper and thorough discipline. Your committee_regard good order in the schools, as indispensable to their usefulness. want of good government, our schools in past seasons have been of but little use to the children attending them; and it is to be feared, that in some cases they have been even worse than useless. Deeply impressed with the importance of order, your committee have used their best endeavors to secure it. They have been very full and explicit, in their instructions to all the teachers, urging it upon them as a matter of vital importance, to maintain order, strict and thorough, and that a failure in this could not be overlooked. And it affords them peculiar pleasure to be able to say, that there has been a very gratifying improvement in this respect, the past season. Though it is admitted, that good order must be preserved, chiefly by the efforts of the teacher, yet his efforts must almost certainly fail to secure it, unless they are seconded by the authority of parents, at home. If children hear their parents speak of the teacher in terms of disrespect and reproach; if they find their parents ready to take part with them against their teacher, in case of difficulty arising in the school; if they find that their parents are jealous of partiality, or undue severity, on the part of the teacher, they will do their children a serious injury; and render it exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to keep those children in due subordination at school. If parents find it difficult to govern three or four children, so as to keep them in decent order at home, how much greater the task of the teacher, to keep forty or fifty children in good order at school. The committee are confident, from all their experience and observation, that most of the difficulties and cases of insubordination, which happen in the school-room, are to be attributed to the improper and injudicious management of parents. If children were trained up to obey implicitly at home, and were made to believe, that in case of any difficulty in school, they might expect their parents to take sides with the teacher, there would be much fewer difficulties in school, and fewer complaints made out of it. Without good order in school, proficiency in studies, on the part of pupils, is utterly out of the question, no matter what may be the qualifications of the teacher. Another serious evil in our schools, is the non-attendance, or the very irregu lar attendance, of children. This is an evil of great magnitude in this town; and one which, the committee are well aware, it is much easier to describe than it is to remedy. So far as it prevails, it completely nullifies all the advantages of our Common School system. The best teachers are of little avail, if the children are not present to be taught. And your most liberal appropriations in money, and the most faithful attention and efforts of committees, will avail nothing, if the children are not in the way to receive the good intended. Your committee can present facts, which are painful and alarming, showing that a large portion of our children lose nearly all their opportunities of education, and that no inconsiderable portion of the money raised to furnish these privileges, is absolutely wasted. * * * Another thing to which the committee would call the attention of the town, is, the very little interest which parents feel, or which they manifest in the schools. The influence of this is highly detrimental to their prosperity. Where parents manifest an interest, children will ordinarily feel it; where parents manifest indifference, children will be indifferent. The committee would not say that there is no interest felt in our district schools, but they have seen hitherto very little manifestation of it. Sometimes, indeed, parents show great interest in a school, but most unfortunately it is of the wrong kind, and manifested in the wrong way. It has been, in some instances, manifested in condemning the teacher unjustly, finding fault with his discipline, doubting his qualifications, listening to the stories of children, which are often founded in prejudice or falsehood, and most injudiciously censuring the teacher before them, by which, respect for his authority is impaired or destroyed, and his usefulness necessarily diminished. In such cases, parental interest is sufficiently strong and mischievous. If the same degree of interest was manifested, in approving what was right, frequently visiting the school, always attending on examinations, sustaining the teacher's authority, seconding his efforts, and encouraging punctual attendance on his instructions, the benefit would be great. In this case, teachers would feel encouraged to do their utmost for the good of their pupils; children would feel new interest in their studies, their teacher, and the school; and good manners, good morals, and rapid advancement in knowledge, would characterize these nurseries of learning. A great deficiency in suitable books, is another thing which demands special attention. This is an evil that is felt in all our schools, and it is a great one. Many children have not a book of any kind. Not a few others are unfurnished with any suitable book, for reading or study. At the same time, the few books which are found in our schools, are so various and different, that there must be almost as many classes as there are scholars. Four or five different systems of arithmetic are often found in a single school, with a similar variety of geographies and grammars. And the diversity in reading books is still greater. * ** The committee have exerted themselves to remedy this evil, but without success. And being fully convinced, that unless our schools are better supplied with books, and books of the right kind, much of the money expended on them will be utterly wasted; they beg leave to suggest, what appears to them the only effectual remedy. It is, that the town provide each school with a supply of suitable books for all the children, elementary, reading, and class books; to be selected by a committee appointed for that purpose, or by the school committee, which books shall be kept in a good substantial book-case, with lock and key, with which each schoolhouse should be furnished. At the opening of the school, the teacher should take charge of the library, and furnish each scholar with suitable books, for the use of which a certain sum should be paid. A true account of all should be kept by the teacher, and, at the close of the school, be put into the hands of the prudential committee. When books are lost or badly damaged, they should be paid for. In this way, our schools may be furnished with a supply of books, and those of the right kind. Let this be done, and the good effects of it, it is believed, would soon be apparent. The schoolhouses in districts No. 1 and No. 4, are not very creditable to the districts in which they are located; and, in their present state and location, the |
