USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Town annual report of Plymouth, MA 1865-1869 > Part 19
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February 10. Charles H. Drew and Mary A. Bradford, both of Plymouth.
February 11. Allen Mellencot and Jennie Cole, both of Plymouth.
February 16. Linus Allen Shaw and Abbie T. Shaw, both of Carver.
February 21. George Green and Sarah Remmington, both of Plymouth.
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February 21. Charles E. Gleason, of Boston, and Annie F. Weston, of Plymouth.
February 26. Jesse Harlow and Sarah F. Cobb, both of Plymouth.
- March 4. James S. Hudson, Jr., of Wareham, and Juli- ett Rickard, of Plymouth.
March 14. Asa Kendrick and Sarah V. Harlow, both of of Plymouth.
March 24. A. Buell Littlejohn and Julia E. Carpenter, both of Middleboro'.
March 26. Darius Perry, of Plymouth, and Barbara A. Leonard, of Barnstable.
April 2. George E. Shaw and Lizzie Dixon, both of Ply- mouth.
April 3. Rinaldo Alden and Anna J. Howland, both of Plymouth.
April 4. Gustavus C. Green and Emma F. Churchill, both of Plymouth.
April 6. Henry Drummer and Babethe Meinherdt, both of Plymouth.
April 10. Samuel J. Walker and Arabella M. Perry, both of Plymouth.
April 24. Solomon E. Faunce, of Plymouth, and Annie C. Winsor, of Kingston.
April 30. George E. Morton, of Jersey City, and Martha A. Bartlett, of Plymouth.
May 11. Charles W. Bumpas and Rossinia J. Rickard, both of Plymouth.
May 26. William O'Connel and Mary Mack, both of Plymouth.
June 1. S. Francis Bowen and Margaret McGuire, both of Plymouth.
June 5. Michael Jacobus and Mary Hepley, both of Ply- mouth.
1
23
June 17. John G. Gleason and Ellen T. Odell, both of Plymouth.
June 20. William C. Dunlap and Elizabeth A. Parker, both of Plymouth.
June 24. Frederic Tudor, of Boston, and Louisa Simes, of Plymouth.
July 6. John Blackmer, of Plymouth, and Mary B. Main, of East Bridgewater.
July 8. Orin F. Hart, of Boston, and Isabella Wells, of Plymouth.
July 10. William S. Kirk, of West Chester, Pa., and Betsey D. Barnes, of Plymouth.
July 17. Daniel S. Wells and Mary E. Shaw, both of Plymouth.
July 21. Peleg S. Burgess, of Plymouth, and Jane A. Nicol, of Carver.
August 14. Charles R. Richmond, of Lakeville, and Sar- ah E. White, of Taunton.
September 2. Frederick L. Holmes and Margaret H. Robbins, both of Plymouth.
September 13. Frederick Clarke, of Boston, and Mary G. Morton, of Plymouth.
September 19. Martin L. Harlow, of Plymouth, and Lau- ra A. Ransom, of Carver.
September 22. James C. Standish and Lizzie C. Has- kins, both of Plymouth.
October 5. Phineas Burt and Cynthia T. Burgess, both of Plymouth.
October 17. Robert F. Reamy and Bienzelia Page, both of Plymouth.
October 29. Horatio McFarlin and Susan M. Atwood, both of Carver.
24
November 2. Israel Clark, 2d, and Elizabeth Thurston, both of Plymouth.
November 7. William J. Blanchard and Abbie N. King, both of Plymouth.
November 13. Eben Cobb and Lizzie C. Morton, both of Plymouth.
November 16. Jeffrey A. Potter and Phebe S. Peterson, both of Plymouth.
November 24. William W. Fowler and Sarah J. Dunbar, both of Plymouth.
November 25. Clark W. Holmes and Katie A. Briggs, both of Plymouth.
November 26. Samuel W. Holmes and Harriet B. Ted- ford, both of Plymouth.
November 26. Joseph B. Wood, of Lynn, and Rosa L. Burgess, of Plymouth.
November 28. Elisha T. Nelson and Sarah C. Savery, both of Plymouth.
November 28. George F. Bartlett and Eunice Leonard, both of Plymouth.
November 28. Josiah T. Atwood and Thankful Holmes, both of Plymouth.
November 28. Charles E. Ryder and Hannah E. Ellis, both of Plymouth.
November 28. Moses N. Pierce and Martha W. Spooner, both of Plymouth.
November 30. James Macey, Jr., of Lynn, and Mercy W. Bartlett, of Plymouth.
December 19. James H. Robbins and Abbie Westgate, both of Plymouth.
DEATHS ENTERED IN PLYMOUTH IN 1867.
DATE.
NAMES.
DISEASE.
YRS.
MOS.
DYS.
PARENTS, ETC.
Jan'y
3
Elizabeth Steidle,
Pneumonia,
-
18
1
Ephraim Whiting.
6
Deboralı Thomas, .
Lung Fever,
57
1
10
Joseph Freemanl.
Widow of Elias Thomas.
11
William T. Nickerson,
Consumption,
29
9
22
William Nickerson.
16
Mira B. Blackmer,
Scarlet fever,
3
3
28
Malatiah Blackmer.
22
Abby Bartlett,
Congestion of lungs,
72
6
3 Henry Bartlett.
Small pox,
48
10
26
Wife of Francis H. Weston.
[N. Y.
24
Anna W. Weston,
77
8
13
Lock jaw,
36
Feb'y
John G. Allen,
Congestion of brain,
63
1
- Wife of David Roberson.
10 Eliza Roberson,
40
11
15
Sylvanus Rogers.
10
Jane F. Rogers,
76
6
2
Moses Nichols.
22
Peter J. Devine,
Croup,
9
5
Patrick Devine.
Consumption,
16
25 Benj. W. Barrett.
66
22
William M. Heath,
Croup,
62
2
23 Amasa Bartlett.
25
Amasa Bartlett,
1
2
10 Theodore Jackson.
Died in Boston.
28
Edith Jackson,
58
Sylvanus Bramhall. Died in Newton.
March
2 Bathsheba Bramhall,
24
-
5
Enoch Whitehead,
Peritonitis,
72
Wife of Ansel Rickard. Died in Rochester.
Old age,
81
10
20
15
Samuel Harlow,
Inflammation of brain,
4
13
Samuel Harlow.
20
Fear Bates,
Softening brain,
73
5
Curtis A. Howard. Died in Boston.
April
2
Lucy P. Richmond,
Consumption,
27
9
14
Micah Richmond. Died in Boston.
66
9 Joseph Wright,
Typhoid fever,
80
11
1
4
14 Harrison Holmes.
25
.
22
Catherine C. Barrett,
6
23 William H. Heath.
7
-
10 | Harrie W. Holmes,
Congestion of lungs,
4
4
- Charles D. Bartlett.
9 Eva Bartlett,
7
8
27
Anna H. Howard,
.
29
John G. Steidle.
Benjamin Whiting, 2d,
Kidney disease,
44
Ellen Kimball,
Paralysis,
Widow of Putnam Kimball. Died in Buffalo,
26 3
12
Otis Nichols,
Consumption,
Cancer of stomach,
Inflammation of brain,
6 Cynthia Rickard,
6 Asa Thomas,
LIST OF DEATHS. - CONTINUED.
DATE.
NAMES.
DISEASE.
YRS.
MOS.
DYS.
PARENTS, ETC.
April
10
Sarah B. Bartlett,
Old age,
89
3
17
11
Mary H. Thomas,
Paralysis, Phthisis,
6
4
23
Robert H. Barnes.
16 Alice L. Barnes,
17
Cromwell F. Holmes, } James Lynch,
Drowned by the upsetting of a boat,
30
1
1
17
Amasa Bartlett, Jr.,
20
7
Amasa Bartlett.
Died in Taunton.
19 Isaac L. Hedge,
68
4
12
20
Deliverence Pierce,
90
4
20
- Heitz,
-
-
1 John B. Heitz.
[N. H.
Disease of brain,
18
6
8
28
11
1
May
14
Elizabeth Lewis,
Phthisis,
41
10
Widow of - Lewis.
14
Lucy F. Winsor,
8
10
15
Convulsions,
38
-
-
20 John R. Chummuck,
Consumption,
22 8
5
21
Nathaniel Wood,
Heart disease,
81
7
3
23
William A. Ross,
Cholera,
5
4
13 William Ross. Died in East Indies. James Lashure. 4
June
1 Nathaniel F. Hoxie,
Heart disease,
1
5
2
-
Albert Hobart. Died in Braintree.
10 Carrie F. Whiting.
3
14
11 Charles D. Badger,
38
8
11
..
17
Benj. F. Bates,
30
10
29
64
1
17 | James Bartlett,
80
10
28
Widow of John B. Thomas.
24
4
Cromwell Holmes.
51
1
5
James Lynch.
17
17 James B. Lynch,
17
Mary Burns,
54
--
26
Alice G. Churchill, Elizabeth Allen,
Sylvanus H. Churchill. Died in Manchester, Wife of Charles Allen. Died in Boston.
26
Inflammation of stomach,
John M. Winsor. John A. Spooner. Died in Philadelphia.
John Chummuck.
30 Betsey Lashure,
T
Nath'l C. Hoxie.
9 Freddie B. Hobart,
Benj. Whiting, 2d. Died in West Roxbury.
§ Bursting of a bombshell at & the Robinson Iron Works, Erysipelas, Congestion of brain, Consumption,
1 17
16
David C. Swift,
Edmond E. Swift. Benj. Bates.
James Lynch.
Dyspepsia, Old age,
26
18 Lydia E. Spooner,
LIST OF DEATHS .- CONTINUED.
June 19 | Phebe L. Churchill,
Phthisis,
24
Wife of Frederick F. Churchill. - 3
23
11
26
July
13 ¡ William J. Cole,
18 Isabel Brown,
Cystilis,
22
11
7
Mortification,
31
3
1
22 George F. Snow,
27
Luthier Lucas,
Consumption,
22
7
George Shaw.
31
George F. Shaw,
August 2
Polly Sears,
Heart disease,
81
8 Saralı Stephens,
13
Angentte Milburn,
15
Henry Swift,
Paralysis,
75
7
9
15
Arthur L. Lanman,
1
11
10
Frank R. Benedict.
27
Mary G. Benedict,
6
2
2
David Brown.
29
Marion M. Brown
Dropsy of chest,
74
-
27
Sept.
2 Isaac Chamberlin,
2
9
24
William Hemelee.
Consumption, "
19
5
15
Ezra Finney.
10
Alphonzo E. Finney,
Samuel S. Howland. Died in Stoneham.
12
Emma M. Howland,
Lemuel Morton. Died at Taunton.
66
14
Elizabeth E. McGregor,
1
1
David Webster.
14
Nettie C. Webster,
48
3
11 Nathan Allen.
18
Louisa A. Allen,
Tumor,
39
4
24 Wife of Chas. H. Howland.
Pneumonia,
1
1
18
William P. Cox.
23
Adala E. Cox,
4
11
22 Patrick Frowley.
26
Mary J. Frowley,
Consumption,
61
8
28
Judith Sampson, George J. Grozenger,
Scarlet fever,
2
1
20 Matthias Grozenger.
October 2
10 Nancy Davie,
Old age,
80
11
10 Widow of Ichabod Davie.
13 Josephine T. Ellis,
Consumption,
19
-
4 |Curtis C. Ellis.
-
4
3
Nathaniel C. Lanman.
Lung fever,
Apoplexy,
53
3
8
John Hall. Died in Boston.
30 Reuben Hall,
Typhoid fever,
70
9
12
Scarlet fever,
15
-
12
12
Lemuel Morton,
Insane,
77
5
10
James McGregor.
Scarlet fever,
2
9
-
Consumption,
18 Betsey L. Howland,
Cancer,
Scarlatina,
Lewis Brown. Leonard Snow. William Lucas.
Wife of Lorenzo H. Wallace. Died in Foxboro.
30 Frances L. Wallace,
Premature birth,
3
Consumption,
79
Dysentery,
-
6
Wife of Lemuel Stephens. Ann Milburn.
Cholera Infantum,
25
29
Nath'l C. Lanman,
Consumption,
7 George F. Hemelee,
Consumption,
67
- Wife of Aaron Sampson.
LIST OF DEATHS .- CONCLUDED.
DATE.
NAMES.
DISEASE.
YRS.
MOS.
DYS.
66
13
William Green,
Apoplexy,
87
1
8
66
16
Scally Scott,
Kidney disease,
66
Consumption,
48
1
22
William Barrett.
Scarlatina,
3
2
15
Robert H. Barnes.
19
Lucy Peterson,
Pneumonia,
15
3
9
Wife of Charles II. Peterson,
2
S Death caused by the up- setting of carriage,
67
3
4
Wife of Stephen Lucas.
Consumption,
70
10
15
Widow of George Cooper.
Nov.
3
Mary C. Cooper,
Croup,
4
20
Levi P. Morton.
Diabetes,
45
1
1
14
Mary M. Doty,
Dyptheria,
1
4
28
Nathaniel Doty.
Child-bed,
24
11
19
Wife of - Swift.
Old age,
84
11
4
66
26
Nancy A. Briggs,
27
3
11
James R. Shaw. Died in Boston.
29
Julia S. Shaw,
17
6
80
2
28
Widow of Lewis Finney.
Dec.
2 Betsey Finney,
89
4
32
2
13
Wife of Augustus S. Hadaway.
6
Elizabeth C. Burgess,
Tumor,
50
6
12
Widow of Winslow Burgess.
11
Margaret A. Matta,
Consumption,
54
7
16
Wife of Henry Matta.
66
18 Henry Rickard,
Plıthisis,
36
10
20
Isaac Rickard.
18
Perez F. Vaughan,
3
9
2
Perez C. W. Vaughan.
66
19
Harriet F. Jones,
Meningitis,
61
3
-
Widow of Samuel J. Jones.
66
31 |Lewis Helm,
Old age.
72
3
14
Number of Births in Plymouth in 1867-155.
28
19
Jerusha A. Swift,
26
Caleb Raymond,
Wife of Arad P. Briggs.
Old age and insane,
5 Reuben Maxim,
Old age and asthma,
5 Angeline Hadaway,
Acute catarrh,
44
7
13 Wife of Samuel Rickard.
17 Lois J. Rickard,
10
Richard W. Morton,
12
William Wall,
18
Benj. W. Barrett,
18
Robert K. Barnes,
25
Rebecca Lucas,
Consumption,
Scarlet fever,
PARENTS, ETC.
29 .
TOWN MEETING.
PLYMOUTH, SS.
To either of the Constables of Plymouth, in the County of Plymouth, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
GREETING :
IN the name of the Commonwealth, you are hereby re- quired to notify and warn the inhabitants of said Town of Plymouth qualified to vote in town affairs, to meet at the Town House, in said Plymouth, on MONDAY, THE SECOND DAY OF MARCH NEXT, at nine o'clock in the fore- noon, to act on the following articles, to-wit :
1st. To choose a Moderator.
2d. To choose all necessary Town Officers for the en- suing year.
3d. To hear the report of the Selectmen, School Com- mittee, Fire Department, Overseers of the Poor, Liquor Agent, and the different Committees of the Town, and act thereon.
4th. To determine the number of Water Commission- ers for the ensuing year, and choose the same.
5th. To determine the manner of repairing Highways and Bridges for the ensuing year, and take such action as may be necessary to carry the same into effect.
6th. To choose a Committee to regulate the fisheries in Agawam and Halfway Pond rivers, and to take such other action relative to said fisheries as may be necessary.
8
30
7th. To revise and accept a list of Jurors prepared by the Selectmen.
8th. To see if the Town will authorize the Treasurer, under the direction of the Selectmen, to borrow money in anticipation of taxes, and for disbursement under the pro- visions of the seventy-second chapter of the acts of the Legislature of 1866.
9th. To raise such sums of money as may be necessary to defray the expenses of the Town for the ensuing year, and to appropriate the same.
And you are further directed to serve this warrant in the manner prescribed by a vote of the Town, and make due return hereof, with your doings thereon, at the time and place above mentioned.
Given under our hands, this eighth day of February, in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and sixty-eight.
A. MASON, E. C. TURNER, Selectmen LYSANDER DUNHAM, of THOMAS B. SEARS, Plymouth.
HOSEA BARTLETT,
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OF THE
TOWN OF PLYMOUTH.
FOR THE YEAR
1868 -- 9.
Prepared by the Superintendent of Public
chools.
PL YM
U
PLYMOUTH: PLYMOUTH ROCK STEAM PRESS. 1869.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OF THE
TOWN OF PLYMOUTH.
FOR THE YEAR
1868 -- 9.
Prepared by the uperintendent of Public Schools.
PLYMOUTH: PLYMOUTH ROCK STEAM PRESS. 1869.
PLYMOUTH PUBLIC LIBRARY
1
159
108.1-1868-9
REPORT.
TO THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE :
Gentlemen : - In accordance with the requirements of law, I respectfully present to you my annual report of the Schools of the town for the last School year.
In reviewing the condition of the schools from year to year, although pained by the existence of many deficiencies, I notice a gradual improvement in the methods of instruc- tion, and, of course, an increase in the amount of good results. In any system of instruction for a large community, although it may be controlled by one mind, the details are executed by many, differing in opinion and ability so much that the results are sure to disappoint very sanguine expec- tations, and to satisfy only those who know that all that can be done in such a case is to advance slowly. In making these admissions, I am fully aware that the standing of our schools, when compared with the schools of other communi- ties, is deservedly good. I only wish to avoid offering official commendation without those limitations which private conviction demand.
During the past year there have been twenty-nine schools open, the shortest time being thirty-three weeks, the long- est, forty. By law, the High School must be kept in session
4
forty weeks in the year; and it has been the custom of this town to keep the two central Grammar Schools open for the same length of time. This difference in the length of schools has always occasioned some dissatisfaction among those who send children to the rural schools and to those of the lower grades in the central part of the town; but the school year could not be made equal in all the schools, without departing from a long established custom, which seems to me founded in justice ; nor could the time be made forty weeks for all without an increase in the annual appro- priation to the amount, at least, of twelve hundred dollars. Under a mistaken impression, a vote passed the town meeting, a year ago, requiring the Primary Schools to be kept open forty weeks ; but, as this could not be done with- out disregarding another requirement of the town, that every officer, in his expenditures, should keep within the appropriation for his department, the length of time for each school has been arranged according to the practice of previous years.
The number of school-houses of the town is twenty-five ; twenty-two in actual use, the other three, where schools have been discontinued, are unoccupied. Some of these houses are old and inconvenient, and need many alterations ; some are not worth repairing, and ought to be replaced by new ones. Among those which demand immediate atten- tion, the school-house at Wellingsly and the North Primary seem to require important alterations most urgently ; per-
5
haps new buildings will be found necessary. The former is badly situated, having no play-ground for the scholars, who are obliged to go into the street for their amusement, The building is large enough, but is old, aud needs exten- sive repairs, more extensive repairs than I have felt justified in making, on account of the inconvenience of the location. The North Primary School-house is altogether too small for the number of scholars we are obliged to crowd into it. The room is only 18 by 30 feet, and the scholars often number sixty. When these are all present, there is scarcely a foot of unoccupied space on the floor. The
crowded state of the school renders all movement difficult, increases the labor of the teacher in maintaining order, and makes it almost impossible to keep the room supplied with fresh air. The ground on which the house stands is so low that, in wet weather, it is an unsuitable place for children to play ; and the only way to make it what it ought to be, is to fill in about two feet of sand, which will be a very expensive improvement. I have examined into the practicability of remodelling this building, so as to make it answer some of the most important purposes of a school- house ; but I am convinced that it is not advisable to attempt to do so, as the proportions of the structure are such, that the change would cost more than the house would be worth when the repairs were completed. Con- sidering the importance of this school, and the claims which the community have on the town, it seems to me
6
desirable that the old building be sold and a new one put in its place.
Without regularity of attendance, of course, no satis- factory progress can be made in the management of a school. During the past year there have been irregularities in the attendance of a small number of schools, which have been very damaging. The attendance at the North Grammar School has been singularly bad. I suppose this is, to some extent, unavoidable, owing to the occupations of those who send their children to that school ; but, to what- ever cause attributable, this irregularity has very seriously hindered the advancement of the scholars, and greatly discouraged the teacher in her efforts to meet the require- ments of the examination. Another cause of irregularity in some other schools is the practice of putting boys to work, occasionally, when there is a press of business ; and, although it may continue only for a short time, it is repeated often, and always lessens the interest of the boy in his studies, causes him to fall behind his classmates, and frequently renders it necessary to put him into the class below. I do not wish to complain of this practice too much, for I know that in most cases it is adopted by those whose circumstances compel them to do so; but I wish it to be understood that at our examinations we endeavor to determine the actual scholarship of the boy, not what it might have been under more favorable conditions. In the High School we are troubled, not so much with irregularity
7
of attendance, as with the habit of bringing requests to the teacher to excuse the bearers before school is dismissed in the afternoon. This renders it almost impossible to have a full class at recitation in the last part of the day. It is very easy to see that this habit must prove fatal to good scholarship ; and I fear it will become necessary to decline granting any request to leave school before the usual hour for closing.
In reference to truancy, I suppose there has been less during the past, than any previous, year. The appoint- ment of a truant committee has had an excellent effect in breaking up this ruinous habit. The officers have acted promptly and efficiently whenever they have been called upon.
Every effort has been made to keep the expenditure within the appropriation, and this effort has been so far successful that the amount overdrawn is very inconsider- able. Every year, the difficulty of carrying on our schools successfully with the appropriation made for that purpose by the town increases ; and yet, perhaps, it would not be wise in the School Committee to ask for a larger increase than has been made the last two years ; the town may have been as liberal towards the schools as justice to the other departments would allow. But the intelligence of this town asks for the best schools, the best schools require the best teachers, and these can be had, as a general rule, only for the highest pay. For lack of remunerative employment,
8
we are losing, every year, the best young talent of the town, and we are retaining some teachers who will have to arouse themselves to greater intellectual activity, or they will find themselves surpassed in teaching power by their younger rivals. However old and experienced a teacher may be, there are always new books and new methods which are deserving of investigation, and, unless a teacher revises his methods in accordance with the true progress of the day, he loses his standing as a successful educator.
It will be seen in another part of this report how much each teacher received for the labor of a year ; and all who are acquainted with the expense of living at the present time will immediately perceive that no teacher of the town, with the exception of the principal of the High School, can do more with the pay received, than meet the necessary expenses of life ; saving a dollar is out of the question. During the last ten years I believe no teacher's salary, with the exception already made, has been increased more than one and a half dollars per week ; but it is very prob- able there is not a mechanic in the town whose wages have not been doubled within the same period. It must be admitted that this is clearly unjust.
The repairs which have been made during the past year are the painting of the North Grammar and Cold Spring School-houses, making a recitation room for the High School, improvements on the outside of the building, and other smaller matters in various parts of the town.
9
All the school-books used the past year have been pur- chased on the most favorable terms, and sold to those applying for them at a very trifling advance on the whole- sale price, not more than what is necessary to pay expenses. This management reduces the cost of books to the inhabi- tants of the town very much; but I fear many may not have been well served, as the small amount of time I have at my disposal does not permit me to suit the convenience of all.
The following is a summary of the expenditures of the year :
Salaries of Teachers .$9,626 83
Salary of Superintendant 1,150 00
General Repairs 726 63
Care of Houses 482 92
Fuel . 706 96
Books.
344 56
Incidentals
388 97
$13,426 87
PRIMARY SCHOOLS.
It is a very great pleasure to notice a constant improve- ment in all of our Primary Schools. Their progress in Arithmetic is more noticeable than in any other study ; and the reason of the advancement in this branch is owing, I think, to the fact that the teachers have a method of
10
instruction in Arithmetic which is simple, natural, and, in all respects, about right; but the manner of teaching the other branches of the Primary School is not quite right. I think the most important feature of this method is the entire absence of text books. Some years ago, it was our custom to place a written Arithmetic in the hands of a child who was about to commence the study of that science, and, as the child could understand nothing that the book contained, all was committed to memory. The mind of the scholar was overwhelmed, and it was only after very long and very discouraging efforts that he was made to see what he was about. Nearly all the absurd and disagreeable part of this process was removed by removing the text- book from the hands of the teacher, and asking her to trust, hereafter, to her own ingenuity and experience. The only condition imposed was this, that the first class in school, generally between seven and eight years of age, should be ready at the end of the year, to be examined in writing all numbers as far as trillions, and be able to work out simple questions in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. I know very little about the details of each teacher's method ; she adopts her own, one she has faith in, and they are all successful. I should be very glad to make the same arrangement for the instruction of our chil- dren in the Primary Schools in Geography, but, at present, I fear it would not be so successful. Geography is not so simple as elementary numbers ; but few teachers understand
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it as well. I am convinced, however, that a much better result could be obtained if the subject were illustrated more by maps drawn on the blackboard, and if more of the instruction were given orally. The human voice has a greater power over little children than a school-book, which is often distasteful to them. The most prevalent error in teaching little children, it seems to me, is the effort to make them understand the abstract definitions of things before they have any experience of the things themselves through the medium of the senses. Children are very curious to see everything ; they like to be astonished, and they like to reason, a very little.
Before promotion, the scholars of our Primary Schools are required to read well in Hillard's Third Primary Reader ; to spell any words selected from that book ; to have a knowl- edge of the first nine lessons in Guyot's Primary Geogra- phy ; facility in writing numbers and working out simple questions in the elementary rules of Arithmetic, and readi- ness in the use of the multiplication table. The mode of examination is by questions prepared by myself, and submitted to the scholars by the teacher to whose school the class is to be promoted. Ten questions in each study are given ; and those who answer correctly 60 per cent. of the questions are successful ; those who fall below this stan- dard are sent back to the school from which they came. As the children of the Primary Schools are not able to write, their answers are given orally, but in all the other schools, in writing.
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