BRIDGEWATER.

This school has been under the charge of Mr. A. G. Boyden for the past year, and has continued to give the best practical results in its daily work, and the ultimate fruits of its instruction have given entire satisfaction to its Visitors.

Number of the graduates of 1875 who have taught since graduation, is as follows:

The 210 pupils in attendance during the year are from the following counties and States :

2.275

1,337

Number admitted since the beginning of the school,
Number graduated since the beginning of the school,

The Visitors, having ascertained that some of the pupils, after struggling for two, three or four months, were obliged to leave, either from want of proper preparation or of natural ability, determined that hereafter none should be admitted, even on conditions, who did not obtain at least fifty per cent. in the examination for admission. This course may reduce the number of pupils, but we believe it will increase the efficiency of the school, as the classes are always greatly retarded by the few who are unable to keep up with the others.

From the above statistics and the returns made to the Secretary of the Board of Education, it appears that the five counties most directly dependent upon this school for their teachers have availed themselves of its privileges, as follows, for the year 1875.

Barnstable County sends one for every 5,400 of its inhabitants; Bristol, one for every 8,200; Dukes, none for the 4,071 of its inhabitants; Nantucket, one, for every 1,100; and Plymouth, one for every 2,500.

Barnstable County sends one for every 39 teachers employed in the county; Bristol, one for every 38 teachers; Dukes, none for 36 teachers; Nantucket, one for every 4 teachers; Plymouth, one for every 17 teachers.

The graduates of this year are employed in these counties in about the same proportion.

We do not think there is any good reason for such great disparity and believe that if the people of Barnstable, Bristol and Dukes were aware of their neglect of the privileges provided for them, they would at once send more of their youth to this school for education.

These statistics indicate a steady increase in the number of pupils admitted, though the standard of admission has been raised, and a constant increase in the size of the school. The rate of increase in the number who graduate has not been quite

as large as that of the increase in the size of the school. The standard of graduation has been raised, and many other causes operate to take away pupils before graduation, though they come fully intending to take the full course. Some of the most prominent are sickness or death of parents or friends on whom the pupils are dependent, failure of funds of the parent or pupil, ill-health of the pupil, failure to do the work of the school, and the discovery of unfitness for teaching.

A large proportion of the pupils and of teachers in the State are ladies of limited means desirous of teaching as soon as may be, and liable at any time to be married. No provision in relation to admission or graduation can change this condition. There are all grades of schools in the State, from the ungraded rural district school to the thoroughly graded schools of the largest cities, and all grades of wages for teachers; and so long as anybody who will work for the wages offered can teach in some of these schools, a great many of those who propose to teach will feel that there is little need of taking a full course of study in preparation for teaching. The great need in our system of education is a higher standard of public sentiment in regard to the importance of school work, which will require every person who attempts to teach to make special preparation for this work.

Of those who do not graduate, very nearly all teach. It is not, therefore, a work of time or loss of effort to work for this portion of the school, neither is it a poor investment to educate young women for teachers who may marry soon after leaving the Normal School. Every person who catches the right spirit from the Normal School, and has learned what true teaching is, is a better parent and citizen than if he had not had this wakening. Home education is quite as important as school education.

The corps of teachers is nearly the same as for last year. Miss Mary A. Currier, the teacher of elocution for six years and a half, resigned her position at the middle of the spring term. Miss Isabelle S. Horne, a graduate of the school of oratory in Boston University, has been employed as teacher of vocal culture during the fall term. Miss Edith Leonard, a graduate from the advanced course in this school, has been added to the corps of teachers, to meet the demand occasioned by the increase in the number of pupils. Most of the teachers have been con