USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Randolph > Randolph town reports 1852-1874 > Part 51
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Repairs and incidental expenses,
500 00
Pay of Engine men, 1,750 00
$2,450 00
Respectfully submitted,
THOMAS WEST, Chief Engineer.
W. H. WARREN, )
Assistant
J. B. THAYER,
L. WILBUR,
J. W. WHITE. J Engineers.
R. HOUGHTON, Clerk.
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
We find ourselves near the close of another school year, with a statute requiring that the school committee shall annually make a detailed report of the condition of the several schools, which report shall contain such suggestions in relation to the schools as the committee deem necessary to promote the interest thereof.
This duty we shall now attempt, although in a very imperfect manner, to perform.
The town appropriated for the support of schools, $10,000 00
Received from other sources as follows :
Income of State school fund, $354 56
from Coddington donation, 138 75
From No. Bridgewater for schooling, 20 00
$10,513 31
Paid for salaries to teachers, $8,253 99
" fuel, 720 00
66 " care of rooms, 592 53
" to Trustees of Stetson School Fund,
300 00
The town also appropriated for furniture and re- pairs of school houses, $500 00
This sum has been expended, and more, and yet for lack of money several rooms are unsupplied with suita- ble slate surface, and two have very poorly arranged benches and seats, and we are satisfied from our, although limited, experience, that money is well expended in fur- nishing rooms conveniently, and in keeping yards, fences, houses and even out houses, in as good condition as such property would be kept if in the hands of common citizens; that the associations with which our children
4
50
are surrounded much of their time, during ten years of their early life, should be such as would promote the cultivation of good habits and correct deportment. We apprehend that no citizen, upon a little reflection, would controvert the idea that everything connected with school- rooms, houses and surroundings, have a direct bearing upon the present condition of the schools, as well as the future moral condition of the man. In the present con- dition. more time is taken by the teacher in governing. For instance : loose benches or seats may become play- things for twice their number of lazy boys, and the vi- cious tendencies of such associations, added to the loss of time taken to govern, which should be devoted to le- gitimate school work, are too manifest to need a word of proof. This suggests to our mind the great question. ".For what purpose are schools established, and what may we reasonably expect of them !" And in attempt- ing to answer this question we first notice that our schools are public, free, and thus for all-and should be attended by all ; that the houses, rooms and appurtenan- ces, together with the habits, speech and personal ap- pearance of all should be such as not to offend any.
The statutes require "All instructors of youth to exert their best endeavors to impress on the minds of children committed to their care and instruction, the principles of piety and justice, and a sacred regard for truth, love of their country, and their neighbors, humanity, and universal benevolence ; sobriety, industry, and frugality, chastity, moderation and temperance ;" and further : " It shall be the duty of the resident minister of the gospel, the selectmen, and the school committee to exert their influence, and use their best endeavors that the youth of the town shall regularly attend the schools established for their instruction."
ATTENDANCE.
We extract from the report of the Secretary of the Board of Education, Jan., 1868, the following : "In the year 1680 the selectmen of Sudbury, in obedience to an order of the General Court, requiring returns to be made rela-
51
tive to the support of the ministry, the maintenance of schools, &c.," reported that "having gone over the houses throughout the town, from house to house, and inspected and made inquiry," they "do find that all children and young persons are in a forward and growing way as to reading and catechising, and as to work and employment, they find them generally diligent and in a hopeful thriv- ing way in all respects ;" and further, "that though there be no stated school, the inhabitants being scat- tered," (the number of families "in and about town" was 59.) "they have two school-dames each side of the river that teach the small children to spell and read ;" "and for teaching to write and cipher there is Mr. Thomas Walker, and two or three others about town that do teach ;" "and touching persons who live from under fam- ily government or after a dissolute and disorderly man - ner, to ye dishonoring of God and corrupting of youth. the selectmen, after personal inquiry into all families and quarters, in and about this town, do return the an- swer, that they find none such among them." Well does the historian from whose pages I have taken these sim ple words add: "Who can estimate how far we are indebt- to the noble spirit speaking in these tones of homeliness and simplicity, for the intelligence and enterprise, the moral and religious spirit which have since characterized this Commonwealth !"
Now if the selectmen and school-committee, each whom by statute is required to do something, will act as school missionaries and as parties directly interested (as did our ancient brethren of Sudbury), while the truant laws enacted by the town several years since are being ratified by the Court, we perhaps should be more fully represented in our schools, and entirely avoid the con- flict and difficulties attending the executive enforcement of such laws. We feel it to be as much the civil and moral duty of parents, and powers, to cause that chil- dren should attend school as it is the civil and moral du- ty of the public or town to set apart their money for the maintenance of schools.
52
TEACHERS AND TEACHING.
After we get the children in school by co-operative effort from all parties, we then need teachers who un- derstand the mind, its nature, and something of what is suitable to be done for its right development or growth, -not mere intellectual strength and power, without a balancing or qualifying power,-but the aim and end of teaching should be to establish and promote the growth of those principles in the child's mind, which will result in a fully developed citizen-man, we will not say an angel, but leave that result to be attained through the exercise of a higher plane of teaching. But we do need, and the statutes, and the expectations of communities, do require, that our schools take firm steps in the way of teaching that which will produce good citizens. Teachers should feel the moral responsibility that rests upon them, and should teach the same to their pupils from the first to the last step of their school life. For a merely intellectual education gives only the power to act. And one possessing such an education may well be compared to a steam engine constructed with only power to go, and with nothing to regulate its go- ings, and very likely would prove to be not only a use- less but very dangerous machine.
We should have that taught in schools which will show us how to live when grown to manhood and wom- anhood-that is, on the civil and social planes of life. We do not say teach religion-leave that to the church. But it will not do to leave to church and home that which must be done in the schools, no matter what is, or may be, done at home,-the more the better, if in the right direction, but it will in no way exonerate our schools. Homes are families-schools, communities ; and there should be all those principles taught in them which will enable each and every member to live a good civil and social life in a community.
Teachers meetings have been held, as before, once in two or three weeks; the object of which is to produce a better condition of school education, the exercises con- sisting in illustrations of the methods of teaching differ- ent subjects, with discussions seeking the best method,
53
each teacher thereby gaining the benefit of the experi- ence and wisdom of all the others. These meetings are considered very useful by most of our teachers, so much so that they would very reluctantly forego them. Of the few (four or five) who have not attended, one who has become very active and interested in her school de- clares that she feels she is losing by her absence. And we would frankly say, to all who appear to teach for just so many dollars, and have no interest in their work af- ter their dollars appear to be earned, that that money will buy school teachers, but not school teaching.
We have stated that we need teachers that understand something of the mind, what it is ; and upon this point there appears to be more error than need be. Let each teacher ask himself-" Is the mind a sack into which I can stuff any amount of (no matter how incongruous) material and can this be appropriated to the living mind if it be only memorized and repeated?" "Well," the teacher replies, "the book says so-what shall I do ?" Yes, but the mind is worth more than the book,-the book is a tool, only aiding us to work, and we should be very cau- tious that through the improper use of tools we do not destroy the fabric. Give the child what it needs in a way to be comprehended, and do not think that you have accomplished much until the scholar appreciates and understands and in some degree appropriates the matter to the development and growth of the mind, sim- ilarly as food is appropriated to the growth and develop- ment of the body ; to illustrate, we sometimes hear classes in mental arithmetic repeating numbers in addition, mul- tiplication, &c., as a mere memorizing process, without any apparent idea of what number relates to. A boy twelve years of age, and nearly through mental arithme- tic, being asked by his teacher, "What is the sum of six- ty-eight and seventy-four" readily answered, "one hun- dred forty-two," and when asked to place the work upon a blackboard, wrote the numbers thus 68, 74, and could not add or tell how he did put them together. Now the question comes to the teacher (or should come to her), "what has the boy really done ?" probably some one told him the sum of the numbers and he remembered it, and
54
that was all. This may in part have arisen from the too great prominence given to mental arithmetic, sepa- rated from practical work. But this certainly cannot be of much value to the scholar, and is entirely the fault of teaching.
Thus reading, when taught principally from imitation, may present a beautiful exhibition, but when the sample to work by is removed. the reading falls back to the scholar's ability to appreciate or understand the thought of the author.
We subjoin an extract from the report of the Board of Education, Jan., 1868.
"Modern education is being improved in all depart- ments, by becoming more practical. In all kinds of teaching much is gained by constantly asking the use of each process. In teaching geography, for instance, we now are beginning to substitute map drawing for the old method of committing to memory lists of towns, rivers, islands, lakes, &c., which were better forgotten than re- membered. In many schools a child may now be called to the blackboard, and will draw from memory a suffi- ciently accurate outline of a European or American State. This knowledge, once acquired, remains ; where- as on the other system, when a child has nearly put out his eyes by looking up, on a finely printed map, the names of all the lakes in Nevada, or towns in Bavaria, ke is pretty sure to forget them again in a few days. But when a child is made to learn that which he is sure to forget, it is not his memory which is educated, but his habit of forgetting."
We do not wish, neither is it prudent for us, to pub- lish our opinion of individual teachers, and while we have to acknowledge unfortunate selections in a few in- stances, we feel confident that the number of good schools is on the increase, and the number of poor ones less than was enumerated a year ago. This has been accomplished only by selecting such persons for teachers as appear most competent to perform the desired work, and rendering them the compensation necessary to se- cure their services.
Two years since, that is, in the spring of 1867, the
55
town voted (with some qualifications) that the wages of teachers be reduced 20 per cent. An attempt was made to conform to these instructions, and resulted in the loss of services of one teacher who procured a situation in an adjoining town with higher wages than she had re- ceived here. In referring to the school returns, pub- lished by Board of Education, we find that in the year referred to, 1867, there were only two towns in the county of Norfolk which paid less wages to female teach- ers than Randolph, and that the average rate of their wages in the County was very much higher than paid by us. After we have procured the services of efficient teachers, they will need convenient school-rooms, (two of them, Nos. 5 and 6, intermediate, are very poorly ar- ranged) and slate surface upon the walls, for the writ- ing cf examples, and illustrations. These, however, are very good in the school-rooms in the centre of the town, but have been neglected upon the outside for the want of means to make them better. It being interpreted that all supplies to schools, such as books, ink and wells, cray- ons, black-board surface, the building of fences, or parti- tions to make additional school rooms, with every other conceivable expense, must be charged to the appropria- tion for furniture and repairs. Now whatever may be the necessity for these interpretations, it certainly is very poor policy to neglect those sections from which a few only ever enter the grammar schools.
Having already dwelt long, and perhaps tediously up- on the subject of teachers and teaching generally, per- mit us to call attention for a moment to our probable ability to supply teachers in future, such teachers as we are beginning to be sensible that we need. The response is very readily anticipated ; which is,-educate them in our High Schools. Pupils for the most part leave the intermediate schools with very immature minds, and from some locations (to say the least) with very immature ed- ucation, enter the grammar schools in this condition, and are forced through them, perhaps in one year, into the High School, and there pursue an entirely different and higher course of studies for four years ; and during the whole period, there perhaps would not be a single
56
exercise that would be of practical utility in a primary or intermediate school. Now it seems to us that the people (parents and children) are at fault, in hurrying through the lower schools. Perhaps it is because they are so poor they do not wish to remain in them, but . this will only increase the force of the argument that the teachers who labor in those schools need a more practical education ; that we may not have to witness the spectacle of a scholar twelve years of age, as al- ready referred to, and perhaps to leave school for the workshop without a practical knowledge of any branch, not so much as to be able to write and add the simplest of numbers. This is very wrong, and deserves no bet- ter name than cruelty; yet is entirely the fault of teach- ing. But it appears to your committee to be within the power of the town, and at no very great increase of ex- pense, to do something in the way of remedying this very great fault, or, it may be, evil.
We would respectfully recommend to the town that in the appropriation to the Stetson High School, it be sufficient, and on condition, that there be appointed by the Trustees, the school committee concurring, an assistant teacher, to instruct pupils in that school who wish, or intend, to become teachers, in the art of teach- ing the branches usually pursued in primary and inter- mediate schools, in a more simple and effective manner ; that is, the more nearly connected with the senses,-ob- ject teaching, as it is sometimes called,-and thus avoid the stultifying process of simply memorizing that yet prevails to some extent. We believe this course would be beneficial, and very satisfactory if once tried ; and if successful, teachers would come to the work with some idea of the art of communicating knowledge, which dif- fers widely from simply knowing; and we might not be subjected to the loss of a year from our children's lives for them to learn upon. The habit prevails, but we feel it to be wrong, to employ inexperienced teachers in our primary schools. Would a gardener appoint a novitiate (with no practical knowledge of the use of tools, or how to apply the earth to promote the growth of vegetable life) to a place occupied with the youngest and tender-
57
est plants ? Certainly not, and yet this is the way we proceed in regard to the appointment of teachers and the providing of schools, and the probable reason of its apparent success is, that the little sufferers do not know how to complain.
In concluding our general, and very desultory re- marks, we would say that, although the town had passed a vote, requiring that the schools should be closed on the first of March, we were unable to conform to that order and do justice to all. Several schools have been continued to give them equal length, delays having arisen from sickness, and loss of time where changes in teachers have been made. And it appears to us that it will be better for all schools, and all connected with them, that there should be a uniform and permanently settled time for all school years, and terms, to commence ; thus, primary schools to have three terms of twelve weeks each,-thirty-six weeks ; intermediate, thirty-eight weeks ; grammar, and high schools, forty weeks-first term commencing so as to complete twelve weeks before fourth of July week, the second before thanksgiving ; the third term would differ in length of time for differ- ent grades of schools, and would obviate the necessity for having all schools close at the same time. This would present the opportunity to older and stronger scholars to continue longer in school, for the winter term,-a season in which they will not be likely to find better employment,-and would allow that the yearly schools, or those taught by teachers hired for the year, should continue forty weeks. There would then be an average of nearly thirty-eight week's school, which is less than any town in the county (excepting one) hav- ing a population, and valuation, equal to Randolph.
We subjoin an estimate of expenses for the year en- suing, and we have no doubt that, at the end of the year, our bills will amount to more than our estimates, unless we neglect especially the department denominated furniture and repairs, to which we have added painting.
THOMAS. WEST, School ELISHA MANN JR., S Committee.
58
Estimates for the ensuing year.
For salaries of Teachers,
$8,500 00
care of rooms, &c., 600 00
": Fuel, 800 00
Stetson High School, 400 00
$10,300 00
For furniture, repairs of yards, fences, out- houses, and incidental expenses, $600 00
painting school houses, 400 00
$1,000 00
59
SCHOOL STATISTICS.
NAMES OF TEACHERS.
District.
Grade.
Sp'g.
Fall.
Win.
Sp'g.
Fall.
Win.
No. under 5.
No. over 15.
No. Visitors.
Ada Belcher.
E. Florence Kennedy
1
....
48
40
35
39
32
28
31
Mary E. Rodgers
2
Prim.
23
23
..
18
18
. .
1
33
Susan A. Whitcomb. . .
2
Int.
31
30
50
26
26
34
1
21
S. Augusta Bass
3
Prim.
48
43
33
37
28
25
7
23
Hannah O. Noyes.
4
Int.
37
34
36
28
27
30
. .
5
28
Alice A. Smith
5
38
37
35
30
27
26
. .
27
Lottie S. Bean ...
6
Prim.
52
54
45
36
33
25
7
38
Helen S. Dunbar.
6
Int.
40
36
34
35
27
23
35
Enna M. Packard.
7
53
46
39
43
32
33
40
Emma F. Veazie .
8
Prim.
68
61
59
55
45
40
. .
48
Emina P. Ryan
Prim.
73
70
66
59
59
40
40
..
54
Flora A. Belcher. . .
8
Prim.
80
82
67
66
59
48
2
40
Anna Stevens. .
S. M. Tielston.
Int.
57
55
54
50
49
43
. .
39
Hannah F. Thayer
8
Int.
56
51
49
50
43
28
40
Sarah E. Shankland.
8
Int.
53
51
50
42
44
37
2
52
Thomas H. West.
8
Gram.
48
45
45
35
38
38
.
5
36
Mary H. French.
9
Prim.
70
70
64
61
62
54
6
29
Mary L. Prescott ...
9
Int.
31
36
36
29
32
30
35
Mary E. Minter.
9
Gram.
48
45
42
44
40
37
. .
.
37
Lucy J. Thayer.
10
Prim.
48
45
33
38
32
20
37
Mary E. Wood
10
Int.
42
42
33
35
32
22
. .
52
Wales B. Thayer.
10
Gram.
53
44
42
44
36
30
8
50
F. W. Lewis
E. B. Gale.
. .
High
37
30
30
35
25
27
. .
. .
4
59
58
53
46
50
1
2
49
Mary J. Austin.
4
. .
43
Ella V. Wales
8
..
67
66
64
54
52
. .
..
The whole number of persons in town, between five and fifteen, . 1,390 Decrease in one year, 86
Number of children in town attending school, under five, 25
Number of persons in town attending school, over fifteen, 22
Whole Number of Scholars.
Average Attendance.
Estelle F. Wils
59
Estelle F. Wilson. .
8
Imogene A. Lawrence
John V. Beal
60
Marriages Recorded in Randolph, 1868.
1866.
Feb. 24. 1867.
Alpheus Field and Clara Piper, both of Randolph.
Jan. 1. John T. Cartwright and Martha R. Houghton, both of Randolph.
Apr. 8. William G. Douglass of N. Bridgewater and Aseneth Morse, of Ran- dolph.
.. 2. William B. Stetson and Clara J. Hobart, both of Randolph.
Máy 16. Prince A. Mckenzie and Mary Hollis, both of Randolph.
17. Moses N. Hunt and Carrie C. Keith, both of North Bridgewater.
19. Henry M. White and Sarah D. Lothrop, both of Randolph.
66 26. Marney P. Snow and Olive J. Snow, both of North Bridgewater.
26. Peter Buckley of Randolph and Catharine Carlan of Canton.
June 1. Henry I). Whitcomb and Maria F. Wilbur, both of Randolph.
5. Edwin B. Hooker of Abington and Julia Belcher of Randolph.
Nov. 24. William W. Blencowe of Randolph and Mary E. Belcher of Stough- ton.
1868. Jan. 1.
Charles Hayden of Randolph and Emma C. Tournier of No, Wayne, Me.
66
1. Elijah A. Morse of Canton and F. licia Vining of Randolph.
3. James H. Jacobs of Randolph and Rachel M. Orcutt of Abington.
9, Cyrus Decoster of Randolph and Isabella Bicknell of Buckfield, Me.
14. Samuel E. Hawes and Sarah R. Leonard, both of Randolph.
18.
Samuel E. Ring and Sally Phillips, both of Kingston.
66 27. Elbridge L. Leach and Susan Tower, both of Randolph.
66 30. Edward A. Perry and Martha E. Turner, both of Randolph.
Feb. 25. Michael McMahon and Mary C. Masterson, both of Randolph.
29. Charles L. Savil of Quincy and Almira A. Crooker of Randolph.
Mar. 18. John B. Dean and Susan F. Gray, both of Randolph.
26. Adam Acherson of Randolph and Catharine B. Marsh of Williman- tic, Conn.
66 31. Frederick Chandler and Anna Cahill, both of Randolph.
Apr. 15. Charles H. Belcher and Eliza J. Thayer, both of Randolph.
May 8. John Crosby and Mary A. Kelliher, both of Randolph.
66
8. William Frizzell of Randolph and Mary Megley of Boston.
12. Edmund Burke and Mary Slattery, both of Randolph.
66 22. Joseph Millett and Zoe Greenwood, both of Randolph.
June
7. Marcus H. Reynolds of N. Bridgewater and Emma N. Walsh of Randolph.
28. William A. Croak and Mary F.Thayer, both of Randolph.
July 3. Solon David of Braintree and Hannah A. Chessman of Randolph.
66 15. Winfield S. McMakins of Abington and Sarah E. Willis of Randolph.
16. Leonard T. Paine and Sarah A. Roel, both of Randolph.
16. Joseph B. Lord and Mary E. Moulton, both of Randolph.
Aug.
10. Francis H. Erskine of Binghampton, N. Y., and Ellen M. Thayer of Randolph.
61
Sept. 6. Augustus Linfield of Randolph and Adrianna F. French of Stough- ton.
12. Frederick W. Tileston and Susan F. Howard, both of Randolph.
13 Austin Cole and Harriet A. Howard, both of Randolph.
6 6
17. Matthew Birmingham and Eliza Mullally, both of Abington.
24. James F. Dargan of Randolph and Bridget A. Grace of Stoughton.
66 27. Edward A. Farrell and Julia Gill, both of Randolph.
Oct. 13. Eugene O'Reiley and Catharine E.Pope, both of Randolph.
18. Anthony Miller and Fanny Verville, both of Randolph.
..
24. Hiram E. Whiting of Stoughton and Sarah E. Shaw of Randolph.
·
31. James M. Holbrook of Randolph and Louisa M. Mann of Canton.
Nov. 2. John Gill, Jr., and Elizabeth Kennedy, both of Randolph.
8. William P. Sullivan and Julia Horrigan, both of Randolph.
66
8. Michael Maguire of Randolph and Ann Murry of Stoughton.
66
15. Edward P. Stetson of Walpole and Delia C. Paine of Randolph.
66 20. John Day of Boston and Abbie A. Jones of Randolph.
06
25. Frederick Packard and Ellen M. Davis, both of Randolph.
66
26. George E. Hayden and Lizzie A. Gay, both of Braintree.
66 26. Edmund Dean of Cambridge and Nancy L. Winnett of Randolph.
66
28. H. Walter Beals of Stoughton and Julietta L. Nightingale of Ran- dolph.
62
DEATHS RECORDED IN RANDOLPH, IN 1868.
DATE OF DEATH.
NAMES OF DECEASED.
DISEASE, OR CAUSE OF DEATH.
YRS.
MOS.
DYS.
186 ..
Wales Thayer,
39
7
6
1863.
Jan.
2.
Charles Mckay,
S
11
4.
John J. Muliins,
11
1
6
Typhoid Fever.
20.
Charles D. Page,
. .
5
Dentition.
25.
Ruth C. Holmes,
25
6
Anæmia Metrica.
25.
James E. Howard,
5
6
13
Scrofula.
29.
Mary Harris,
62
Schirrus Tumor of Misentary.
25.
Helen F. Bates,
8
9
2
Albuminuria.
7.
Elisha N. Thomas,
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