11

EXTRACTS FROM SCHOOL REPORTS.

$2,219 88 Total amount due cach Dist. Districts 4 and 5 not reported.

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PAWTUCKET.

Organization. The committee, consisting of B. Carpenter, Edwin Clapp, Esq., and Rev. C. D. Church, met at the office of Dr. Carpenter, April 6th, 1867, and organized by the election of Dr. Carpenter, as Chairman, and the Rev. C. D. Church, as Secretary. Subsequently Mr. Church left town, and T. F. Lord, Esq., was elected to fill his place, and Mr. Clapp was elected Secretary.

The first business before the committee was the best mode of arranging the schools for the ensuing year, and after due deliberation, it was voted, unanimously, to employ (for one term) the teachers of the previous year, with the exception of the principal of the Grammar school.

During the first term, the committee could possess themselves of the information needed, to judge with a greater degree of accuracy, of the capabilities and fitness of the several teachers, as such.

This course was accordingly adopted, and the teachers of the previous year, (with the exception above mentioned, and two young ladies who declined serving,) were employed.

Committee Meetings and Visits.-During the school year, your committee have held twelve (12) formal, besides many informal, meetings.

They have visited all of the schools as the law requires, besides many incidental calls, of which no record has been made.

In this connection, you will allow us to call the attention of parents and guardians to the great importance of an interest, on their part, in the education of their children and wards. It is not enough, that they provide the necessary pecuniary means-furnish good and suitable rooms-procure the required books and competent teachers -they ought, also, to have a watchful eye over the pupils, and note with great care both their mental and moral progress.

Nothing tends more to the encouragement of the pupils, than to see and know that their parents and guardians take a deep and lasting interest in their success as scholars. This end can be accomplished in no way so effectually as by frequent visits to the school-room; interrogatories in relation to, and hearing of, lessons at home; seeing and knowing that the scholar is always at school, and that in good time. In these, and kindred ways, can parents, (and especially mothers,) do much, very much, to encourage the teacher, and promote the education of their children.

APPROPRIATIONS AND EXPENDITURES.

Whole amount of moneys received for public schools for

the school year of 1867-8,

Town appropriation,

$6,450 60

5,000 00

By an act of the general assembly during the last session, an additional sum of twenty thousand dollars, (20,000,) was appropriated for the benefit of the public schools in the State, to be apportioned in the same manner as the previous State school fund. We shall, therefore, have for the benefit of the public schools the present year, over and above the last, a surplus of five hundred and fifty-two dollars, forty-eight cents, plus our proportion of the additional twenty thousand dollars appropriated by the State.

Conditions and Wants.-Under this head we propose to look at the several schools separately, and give our opinions of the condition and wants of each.

1. THE SCHOOL AT LEBANON VILLAGE.

This is the only district that is not merged in the town system. It is isolated from the principal part of the town, and is, perhaps, better in its capacity as a district.

Number of scholars registered, 19.
Average attendance.

141.

It is greatly to be regretted that there is not educational interest enough in this district to furnish a suitable boarding place for a teacher. In consequence of this apathy, three different teachers have officiated in that small district during the past year, two of whom boarded at Pawtucket, and relinquished the school at the close of the term. No good school can be sustained in that district until there is interest enough amongst the citizens to provide a suitable place for a teacher to board, and thus secure the services of the same teacher for a succession of terms, if not of years.

The educational result in this school, the past year, has been far less satisfactory than it would have been could one and the same instructress have been continued through the entire year.

It is very important to the education of the children in this district that this want should be supplied.

2. SCHOOL AT PLEASANT VIEW.

This school is graded so far as the house will allow. It is divided into Primary and Intermediate departments.

Primary Department.-The Primary department, taught by Miss Jacobs, alone, registers 98 pupils. Average attendance, 62. The condition of this department, considering the accommodations, the number and ages of the scholars, is, to your committee, entirely satisfactory. The order, the moral training, the reading, the spelling, the last two of which are particularly noticeable-in fact, the entire deportment and appearance of the school would do credit to children of much larger growth.

Intermediate Department.-The Intermediate department, taught by Miss Paine and Miss Bishop, numbers 73 pupils. Average attendance, 51. It is noticeable that there are a less number of pupils in this room, with two teachers, than in the Primary department with but one. This results from the structure of the house, there being but one room in the Primary department.

The general deportment of this school (with the exception of one refractory boy of about 16 years, whom your committee were obliged to eject by physical force) is very commendable to both teachers and pupils. The advancement of the pupils in their various studies also receives the commendations of your entire committee. The great desideratum, in this locality, is a new and commodious school-house. Nor can this need be deferred much longer. There are now more scholars in attendance, many days, than there are seats for their accommodation. Stools and benches must be placed in these already crowded rooms, to supply this deficiency of proper desks. A new house, arranged for three departments and grades of scholars, is very much needed in this part of the town. Better build ten school-houses than one jail. The committee desire to call the attention of the voters, especially, to this subject.

3. PRINT WORKS SCHOOL.

This is not a graded school. It is under the instruction of Miss Wiley, an experienced teacher, and, considering the difficulties with which she has to contend, is satisfactory in its results. The pupils are very irregular in their attendance, absences and tardiness being exceedingly common.

Another very great hindrance to the advancement of the pupils in this school results from the fact that many are obliged (by order of parents) daily, or nearly so, to leave at eleven, or eleven and a half, A. M., to carry dinners to their parents at the Print Works. This is not only a hindrance to themselves, but also a very great interruption to others, and ought to be remedied. It lies with the parents to correct this and kindred evils, and if they duly appreciate the value of an education to their children they will surely do it, without delay. We desire to call the attention of parents to the magnitude of this evil, and the importance of its correction.

Whole number of scholars registered,
Average attendance,

71.

53.

4. GROVE STREET GRAMMAR SCHOOL.

This is a graded school, being divided into Grammar, Intermediate and Infant departments.

Infant Department. This department, under the instruction of Miss Baker, an experienced and very efficient teacher, assisted by Miss Martin, is in a highly praise-worthy condition. The order is good-lessons well learned, and with a view to understanding them, and recited with a volume of voice sufficient to cause themselvest to be distinctly heard in any part of the room.

Your committee are quite satisfied. with the progress made in this department, considering the disadvantages under which it, together with the other two departments, have been obliged to labor.

Whole number of scholars registered,
Average attendance,

104.

73.

Intermediate Department. This department is under the instruction of Miss Mason, who is also an experienced and efficient teacher. She took charge of this department under adverse circumstances. There was, at the time, neither moral tone nor discipline, nor habits of study, with her pupils. All these, therefore, had to be learned, the accomplishment of which was no easy task. Much, however, has been accomplished, still, much remains to be done. But since the number of pupils is not large, and the teacher is energetic, we have confidence to believe that this department will soon be brought into line.

Whole number of scholars registered,
Average attendance,

40.

35.

It is noticeable that the average attendance in this school is better than in most of the others, and very commendable.

Grammar Department.-There were many and grave difficulties to be overcome in this school before any advancement in the way of learning could be expected. Disorder ran riot, loud talking, shuffling with the feet, communicating in various ways; in fine, nearly all sorts of disturbances were the order of the day. Many of the scholars had no habits of study, and apparently no desire to acquire studious habits. In addition, the attendance was very irregular, and tardiness and truancy frequent. The "I do as I have a mind to," was the motive power through the entire school. It will readily be seen, that any teacher would have a severe trial where such a feeling existed, and under so lax a state of discipline.

During the first two terms of the year, this department was under the charge of Mr. Morell-the last term, Mr. Bisbe, assisted by Miss Nelly Burns, a very thorough and efficient teacher. Under their guidance, quite an improvement is preceptible, both in discipline and habits of study; yet much remains to be done in order to bring this school up to the stand it ought to occupy.