(From reports of Hon. John W. Dickinson, secretary of State board of education, for the two years indicated.)

STATE SCHOOL SYSTEM.

GENERAL CONDITION.

The summary indicates that the public schools continue to grow with the growth of the State in population and wealth. An increase of 7,615 in children of school age was met by 89 new schools. While the whole enrollment decreased by more than 2,000, the average membership for the year increased by nearly 5,000 and the average attendance by 5,787, raising the ratio of average attendance based on mèmbership to 90 per cent. The ratio of average membership to youth of school age slightly decreases annually, corresponding to a steady decrease in the number of very young children enrolled, and probably due to a more enlightened public sentiment as to the proper age at which school life should begin. The total expenditure on public schools was about $518,000 more than for the previous year, a considerable part of this being due to the operation of the free text book law. Too many changes in the corps of teachers is shown by the excess of the number actually employed over that necessary to supply the schools. As a remedy it is suggested that in country towns, where most of this change occurs, teachers be elected for the year, instead of for the term. Evening schools increased in number, enrollment, and attendance. The slight decrease in the number of high schools is due rather to a change in name than to any actual change in the character of the schools, while the number and elegance of the buildings recently erected for them shows a continued confidence and support on the part of the people.

A steady improvement in the equipments for teaching; in school-houses and care of them; in apparatus; in the introduction of supplementary reading; in the supply of free text-books, in some instances resulting in improved attendance; and in better provision for truants, -is reported; while the evidence of progress in the improvement in school discipline, a healthy stimulation having taken the place of compulsion, causing corporal punishment to become as unnecessary as it is unpopular, is most encouraging. But in these respects only is there progress. Improvement in methods was limited to individual schools; often to one branch of study in a single school, generally the work of a trained teacher or an experienced committee-man. The great need of the schools was for more good teachers and better supervision, especially the latter, since a good superintendent will be sure to have good teachers. Special provision is recommended for the training of superintendents in colleges having schools of pedagogy and in the State normals, women, as well as men, being competent to do effective work in this field. While it is at present impossible to supply every school with a good teacher, every town may have a good superintendent; and, in order that uniform progress may be made throughout the State, the system of superintendency should be extended to all the towns.

ADMINISTRATION.

A State board of education of 10 members, 8 appointed by the governor, who presides, has general charge of State school interests, aided by a secretary chosen by the board and by 3 officers styled agents of the board, whose duties are to visit the different sections of the State, inspect schools, hold institutes, and stimulate school officers and teachers to effective work. Cities and towns have each a school committee of 3 members or some multiple of 3, elected by the people for terms of 3 years. No person is ineligible on account of sex.

Schools must be maintained for at least 6 months each year, under competent instructors, and all children 5 to 15 years of age must attend, unless elsewhere instructed. The employment of children under 10 years of age in any manufacturing, mechanical, or mercantile establishment is forbidden, and no child under 14 may be so employed, except during the vacations of the public schools, unless in the year preceding he has had at least 20 weeks instruction in some school approved by the school committec. All persons who employ children contrary to the law, and parents or guardians consenting to such employment, are liable to a fine of $20 to $50. The State system comprises high and normal schools, teachers' institutes, reform schools, and schools for the deaf, blind, and feeble-minded. Any town may, and every city and town of 10,000 or more inhabitants must, annually make provision for giving free instruction in industrial or mechanical drawing to persons over 15 years of age, in either day or evening schools under the school committee. Industrial, nautical, and union schools are also provided for, with schools for the education of persons over 12 years of age. School committees prescribe the text-books used, procure them at the expense of th town, and must furnish them free of charge to all pupils not supplied by parents guardians. Towns and cities may also by vote authorize the committee to lend th requisite books to all the pupils, under such regulations as may be considered necessary.

SCHOOL FINANCES.

Public schools are supported from the income of a State school fund and from taxes voted by the people. Towns determine at their annual meeting the amount of funds necessary to the support of their public schools; and any town refusing or neglecting to raise such money forfeits a sum equal to twice the highest ever voted for the support of schools therein.

SCHOOL SYSTEMS OF CITIES AND TOWNS WITH 7,500 OR MORE INHABITANTS.

ADMINISTRATION.

School committees of 3 members or some multiple of 3, chosen for 3 years, have charge of the public schools, generally with the assistance of a superintendent. Boston, besides a superintendent, has 6 supervisors for special parts of the school work.

d Exclusive of evening schools.

e Four hundred and twenty pupils withdrawn after being enrolled at the beginning of the year, thus effecting the relation of the average attendance to enrollment.

Boston comprised in her public school system, during the year, 454 primary, 50 grammar, and 10 Latin and high schools, a normal school, 14 evening and 5 evening drawing schools, a school for the deaf, and one for licensed minors. The last, for newsboys, boot-blacks, and others who could attend but a few hours each day, was discontinued in September, 1885, the pupils being received into the ungraded classes of the ordinary public schools. The superintendent notes a continuation of the decrease formerly mentioned in attendance of the younger pupils. This is supposed to be chiefly caused by insufficiency of primary school accommodations in some parts of

the city, and it is hoped that the completion of houses in process of erection will arrest the evil. It is recommended, however, that the matter be carefully looked into in each district, and, if possible, the primary schools be made more attractive to parents of young children, and that such parents be made better acquainted with the advantages of the schools. No striking changes are, noted in the management of the primary and grammar schools, but marked improvement is reported almost everywhere. Extracts from reports of supervisors show that care is being taken to avoid overpressure, and to teach children to see, to think, and to express thoughts, for themselves. Continued use of supplementary reading causes it to be appreciated more and more in every grade. In the primary schools such reading is used mainly for additional practice; in others it serves also as a means of imparting knowledge. The course of study has been amended by the introduction of physiology and hygiene, including a study of the effects of alcoholic drinks, stimulants, and narcotics on the human system. The new law requiring all text-books and school supplies to be furnished at the expense of the city has somewhat increased the expenditure for the year, but only by about $1.22 per capita; and it is believed that even this amount will be greatly reduced during succeeding years, the expeuse for the first year being necessarily greater than for those following.

The 13 evening elementary schools are said to have been well taught and well attended, having good accommodations in the day school buildings. The evening high school, taught in the rooms of the High and Latin School building, is reported to have filled a much needed place in the school system. An indication of the appreciation in which the evening school instruction is held may be seen in the fact that '70 per cent. of the average number of 3,117 pupils belonging were in average daily attendance.

Experiments recently made by the board in combining manual training with public school work have resulted satisfactorily. Instruction in carpentry was given for 2 hours a week to 200 boys belonging to 10 different grammar schools, no boy being taken who was not 14 or who had not the expressed permission of his parents to receive the instruction. A very lively interest was shown by all the boys in this new study, and at the close of the first year, in March, 1885, it had been fully demonstrated that this class of work can be joined to that of the ordinary grammar school with good effect. An equally successful experiment was made later in the year for the benefit of the girls, who in two different parts of the city were taught cookery. The special committee of the board in charge of these schools speaks of their success in the warmest terms and recommends the establishment of others.

Brockton reports an average year in respect to efficiency in the schools, which, in some cases, were overcrowded. Commendable progress was made by pupils in the evening school. The recent establishment of the office of city school superintendent is expected to give a new impetus to education. Though some parents regard the compulsory attendance law a hardship, manufacturers generally acknowledge the propriety of it.

In Brookline fewer changes than usual were made in the corps of teachers; the per cent. to be attained in examinations for promotions was raised from 60 to 65; school accommodations were enlarged; satisfactory work was noted in the high school as well as in the evening school, which was fast becoming a valuable aid in reaching those who cannot attend during the day. An industrial school, taught 10 weeks during the summer under the auspices of the school committee, gave excellent satisfaction. Pupils ranging in age from 10 to 15 were taught to use tools. An appropriation was made to continue the school the following year.

Cambridge reports (for the calendar year 1884) no change in school curriculum or management. The teachers, as a whole, were faithful and painstaking, but many of the schools were overcrowded, including the high school, in which the attendance was 50 more than the previous year. A training class for teachers was organized during the year with satisfactory results. Four evening schools were taught, the most serious difficulty in the way of their usefulness being irregularity of attendance, measures for correcting which were taken. Increased interest in drawing was expected to follow the appointment of a special lady teacher, which was made during the year. The evening class in free-hand drawing opened in October, with 104 scholars; the mechanical class with 66; the former giving instruction in perspective free-hand outlining in pencil, and shading in crayon, also in industrial designing; the latter instructing in geometry, isometric and orthographic projection, machine-drawing, and building construction. An experiment was made here, also, in industrial training in connection with public school instruction. Sixty boys selected from the various grammar schools spent half a day each week in carpentry work, only those being chosen who could maintain their standing in other studies with the loss of half a day each week. Great interest in the work was shown by the pupils and good progress was made, and the masters all gave cordial support to the experiment. All, however, are not entirely agreed as to the effect of the half day's absence on the

other studies.

Chelsea maintained 77 public schools during 1884-'85, the same number as the previous year, but this year had them all housed in buildings belonging to the city, which was not previously the case. Increased accommodations were provided, but these barely kept pace with the increased demand. The course of study in the high school was revised and brought more into harmony with modern ideas and needs; evening schools were well taught and well attended by pupils ranging from 11 to 57 years of age; and the evening drawing school, with 65 pupils, including both sexes and representing various trades and occupations, did good work.

Fitchburg reports in 1884-85 a considerable increase in number of pupils enrolled and in average daily attendance, which is attributed in part to the operation of the new text-book law, whose results thus far have been for the most part beneficial. The subject of half-time schools has been under consideration, and a number were established during the year among the primary and secondary grades as a matter of necessity, though there is a general opinion that three hours a day is sufficient time for pupils from 5 to 7 to spend in school work. The half-time schools made as good progress as they would have done had they remained in session the whole day. Two evening schools were successfully taught, one being larger and more efficient than any previously sustained in the city.

The school population has increased during the past five years by 23 per cent., and the average daily attendance on public schools by 30 per cent.

Gloucester reports a larger number of pupils enrolled than during the previous year, but an increase in average attendance less marked, owing to a prevalence of epidemic diseases. Aside from such causes, the average attendance was all that could be desired, and this regularity is secured by the strong public sentiment in the schools. It is considered dishonorable to break the record except for sickness or such urgent necessity. Discipline in the schools is excellent, having greatly improved during the past few years, owing to a change of methods on the part of teachers, who have come to rely largely on moral forces, on the power of pleasant tones and cheerful looks, and on the sense of justice in children. The books furnished under the free text-book law were generally in excellent condition, and it seems probable that with the extra care given them under the present system they will last twice as long as formerly, while the pupils will learn an important lesson in carefulness and cleanli

ness.

Holyoke reports a constantly increasing school population and a corresponding public school enrollment and attendance, which have necessitated increased school accommodations; good progress made in all the schools in arithmetic and in the practical use of language, while improvement in reading has been less noticeable; special attention given to vocal music with good results; attendance in evening schools was so irregular as to render their usefulness questionable.

The truant officer finds that while the law relating to the employment of youth 14 to 16 is not universally observed, generally through inattention on the part of employers, nearly all such youth in the city were able to read and write, his last tour of inspection having discovered only 14 out of 811 of that age who were unable.

Lowell reports an increased number of pupils attending the high and grammar schools during 1884, while the prevalence of contagious diseases reduced attendance in primary grades. Useful work is reported in the evening schools, of which 9 were taught, 8 elementary and 1 high. Certain changes were adopted in the management of the latter; it was modeled as nearly as practicable on the plan of the Boston evening high; 6 rooms in the day high school building and a corps of 7 teachers were placed at its disposal, a course of study adopted, and the school placed on an equal footing with the day school. As one of the results, it is noted that the average attendance during the months of November and December, 1884, was 84 per cent. of the membership, against 40 per cent. for the same months of the previous year. Music is a recognized study in the public schools and its importance understood; penmanship and drawing received due attention under a special teacher, with satisfactory results, and the free evening drawing schools were in good condition, enrolling 541 pupils at the beginning of the term 1884-'85.

Lynn reports a course of study during 1884 nearly the same as the previous year, the only change being a further omission of non-essentials and the introduction of mental arithmetic into the 3 upper grammar grades. The objective method is followed in the primary schools, spelling being taught chiefly by means of writing. The progress in music, writing, and drawing, directed by special teachers, was satisfactory. Music is taught in all the grades, note singing prevailing from the very first, and in the high school pupils are able to read music at sight. Additions were made to school accommodations, but more were needed. A sanitary committee was doing much for the health of pupils in drainage of school yards, provision of better light, and other improvements. Evening schools had a larger attendance than usual, and good practical work was do e in them; but the problem of how to secure regularity of attendance had not yet been solved. The number of pupils enrolled was 554; average attendance, 246.