the schools, to the fulfilment of the duties of their office by members of the school committees in the towns and cities, and to furnish all information desired for the report of the Board.

The Board may appoint one or more suitable agents to visit the towns, confer with teachers and committees, lecture upon subjects connected with education, in the same manner as the secretary might do if he were present.

In 1839 our two oldest normal schools were established, one at Lexington, now located at Framingham; the other at Barre, now located at Westfield.

The law making education compulsory for all children between the ages of eight and fourteen was passed in 1846.

In 1859 the towns were first required by law to maintain a sufficient number of schools for all the children of school age, and each school for not less than six months.

By an act passed in 1850 the school committees were authorized to introduce into the schools the study of physiology and hygiene.

Algebra in 1858 was classed with physiology and hygiene, and their introduction made optional with the committees.

In accordance with a petition made by many citizens, an act was passed in 1869 including drawing in the course of studies for public schools.

In 1876, by a legislative act, it was made illegal to employ any child under ten years of age in any manufacturing, mechanical, or mercantile establishment in the Commonwealth; to employ any child under fourteen years of age, except during vacations of the public schools, unless during the year next preceding such employment he has for at least twenty weeks attended some school approved by the school committee. In 1878 a law was passed forbidding the employment, while the schools of the town or city are in session, of any child under fourteen years of age who cannot read and write.

A truant, as defined by the statutes, is a child between the ages of seven and fifteen years who may be found wandering about the streets or public places of a city or town, having no lawful occupation or business, not attending school, and growing up in ignorance. In 1873 the towns and cities were put under legal obligation to make all needful provisions and arrangements for truant children; to make such by-laws as shall best promote the welfare of such children and the good order,of the towns;

and to provide suitable places for the confinement, discipline, and instruction of such children. It has already been said, that to provide a suitable place is to establish a truant school, and to organize it so as to supply the wants of truant children.

To lessen the expense to be borne by each town in establishing truant schools, if three or more towns in any county so require, the county commissioners shall establish, at the expense of the county, truant schools, to which all the towns of the county may send their truant children. To still further lessen the expense, an act was passed in 1881 permitting two or three contiguous counties or in case of Norfolk, Bristol, Barnstable, and Plymouth Counties, four contiguous counties to unite and form a Union Truant School, into which the towns of the counties uniting may send their truants.

From what has been said it will appear that the organization and control of the public schools of the Commonwealth are determined by acts of the Legislature, and that our system of schools is a State system.

It is the policy of this State to require a sufficient number of schools to be maintained for all the children of school age, to determine what branches of learning shall be taught, to require all school-children to go regularly to school, to place over the schools teachers of competent intellectual and moral ability to direct the youth under their care to the best intellectual and moral results.

Since the organization of the Board of Education, in 1837, a uniform State system of schools has been created, a comprehensive plan of collecting accurate school statistics has been established, six State normal schools for the professional training of teachers have been organized, and methods of teaching have been improved. In addition to these changes, laws have been passed requiring the use of a uniform method of selecting and examining teachers, establishing uniform courses of studies for the different grades of schools, and a minimum time of attendance by the pupils; and there has been awakened in the minds of the people a deeper and more general interest in popular education.

This interest in the schools is now manifested in many ways, and first by the amount of money voluntarily raised for their support. Last year Massachusetts expended $5,776,541.75 for public instruction alone, - an amount equal to $18.474 for every

child in the State between five and fifteen years of age, or 3.5 mills on every dollar of her taxable property. In 1832, as already stated, the average amount per pupil was $1.98.

2d, The interest now taken in the schools is manifested by the school attendance secured.

There were in the State, on the 1st of May last, 312,680 children between five and fifteen, and there were in the public schools 325,239 pupils. The per cent of attendance based on the average membership was 89; and the average length of time of attendance was eight months and eighteen days. The per cent of attendance based on the entire membership was 77, -the highest average attendance of any State of the United States, as reported by the Commissioner of Education.

Never before in the history of the State have the publicschool teachers been so thoroughly interested in preparing themselves for their work.

The State normal schools and the city training schools are well filled with earnest students, studying the philosophy of teaching, and practising for skill in the application of principles.

Many of the cities, and every county of the State, have their teachers' associations; the former meeting once a month, the latter once or twice in the year, for conference and discussion.

Once in the year the teachers of the whole State come together in one place for a general discussion of those topics in popular instruction that hold a relation to the Commonwealth as one whole.

Within the last four years there has sprung into existence a new organization of educational forces. I refer to school committee associations. There are now nine of these associations, and they meet twice in the year for the purpose of discussing those questions that refer especially to the duties of superintendents of public instruction.

The results of these meetings have been most marked.

Four of the conventions have appointed sub-committees to draught courses of studies for the schools of their own respective counties. These courses are now in use.

There has resulted also an awakening of the public mind in regard to the importance of securing a better attendance upon the public schools.

One county truant school has already been established, and others will soon come into existence.

The committees, in their deliberations, have considered the imperative necessity of securing trained or experienced teachers for the schools, and of adapting methods of teaching to the wants of the minds of those who are to be taught.

They have resolved to furnish the schools with more adequate means of teaching and study. They have approved of reducing the number of schools in the towns to the smallest number consistent with their efficiency; and they have unanimously and emphatically resolved in favor of placing over all the public schools of the Commonwealth an educated superintend

ence.

The school committees of the State are the legally constituted school authorities. Upon them the State has imposed the duty and the responsibility of organizing and supervising the schools, and has clothed them with authority equal to their duties and responsibilities. It seems eminently proper, therefore, that these officers of the Commonwealth should organize themselves into associations for mutual improvement.

But notwithstanding the wisdom manifested by the fathers in founding our educational institutions, and the philanthropic efforts of all the generations that have followed them in cherishing what the fathers originated, still there is earnest, intelligent, persevering work to be done, to bring into existence such educational results as our schools ought to produce.

The school laws of the Commonwealth are supposed to express the will of the people with reference to the schools.

It is the duty of the school officers of the State to use the authority which the statutes confer upon them in collecting all the children of school age into such schools as the people have willed to exist.

To this end our school laws, now in force in the Commonwealth, must be fully understood and carefully observed. I desire to direct attention briefly to those statutes, in obedience to which our schools are to be established and organized. By the statute, chap. 44, sect. 1, of Pub. Laws, —

66 Every town in the Commonwealth is required to maintain for at least six months in each year, at the expense of said town, by a teacher or teachers of competent ability and good morals, a sufficient number of schools for the instruction of all the children who may legally attend public school therein, in orthography, reading, writing, English grammar, geography, arithmetic, drawing, the history of the United States, and good behavior.

Algebra, vocal music, agriculture, sewing, physiology, and hygiene shall be taught by lectures or otherwise, in all the public schools in which the school committee deem it expedient."

It will be observed that this statute requires a sufficient number of schools to be kept, but it does not determine the exact number that may be deemed sufficient in any given case.

The number must be sufficient for all the children who may legally attend school; but the statutes do not specify any age at which children may enter school, nor the age to which they may continue. There is in the Commonwealth no legal school age. The school committees, therefore, under their general power of superintendence, may determine how many schools are a sufficient number, and what shall be the limit of attend

ance.

The law, however, compels the attendance of all children between the ages of eight and fourteen for twenty weeks in the year; but the committees may admit pupils before they are eight, and continue them until after they are fourteen.

It is of great importance to the schools and to the towns that no more than a sufficient number of schools are attempted to be maintained.

If the schools are small, money, time, and efficiency are sure to be wasted.

A school of thirty pupils may be supported almost as easily as one of five.

A teacher can teach the one in the same time as is required for the other, and with far greater enthusiasm.

Pupils also are stimulated by the presence of numbers, and they always accomplish more in classes of a proper size.

I would, then, recommend that the towns unite their very small schools, if they happen to have any, into larger ones. If necessary, a small appropriation may be made for the transportation of those pupils who would otherwise be obliged to walk a long distance.

This plan is already adopted in many towns, and wherever it has been faithfully tried it has proved eminently satisfactory. Have the school committees a right to determine the number of schools a town shall maintain?

The courts have decided that the power of general superintendence vests a plenary authority in the committee to determine