USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Quincy > Inaugural address of the mayor, with the annual report of the officers of the city of Quincy for the year 1904 > Part 21
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When one considers the modern construction and equip- ment of school buildings, the additional advantages offered in courses of instruction, the introduction of teachers of special subjects, the higher standards of professional training of teach- ers, the added expense of free textbooks and supplies, the marked increase in High school attendance, the introduction of laboratory methods of teaching, the general increase in living expenses and in salaries, he takes it for granted that schools should cost more to-day than they did thirty years ago. With modern methods of heating and ventilating school buildings not only is the quantity of fuel largely increased but also the janitor expenses, because such systems require the services of licensed engineers. During the period under consideration janitor ex- penses have increased 367 per cent. while the total ex- penses have increased only 248 per cent, and yet our janitors are not over paid. Again the membership of the High school has increased over 900 per cent, and this is by far the most ex- pensive part of the school system, costing about twice as much
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per pupil as in the elementary grades, but the cost of our High school is exceptionally small being about half as much per capita as it is in many of the city high schools of the state. The won- der is that in the schools of Quincy the increase in the average cost per pupil should be so small. There are several reasons for this. First, the salaries of teachers are very low ; then, the av- erage number of pupils assigned to a teacher is large, averaging about 45 pupils to a room below the High school ; again, the number of male teachers in the corps is relatively small ; and, finally, in late years at least, the schools have often been inade- quately equipped with apparatus and the pupils with books and supplies. Curtailment here soon ceases to be true economy. It is like erecting an expensive manufactory, hiring operatives and furnishing raw materials, but providing no machinery with which to work. The five years from 1890 to 1894 inclusive were the most expensive during the last thirty and they were far from excessive. Since 1897 there has been a gradual de- crease in expenses.
As certain very erroneous and misleading statements in re- gard to the cost of books, supplies and sundries in Quincy as compared with the same items in other cities of the state, have been made in public by responsible persons, it seems appro- priate to present the following table which has been compiled from data furnished directly from the school departments of the cities named. In order to find a common basis of reckoning all rent, repairs, furniture and salaries had to be eliminated as most. cities do not include such items in their sundries account.
TABLE II.
The table presents statistics for the year 1903 of all the Massachusetts cities having less than 10,000 pupils and shows : 1, the average membership of the schools ; 2, the average mem- bership of the high school; 3, the average taxation cost per pupil, exclusive of repairs, based on the average membership ; 4, the average cost per pupil including the amount raised by taxation and that received from special funds, such as the Rock Island fund in Quincy ; 5, the average cost per pupil for books, supplies and sundries.
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Newton,
5,630
777
$36.56
$36.59
$3.29
Holyoke,
5,818
527
32.38
32.39
2.38
New Bedford,
8,193
436
31.41
31.70
2.35
Fitchburg,
3,893
444
31.06
31.22
3.31
Waltham,
3,064
330
30.06
30.06
2.17
Salem,
4,408
464
29.51
29.51
2.07
Lawrence,
7,325
563
29.48
29.48
2.03
Beverly,
2,385
305
29.34
29.34
3.46
Malden.
5,955
602
29.01
29.17
2.69
Melrose,
2,739
370
28.70
29.24
3.02
North Adams,
3,066
232
28.68
28.68
2.14
Haverhill,
4,980
465
27.84
27.94
2.25
Medford,
3,678
492
27.57
27.61
2.50
Chicopee,
2,345
140
26.35
26.38
2.04
Northampton,
2,749
281
26.32
27.17
2.35
Brockton,
6,864.
603
25.77
25.79
2.35
Lynn,
9,322
744
25.57
25.64
2.01
Taunton,
4,480
402
25.45
26.14
2.22
Everett,
5,562
315
24.78
24.78
2.49
Marlborough,
2,123
274
24.77
24.84
2.21
Pittsfield,
3,585
269
24.25
24.25
2.10
Chelsea,
5,787
333
23.48
23.73
1.62
Newburyport,
1,797
247
21.49
22.83
1.63
Quincy,
5,112
483
21.71
21.75
1.63
Woburn,
2,777
302
20.49
20.73
1.43
Gloucester,
4,570
377
19.81
19.81
1.33
Average for State,
$28.38
$29.63
Average for Norfolk County, 30.01
30.93
At first glance it seems that Chelsea had the doubtful honor of being more parsimonious in the matter of books, supplies and sundries, than Quincy, but a closer examination proves the inference a mistake. Although she spent one cent per pupil less than Quincy did, Quincy had 150 more pupils in her High school than Chelsea had. The per capita cost of books, supplies and sundries in the High school is from two to three times as much as in the elementary schools. Reckoning the
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cost as only twice as large and making the necessary readjust- ment, it would make the cost in Quincy five cents less per pupil. If the per capita cost for all school expenses in Quincy had been the same as it was in Chelsea, the schools would have cost the tax payers $9,248.24 or $1.77 per pupil more than they did. Using the data of column 4 the increase in cost would have been $10,121.76 or $1.98 more per pupil.
The fact is of the thirty-three cities in Massachusetts only two, Woburn and Gloucester, spent in 1903 less per pupil for books, supplies and sundries and for all school expenses, than Quincy.
While the general tendency throughout the state has been to increase the per capita appropriation for schools the tendency in Quincy has been, especially since 1897, to reduce it until the city has fallen far below its relative position in 1879 and has already passed the point where curtailment ceases to be econ- omy and where less money means inferior schools. When the annual expenditure for books, supplies and sundries falls for several years below $2. a pupil, the equipment of the buildings and of the pupils is inadequate and the work of the schools crippled. Under ordinary conditions this sum will provide the bare essentials but will not furnish many convenient and de- sirable things beyond. Scant school funds always mean diminished opportunities for the children. They must bear the burden. There is no doubt that the people of Quincy desire
and are willing to pay for good schools. There is also no doubt that such schools will cost about the same here as else- where in the state. To continually cut the school appropriation and still expect the schools to improve or even to maintain a high degree of efficiency is both unreasonable and unjust to those having them in charge.
If all appropriations have been scrutinized as critically as those for the schools, if the community has received as large returns for every dollar expended as it has from these appro- priations, if all departments of the city have been administered as carefully and as economically as has been the school depart- ment during the last thirty years, the people of Quincy are fortunate and are to be congratulated.
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Sight and Hearing of School Children
Sight and hearing are the two senses through which the mind usually acquires a large part of its knowledge of the external world and through which pupils in the common schools receive most of their instruction. Eye and ear are in constant use. If these be defective and the defects are not corrected, one's ideas, perceptions and thoughts are sure to be incomplete and abnormal. It is profoundly important during the period when one is acquiring his stock of primary ideas, is becoming acquainted with the material world and receiving his elementary education, that his sense impressions be full and correct, not only because they are essential to accurate knowl- edge and fundamental in all thinking, but because they are indispensable to progress in education by the usual methods. And the evil consequences of defective vision and hearing are not confined to the intellectual side of life, for often the health, disposition and conduct are seriously disturbed. Many school children who appear dull and inattentive, who are nervous, irritable, morose or disorderly, who suffer from headache, dizziness, nausea or pains in the eyes, owe these ills largely or wholly to such defects. Generally neither they nor their parents nor their teachers are aware of the cause of their troubles. The examination of hundreds of thousands of school children has demonstrated that from twenty-five to thirty five per cent. of them need the services of an oculist or of an aurist or of both before these handicaps can be removed and the children be able to receive the full benefits of instruction. In Utica, New York, an examination of over 6,000 pupils showed that about thirty-five per cent. were defective and the report says "Our tests revealed many sad and critical cases which were remedi- able because discovered at this stage of development. Many parents could not strongly enough express their gratitude to the teachers. Cases of what had been considered dullness or willful inattention on the part of pupils were shown to have been due to inability to see or hear." In Chicago it was found that on entering school at the age of six years thirty-two per
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cent. of the pupils had defective eyes. In the schools thirty- seven per cent. of the girls and thirty-two per cent. of the boys, or an average of thirty-five per cent. were defective and these tests were made by an expert. In Minneapolis out of 25,696 pupils examined 8,166 or thirty-two per cent. had defective eyesight. Similar conditions differing only in degree, have been found wherever tests have been made. Dr. Lewis S. Somers in his prize essay, The Medical Inspection of Schools, says,-"Contagious eye affections are common in the schools and, unless properly handled, give rise on frequent occasions to more or less disseminated epidemics. Their frequency may be judged from the fact that 55 cases were found in the Chicago schools during a period of four months; 113 cases were found in Boston in 1900 ;- 87 in New York in two weeks; 397 in Philadelphia in nine months, and in Newark in four months 289 cases were found." The results of examinations in Boston, Worcester, Lowell, Somerville, Wellesley, Hyde Park and else- where in this state are a sufficient answer to those who are in- clined to disparage such tests.
We build expensive buildings, equip them with apparatus, require proper sanitary conditions, demand efficient teachers and compel the child to go to school but neglect to ascertain whether he is in suitable physical condition to do the work re- quired and to utilize the opportunities provided, or whether, on account of some disease, his presence may not be a menace to other pupils. Our educational opportunities are none too rich nor are the means of instruction too carefully prepared, but these agencies must fail in their purpose whenever the pupil, on ac- count of inability or of abnormal physical condition, is unable to grasp them or to profit by them. We wait for years of dis- couragement and fruitless struggle to demonstrate his inability, and even then make no careful examination of the child to learn the cause of his failure and to seek relief for him either by correcting physical defects or by special training, but tolerate him as best we can, keep him two or three years in each grade, then pass him along on account of his age and, finally, allow him to drop out of school and to enter the battle of life
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without armor and without equipment. These things ought not so to be. We should as far as possible ascertain his condition at the beginning in order that such defects as are remediable may be corrected and that the children requiring special care for training may receive it. The time will come when medical inspection of the schools will be the rule rather than the ex- ception and when the important relation of the physical con- dition of the pupils to their educational progress will be ap- preciated.
In the schools of this state the sight and hearing of the children have been neglected. In a few places they have received some attention but not regularly and systematically. In Connecticut the state law requires an examination of the hear- ing and sight of all school children once in three years. In Los Angeles, Cal., such tests are made every year.
During the last year, for the first time, a careful although non-professional examination was made of the sight and hear- ing of the pupils in the public schools of this city. In making the tests we had the advice of Dr. David W. Wells of Boston, a well-known oculist who had given much study to the special subject of defective sight and hearing of school children and who had either directed or had personal charge of the examin- ation of the pupils in several towns. He first gave a lecture dealing with the symptoms and results of such defects before all the teachers, then met the principals to instruct them how to make and record the tests, and later looked over the records to mark such as indicated defects sufficiently grave to require professional advice. He did not, however, enter any of the schools or see any of the pupils and requested that none of them be sent to him for treatment. We certainly are under deep obligation to Dr. Wells for his most valuable and generous services.
The tests were made without tampering in any way with the eyes or ears of the children. As these organs were never touched during the examinations, the children suffered no in- convenience and were in no danger whatever. Each eye was tested separately first for "distant vision" by placing a large
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card having ten lines of letters varying in size from five-eighths to three inches clearly printed upon it, in good light about one meter from the floor and five meters from the child and by hold- ing a card in front of the other eye. The numbers of lines the child could read beginning with the largest type indicated the number of tenths of normal vision for the eye being tested. The "near point" for each eye was found by fixing the shortest distance in centimeters at which the child could read diamond type, the other eye being covered as before. "Color sense" or color blindness was treated by the success or failure of the child in sorting small skeins of colored worsted. The condition of the hearing was determined for each ear by the greatest number of inches at which the child could hear the tick of a standardized watch, fifty inches indicating normal power. The hearing tests proved least satisfactory because deafness varies considerably from day to day in the same individual.
The following card will make clearer the character and scope of the examination :-
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PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF QUINCY, MASS. SIGHT AND HEARING TESTS.
Pupil,
School.
RADE
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
X
XI
XII
RX
Date Age
190
190
190
190
190
190
190
190
190
190
190
190
istant Vision 5 meters Metric System.
R
L
istant Vision with Classes
R
(if worn)
ear Point for iamond Type
R
Centimeters)
L
Color Sense ormal D-Defective
yes ache after use ?
zadache ?
ow !?
oss-eye :?
d or Crusted Lids ?
R
aring Tatch, inches)
L
rache ?
charge from Car?
wuth Breather?
und Defective " Sight, 7 or less ?" Hearing 36-50 r less
," Diseased
te of Notice to rent or Guardian
s Notice Heeded ?
sults : Vision Hearing Scholarship Deportment
Indicate improvement resulting from treatment of defects by "Imp.," great improvement by "G. I.," and no im- vement by "N. Į."
1
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To the parents or guardians of children whose record in- dicated defects serious enough to interfere with their school work or to require treatment the following notice was sent :
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT. QUINCY, MASS. 190
To the Parent or Guardian :--
The examination of the Sight and Hearing of
shows that he is sufficiently defective in. to interfere seriously with his progress in school. You are earn- estly requested to advise with your family physician as to treat- ment or whom to consult.
Yours respectfully,
Teacher.
(THIS SLIP TO BE RETURNED TO THE TEACHER.)
I have examined the sight
hearing of Recommendations to the Teacher :
M. D.
Although less than twenty-five per cent. of the slips attached to the notices were returned to the teachers a much larger number of the notices were effective in securing for the children the needed attention.
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While it is not claimed for these tests that they possess the accuracy of a specialist, it is claimed that they were sufficiently accurate for the purposes for which they were given and that the results fully justify the wisdom of making them. Many serious cases were discovered, but one deserves special mention. It was that of a little girl whose eyes were found by the special- ist to be in such condition that she was likely to become totally blind unless she was taken from school at once and received very careful treatment. The discovery of this case alone was ample return for the time and expense of the entire examina- tion. Two or three were found with diseases of eye or ear which a professional examination proved to be seriously threat- ening the sight or hearing. Others were found with diseases liable to be communicated to their schoolmates, especially when they used the same towels. Several pupils were much surprised to find that they were nearly blind in one eye or nearly deaf in one ear.
There have been many cases of marked improvement not only in scholarship, but in conduct where the defects have been corrected. The handwriting of some has undergone a gratify- ing transformation ; others have already attained a rank in their studies much above their previous record ; others are no longer troubled with headache or pains in their eyes. In many cases attention, interest and ambition have displaced indifference and dullness ; and in several instances the change in deportment has been as commendable as it has noticeable.
The examination and its results have clearly demonstrated :
1. That there is great need of regular medical inspection of the schools.
2. That about one-third of the pupils are sufficiently de- fective in eye or ear or both to interfere with their progress and to require professional treatment.
3. That a large majority of the pupils and their parents are entirely unaware of these defects, and that in some cases when they know the facts they try to conceal them.
4. That many children considered dull and inattentive or who are disorderly and troublesome need only the services of an
.
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oculist or an aurist to enable them to keep up with their classes and to correct their conduct.
5. That teachers knowing that certain pupils are near- sighted or hard of hearing are able to give such pupils the most favorable seats and special attention.
6. That most parents appreciate every rational effort to guard the health or to improve the educational possibilities of their children.
7. That it is the duty of every school board to consider seriously the most feasible and effective method of ascertaining regularly the physical condition of the children under its charge.
Attention is called to the report of Dr. Wells which follows.
Respectfully submitted,
FRANK E. PARLIN .. December 31, 1904.
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Frank E. Parlin, Superintendent of Schools :
DEAR SIR :- I herewith submit a report of my study of the teachers' summaries of the sight and hearing tests of the school children of Quincy.
It should be understood that nothing short of a personal examination of each child by an experienced oculist would suf- fice to detect all who may be suffering from eye strain. By the plan adopted of having tests made by the teachers, it is expected to find only the most serious cases, those who are manifestly de- fective in sight and hearing.
I personally examined the individual cards on which the tests were recorded and decided which should be considered defective. Just where to draw the line is a somewhat arbitrary matter.
It was thought conservative to class as defective sight re- duced to .7 of normal, and inability to hear beyond 36 inches the tick of a watch which the normal ear hears at 50 inches. The voice test is probably more trustworthy than the tick of a standard watch, but although various methods have been pro- posed there seems to be no practical method of securing a standard voice separate from the person of the trained aurist.
I am indebted to Dr. H. P. Bellows and Dr. F. W. Colburn for valuable advice in standardizing the watch. Some cases were marked defective whose sight was even better than the standard adopted, if there was a history of headache or pain in the eyes, because "eye strain" does not necessarily mean poor sight.
Certain defects can be overcome by excessive focusing and it is just this unnatural effort which most frequently causes dis- comfort. Also all cases of cross eyes were included for, if treated early a cure can often be effected without operation, and the sight of the turned eye preserved.
The sight of the crossed eye may be poor from birth, but even if good, it deteriorates from 'disuse, unless some method is adopted to compel the use of the eye. The possibility of an in -- flamed eye being a contagious disease is evidently a sufficient ex --
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cuse for referring the case to the family physician, in order to safeguard the healthy. The same may be said of a discharge from the ear.
The number of cases of "running ears" is certainly above the average of such statistics. The high percentage in certain schools would seem to indicate that you have suffered a veritable- epidemic of ear disease.
The results of Tests are as follows :
Number Examined.
Defective Sight. 338 19%
Defective Hearing.
Disease of Eye. 129 7%
Disease of Ear.
Primary
1st-4th
1738
Inclusive
Grammar
335
327
157
92
5th-8th
2052
17%'
15%
7%
4%
Inclusive
High
132
42
24
8
9th to 12th
514
25%
8%
4%
1%
Inclusive
3
805
593
310
186
Totals
S
4304
19%
14%
7%
Color Blind, 29 Boys, 3 Girls. Total 32 =. 7%.
The above figures do not vary very much from those ob- tained in other cities. The fact that thirty per cent., of the total number are suffering from serious defect in sight or hear- ing is a sufficient answer to any insinuation that the work is unnecessary.
The amount of defective hearing is greatly in excess of any previous tests of which I have had charge. Undoubtedly this is due to the "epidemic" of ear disease to which reference has been made. The proper treatment of these cases will cure a large proportion and improve the hearing.
Color Blindness, of which there are thirty-two cases, (twenty-nine boys, ) is incurable. Nevertheless it may be of inestimable advantage to some of these pupils to know their limitations before devoting time and money in preparing them- selves for vocations in which normal color perception is essen- tial.
224 13%
86
5%
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The increased percentage of defective eye sight in the High School is in conformity with other available statistics, and shows conclusively that schooling does injure the eyes the de- fects of which are not carly remedied.
No attempt has been made to determine the nature of the defects as this is manifestly beyond the scope of a lay exami- nation. The sole question has been, has the child sufficient defect in sight or hearing to handicap him in the race for knowledge ?
The demoralization of being thought dull when the cause is a physical defect is not easily set down in figures. Testi- monials of improvement in scholarship, deportment and enthu- siasm, after such defects have been remedied, are sufficiently uni- versal to convince the most skeptical.
The most important question is, how many parents have co-operated in this most laudable endeavor to help their child- ren ? Unless your efforts have met with a general response, your work has been in vain. It is a matter of regret that so many who did seek treatment failed to return the slip which would have furnished reliable information on this point. Some misguided parents take offense at being told that their children are defective in anything, and are so prejudiced about wearing glasses that they refuse to believe that they are needed. I sug- gest that your teachers be instructed to make a systematic can- vass of their respective schools, that we may have a definite answer.
Probably some mistakes have been made, but I have never seen a body of teachers undertake a work of this sort, necessi- tating a great deal of labor, with so much enthusiasm. The in- dividual cards, all of which I inspected critically, showed an intelligent comprehension of the subject.
You will please express to them my appreciation of their very kind co-operation. Allow me to congratulate you upon the loyalty of your staff, also to thank you for your wise counsel and earnest support.
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You may feel just pride in the work you have accomplished, and the example you have set to other less favored communi- ties.
I feel certain that your subsequent examinations will show that the correction of defects in the lower grades, has materially lessened the increased percentage of defect in the higher.
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