authority to allow the teachers in their employ to close their schools and attend upon any Institute held in term time, and in their returns to the Secretary of the Board to make no deductions for the time thus employed.

NORMAL SCHOOLS.

These most important institutions have been conducted during the past year with all their accustomed faithfulness and success on the part of both teachers and pupils. In each of the schools a goodly number have entered upon the advanced course of study for which provision has been made by the Board. In two of the schools, many during the first year have determined to pursue the full course of four years, and their studies are arranged with reference to that, while in the others the advanced class is made up of those who have graduated, and in many instances have been engaged in teaching. Experience only will prove which of these methods will secure the most satisfactory results.

The most notable events of the year have been the completion. of the enlargements of the school buildings at Salem and Bridgewater, and the preliminary steps taken for the establishment of a new Normal School at Worcester.

The work of enlarging and remodeling the Salem building was begun at the close of the summer term of 1870, and completed at the close of the corresponding term of 1871. Meanwhile the school was kindly allowed by the city authorities to occupy that portion of the adjoining building which had been occupied by the High School. As remodeled, the Normal School building is amply furnished with rooms for recitations, lectures, cabinets of natural history, and fine library and reading-room. There is also a beautiful school-room, with ample space for seating two hundred pupils. The building is one of fine proportions, and admirably adapted to its purposes, worthy alike of the Commonwealth and of the ancient city where it is situated, which has contributed liberally towards its erection and enlargement. The cost of the recent improvement, besides the land which was given by the city of Salem, has been $25,573.75.

On the 12th of May last an appropriation of $15,000 was made by the legislature for "the enlargement and reconstruction of the Normal School building at Bridgewater and for furnishing the same." Plans were procured and contracts made, so that the

work was commenced at the close of the summer term. By adding a single week to the summer vacation of eight weeks, and deducting the time from the winter vacation, the work was completed without any loss of time to the school. The enlargement consists mainly in giving an additional story to the building by raising the roof. In this story the large hall is constructed as a room for study and general exercises; while commodious and pleasant recitation, lecture and library rooms are finished in the other stories, and the whole building is furnished with an effective apparatus for heating and ventilation.

The alterations were skilfully planned and executed at a cost not exceeding the appropriation, and the completed building is altogether a commodious and satisfactory one.

It is but just to say, with respect to both the Salem and the Bridgewater buildings, that great credit is due to Mr. Hagar and Mr. Boyden for devising and procuring the admirable plans for the work at these several schools, and for assiduously overseeing the execution of them.

The plan, which has been long entertained and steadily pursued, of enlarging the capacity of the Normal Schools, so as to enable them better to supply the wants of the community, has now been completed so far as the school buildings are concerned. It only remains for the legislature to respond to the urgent requests of the Board and furnish the means of cheaper boarding, and such books, apparatus and other appliances as are indispensable for thorough teaching in order that these schools may continue to be, what they were designed by their enlightened founders to be, most powerful and beneficent agencies in our educational system.

On this subject I beg leave to refer to the opinions expressed in my last report, with the single remark, that every day's observation and experience in the great service to which you have called me, have served only to deepen and strengthen my sense of the importance of the convictions there expressed.

NEW NORMAL SCHOOL.

In their report for 1869, the Board recommended the establishment of a new Normal School in the county of Worcester. The recommendation was renewed in the report for 1870. In response to these, and to petitions from several towns in that county, the legislature, at the last session, passed the following resolves :

CHAP. 79.

RESOLVES to establish a Normal School in Worcester.

Resolved, That the board of education are hereby authorized and required to establish a state normal school in the city of Worcester, and that the sum of sixty thousand dollars is hereby appropriated to defray the expenses of erecting a suitable building and furnishing the necessary appurtenances and apparatus for said. school, and that the same be expended under the direction of the board of education, upon whose requisition the governor is hereby authorized to draw his warrant for the amount aforesaid to be paid from the school fund: provided, that the deficit of income of the school fund occasioned by such payment shall be deducted from the moiety of the income of said fund applicable to educational purposes, in such manner as not to affect the amount to be apportioned and distributed for the support of public schools.

Resolved, That the trustees of the Worcester Lunatic Hospital are hereby authorized and required to convey to the board of education and its successors, in trust for the Commonwealth, a tract of land situated in said city of Worcester of not more than five acres, to be located by the governor and council, east of a line drawn one hundred and seventy feet east of the easterly line of Mulberry Street, and north of a line drawn five hundred feet south of the southerly line of Prospect Street, when extended east as proposed; and west of the westerly line of Wilmot Street, when extended southerly as proposed; the conveyance of said land to include a right of way thereto from East Central Street, the location whereof shall be determined and fixed by the governor and council, if, in their opinion, said right of way is necessary and desirable.

Resolved, That the city of Worcester is hereby authorized to lay out and extend Prospect Street, from its present easterly terminus to its intersection with the proposed line of the prolongation of Wilmot Street; also to extend Wilmot Street southerly to the proposed intersection with the extension of Prospect Street, and from that point southerly to East Central Street.

Resolved, That the value of said land shall be determined and fixed by the governor and council, and the amount shall be credited by the treasurer of the Commonwealth to the fund created by the provisions of section four of chapter two hundred and thirty-eight of the acts of the year eighteen hundred and seventy.

Resolved, That the city council of the city of Worcester may raise by taxation or otherwise, the sum of fifteen thousand dollars, and may pay the same to the board of education for the purposes named in these resolves provided, that these resolves shall not take effect until the city of Worcester or the inhabitants thereof shall have paid to the

board of education the sum of fifteen thousand dollars to aid in the erection and furnishing of the building for said school. [Approved May 26, 1871.

The city of Worcester having complied with the condition required in said resolves, the governor and council proceeded in the month of September to locate five acres of land, including a right of way thereto of one hundred feet in width, and to determine the value of the land which was fixed at $25,000 to be credited by the Commonwealth to the Worcester Lunatic Hospital Fund, and the proper conveyances of the land thereupon were made by the trustees of the Hospital.

At the quarterly meeting on the first Wednesday of October, the Board appointed a Building Committee consisting of Messrs. Chapin, Rice, Philbrick and the Secretary, with instructions to procure suitable plans for a building, and power to employ an architect. A. R. Esty, Esq., of Framingham, an architect of well known ability, and having much experience in the construction of public buildings, and who had constructed the Normal School building and boarding-house at Framingham, was employed to prepare, for the consideration of the Board, a plan for a building with proper accommodations for a school of two hundred pupils.

The plan devised by Mr. Esty proving eminently satisfactory, both to the committee and the Board, the committee were authorized to cause full specifications to be made, and to place the work under contract. I am happy to say that this has been done. Skilful and responsible parties have entered into contract to construct the edifice at prices which will bring the cost of the building and the furnishing of it within the means placed at the disposal of the Board.

The material will be stone taken from a neighboring quarry, with facings of Concord granite, and it is expected that the building will be completed and ready for the fifth Normal School of the Commonwealth, at the opening of the fall term of 1873.

It is a matter of sincere congratulation not only by the Board, but also by the friends of Public Schools throughout the Commonwealth, that this important step has been taken-the first after an interval of eighteen years since the establishment of the Salem Normal School-and that the new school is to have a home in a city so central, so accessible by numerous railways, and so distin

guished for the enlightened zeal and munificence ever displayed by its citizens in behalf of its Public Schools. Nor can I doubt that the wise policy, first adopted in this country by Massachusetts, of providing, at the public expense, for the thorough professional training of the teachers of her Public Schools, now so auspiciously revived, will not be suffered again to slumber so long, and that other schools of a like character will be freely established, as the wants of the Public Schools and of particular localities shall demand.

I subjoin a statement of the cost of the several Normal School lands and buildings, with fixtures, &c., and their present value by estimation.

In addition to the contributions of $4,500 by the town and railroad towards the first cost of the school building, the lot upon