USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Town annual report of Plymouth, MA 1900-1902 > Part 14
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At Manomet, the Primary schoolhouse was not only in need of extensive repairs, but had long been inadequate for the number of children attending. It was therefore neces- sary to lengthen the building and to make other changes in order to secure needed conveniences and simple but effective means of ventilation, as suggested in last year's report, and these alterations and repairs were made at a cost of $493.50.
The crowded and unsanitary condition of the Oak street schoolhouse, to which attention was directed last year, has not yet been relieved and it cannot be adequately relieved by
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anything less than a new building. The suggested consoli- dation of this school with the Spring Street Primary is not now feasible, owing to the absence of an available lot suit- ably located, while the expense involved in such a plan would doubtless invite opposition. The situation is now so seri- ous and urgent, however, that immediate action is impera- tive. It will be remembered that this is one of our oldest and most primitive school buildings, and that it had else- where served for several generations before being removed to its present site, where it was lengthened out at large ex- pense fifteen years ago. Its only means of ventilation is by opening doors and windows when the weather admits, while at other times its atmosphere becomes vitiated to a degree that utterly unfits it for the housing of so many children. The district long ago outgrew its meagre proportions and although for some time it has had to serve for nearly twice as many pupils as it could properly accommodate, it is still insufficient, and several children in that district have to be provided for elsewhere. Your Committee is strongly averse to any temporizing policy that would again patch out this utterly unsuitable building to make it serve a few years longer, believing it would be very unwise to thus waste the Town's money, particularly as the necessary changes would cost more than the building is now worth. It is the judg- ment of the Committee that the present and prospective needs of the district can be adequately met by nothing less than a new two-room schoolhouse, and that it should be built as soon as possible.
Believing that the Town would concur in that judgment, the Committee recently secured sketches and obtained sev- eral estimates thereon to aid them in fixing upon the amount required for a suitable building, with proper heating and ventilating arrangements and with such sanitary needs as a sewer connection admits of, and they now respectfully request the Town to appropriate $5.500.00 for the construc-
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tion and full equipment of such a building; and they advise a sale of the present schoolhouse and its removal to make room for the new building; the proceeds of such sale to be credited to the school department.
Attention was called in last year's report to the unsani- tary condition of several of the older school buildings where methods of ventilation were either entirely absent or so primitive and inadequate as to fall very far short of meet- ing the present requirements of law, or common sense con- siderations of health. It is the purpose of your Committee to remedy this serious defect until in time the most healthful conditions possible shall prevail in every school room in the Town. Something has been done in this direction the past year, at comparatively small expense, by "jacketing" stoves already in use, connecting them with fresh-air flues, and providing outlets for vitiated air. Unfortunately in some cases the chimneys have a single flue only, or if double, have an insufficient area to serve as suitable outlets, and must therefore be rebuilt or enlarged to be effective. Such " was the case at the old North Primary building and at the Manomet Primary schoolhouse, older still. In these school rooms, where tests had shown the air to be vitiated to an alarming degree, the simple changes made not only provide a circulation of fresh air that is constant and abundant but also ample warmth even in the coldest weather.
At the re-opening of the schools in September last, the re- turns indicated an increase of more than one hundred pupils at the North part of the town alone since the returns of the previous year. This amazing gain, for which immediate provision had to be made, was at first a serious embarrass-
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ment, finding us with insufficient room and requiring for a time a great increase in the work of teachers already overburdened, some having charge of as many as seventy children, while in the judgment of the Committee the num- ber should never exceed forty. The engagement of new teachers and the opening of the Knapp school building, be- fore referred to, provided means for a readjustment that is working satisfactorily.
A change in the situation at South Pond village, by the addition of several children of tender age, induced the Com- mittee to reopen the school at that place and to discontinue for the present the transportation of the children to schools in town; an arrangement which circumstances had previous- ly made advantageous and desirable.
The absence of school children at the Gurnet for many consecutive years induced the Town to abandon the school building there and to dispose of it before continued disuse had deprived it of all value, and by vote of the Town it was sold at public auction two years ago. The Committee were therefore very greatly surprised by a recent request of the good people of that district that school advantages be pro- vided for several of their children now of suitable age. For- tunately the Committee were able to make an arrangement satisfactory to the families concerned by which instruction is given their children.
The resignation of Miss Barker in July last, after many years of faithful service at the High School, opened the
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way for such a readjustment of work among the remain- ing teachers there as made it unnecessary to engage anyone to succeed her. The saving of one salary was thus effected without detriment to the school. It must be obvious, how- ever, that the recent employment of four additional teachers elsewhere for permanent service, the reopening of two schools heretofore discontinued, a janitor for the new build- ing at the North, and an increase in expense for books, general supplies, etc., all of which the large gain in school membership has made necessary, render an increase in the annual appropriation absolutely unavoidable. In the judg- ment of your Committee, after careful consideration, at least twenty-five hundred dollars more will be required to carry on the schools for the current year than the sum which has been appropriated yearly since 1896, and they therefore respectfully request that the appropriation be made $37,500.
The Committee feel moved to publicly express their ap- preciation of the beneficent educational advantages which the Plymouth Cordage Company offer, without charge, to the children of its employes. A Kindergarten, a cooking school and the Sloyd system of manual training are being maintained by this farsighted and considerate corporation, under most excellent instructors, with results of far reaching value to the community and to the public schools of the Town. The thoroughly practical course of the cooking school, attended at times by as many as seventy pupils, can- not fail to produce results of great value to the health and general well-being of many homes. Your Committee are particularly impressed with the importance of the well con- ducted Kindergarten, for the little ones (mostly foreigners) who pass from it to our public schools are not only trained to habits of order and obedience, but come with minds made
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doubly alert and receptive and eager for instruction by rea- son of this excellent preparation, and so they are more than ever likely to become apt and progressive pupils and a credit to our schools. The Committee make reference to this work of practical benevolence from a sense of obligation, regard- ing it as an educational contribution of permanent value to the community and to its public schools which every thoughtful citizen will cordially appreciate and commend.
The report of the Superintendent which follows, calls attention to details of interest, and contains suggestions of importance with which the Committee are in hearty accord. The thoughtful and considerate citizen cannot fail to ap- preciate the great value to our schools of a superintendence which has behind it not only high qualifications and long ex- perience but a conscientious activity and interest in every duty and detail of that important service.
Respectfully submitted, WM. S. KYLE. ELIZABETH THURBER, J. HOLBROOK SHAW. FRANK H. PERKINS, ARTHUR E. LEWIS, INCREASE ROBINSON, School Committee.
Plymouth, Mass., Feb. 1, 1902.
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT.
To the School Committee of Plymouth-
The report of the Superintendent of Schools for the year 1901 is herewith respectfully submitted :
The work of the year has been done quietly and, on the whole, successfully. In comparison with last year there has been an increased number of pupils, a larger staff of teachers, a decreased amount spent for each pupil in average attend- ance, and a smaller percentage of the assessed valuation used for the current expenses of the schools.
The school census taken during the month of September gave the following returns :
Number of children between the ages of 5 and 15 years :
Boys, 765
Girls, 774
Total. 1,539
Number of children between 7 and 14 years :
Boys,
526
Girls, 545
Total, 1,07I
The number of pupils enrolled at the present time, January 2, is 1,627, who are housed in 27 different school buildings. There are now 5 school houses of 4 rooms each. All the others are I or 2 room schools. The expense for the care and repair of this unnecessarily large number of buildings is a severe drain on the appropriation for schools, to say nothing of the loss of efficiency in teaching and supervision that these scattered buildings entail.
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Present number of pupils enrolled, 1,627
Number of school buildings in use, 27
Number of school rooms in use, including high school, 48
Number of teachers regularly employed, 47
High school, 6
Grammar schools. I3
Primary schools, 23
Ungraded schools. 5
Total, 47
Special teachers, one each in
music, drawing and Sloyd, 3
50
ATTENDANCE.
To meet the requirements of the State Board of Education the following statistics cover the period of the school year from September to July, 1900-1901 :
Whole number of pupils enrolled for the year, 1,612
Number under 7 years of age, 289
Number between 7 and 14 years. 1.073
Number between 14 and 15 years, 98
Number over 15 years. 152
1,612
Average membership of all the schools,
1,489
Average daily attendance.
1,377
Per cent. of attendance.
92.5
Number days absence of pupils.
21.085
Number of cases of tardiness. 5.576
Number of dismissals before close of school session. 1,783
Number of cases of truancy reported by teachers. 38
Number of days of teachers' absence from school. 185
Number of visits made by Superintendent. 906
The whole number enrolled. 1.612, is fifteen less than the number enrolled the year before. while the average member-
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ship and average daily attendance has increased, giving a small gain in percentage of attendance.
Under the requirements of the present law relating to continued membership of absentees from school, a high per- centage of attendance cannot be expected. A much lower record under the present law may show an actual increase in regularity of attendance over former years. Very few children are out, or desire to be out of school, except for good reason.
The items given below are based upon the expenditure for school purposes during the financial year 1901. The financial and attendance periods are not therefore identical, but since each covers a full year, the one period being only a little in advance of the other, the returns they furnish are fairly reliable.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT.
I. Assessed valuation of real and personal property in Plymouth, May 1, 1901. $8,303,593.00
2. Percentage of valuation expended for current expenses of schools in 1901. .00393
3. Expense per pupil on average membership. 21.95
4. Expense per pupil on same for schools of State. 1900-1901, 26.49
5. Expense per pupil on average member- ship on total expenditure for schools in 1900-1901.
23.64
6. State average on same basis. 29.65
7. Average monthly wages of men teach- ers in Plymouth in 1901, $112.00
8. Average monthly paid men teachers of the State. 140.94
9. Average monthly wages of women teachers in Plymouth in 1901. 42.7I
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IO. Same paid women teachers in the State, 1900-1901, 52,75
In this statement the items are based upon the average membership of the schools. Items 2 and 3 are based upon the whole amount ($35,203.87) which the Committee have spent, less the cost of repairs ($2,522.86). The items which make up this amount are payments for salaries, trans- portation, fuel and care of schoolhouses, text-books and sup- plies, incidentals. The sum thus expended ($32,681.01) is by Act of the Legislature, to be regarded as the current expense of the schools, and is the sum to be certified to the State authorities as having been raised by taxation and ex- pended "for the support of the public schools." This sum shows an average expense of $21.95 for each child in the average membership of the schools,-a decrease of about 4 per cent. compared with the expense for the same purpose last year.
Most of the statistics given above are called for each year by the State authorities for incorporation in their annual report. They are here given a little more in detail that those who wish for such information may know definitely how much of the money appropriated for the use of the school department is spent and for what purposes.
SCHOOL ACCOMMODATIONS.
In most of the schools at the present time the accommoda- tions for all pupils in attendance are ample. There are two rooms at the Mt. Pleasant school that for two years or more have had too large a number of pupils, and some arrange- ment should be made to relieve these schools at the begin- ning of another year.
The increased and increasing number of children of school age is largely confined to the North part of the Town. About one hundred more children are at school there now
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than a year ago. The needs of this increased attendance there are fairly well provided for by the new building opened for school purposes last November.
For years the schools in that part of the town have been crowded, having two grades or classes in each room, trying to do their work under very discouraging conditions. These difficulties are in part removed by the increased accom- modations, making it possible now to assign only one class to a room, with a reasonable number of pupils to each teach- er. It is to be regretted that the new school building did not make it possible to abandon the Hedge school, but the pres- ent heating and ventilating arrangements of that school, together with a future small outlay for needed repairs, will make it at least a safe building to use until better quarters are provided.
On the whole the present needs of the North are fairly well supplied and the conditions there for successful school work are better than they have been at any time during the past ten years.
While these better conditions are to be earnestly sought for every section of the town, the securing them for the North schools is particularly important. Many of the chil- dren who are admitted to those schools can speak little or no English; they enter, many of them, much beyond the usual primary school age, having had no school training elsewhere, and remain in school only until, by reason of their age, they are entitled to certificates to work in the factories. It is most important, therefore, that the short time they spend in school be made to count for as much as possible, and that here, if anywhere, the conditions should be best suited to help the children to secure not only some knowledge of books but also to acquire habits of orderliness, punctuality, obedience and of right and reasonable ways of thinking and acting, and to help them to adjust themselves to meet the demands and responsibilities, as well as to enjoy the privileges, of liv-
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ing among a free people. How this may best be done is a serious problem, the solving of which belongs, in part at least, to the public school.
The number of children in attendance at the schools on Oak street has been kept as small as possible, because of the unsanitary conditions existing there. What was said last year in the way of protest against the continuance of these schools in their present condition may be most emphatically repeated at this time. It is hoped that some reasonable pro- vision for the needs of that locality may be speedily made.
PRIMARY SCHOOLS.
Children five years old, or who will reach that age before the sixth week of school, are admitted to the Primary schools during the first six weeks of the fall term only, if they have never before attended school. Children competent to enter existing classes are admitted at any time in the district in which they live, if there is room; otherwise, they are sent to the nearest school where there is room.
The whole number enrolled in all the schools at present is 1,627. Of this number 899. about 55 per cent., are in the Primary schools, grades I to 4 inclusive, distribut- ed in 23 school rooms, making an average number of about 39 to each teacher. The average number to a teacher is larger than last year notwithstanding the relief provided at the North and the addition of two more teachers of primary schools there. In this average is included the extremes of one school at Mt. Pleasant with a present enrollment of 58 and two schools, one at Wellingsley and another at Cliff street, having each an enrollment of only 16. Although the average number assigned to a teacher is increased this year, on the whole, conditions are more satisfactory at this time than last year, and give better promise of successful work.
The Primary schools require peculiar care and support.
Plym 9
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They contain the majority of all the pupils, some of whom never go beyond these schools. The work done by children during these first years makes or mars, in large de- gree, their future progress, for it is most difficult to change. the trend of thought and action started and continued. through these early, impressionable days. The tasks done at this time make impressions, establish standards, set the pace, create or support the degree of interest which, most often, children retain through the rest of their school course: and, sometimes, through life. In view of this, the work of the Primary schools should be most carefully and wisely di- rected. The teaching should be the best possible, the con- ditions for work most satisfactory, and the good influence of the teacher continued beyond the narrow limits of the school. A teacher's duty does not end with the school room. It is a truth to be remembered that, if the school is to do its best work, the teacher must interest herself in the larger life of her pupils. Her influence should be broad, many-sided and far-reaching-an interest that follows the child to his home and secures and correlates with the school training all that is valuable and available there. Without inter- fering with the claims or authority of parents, an ac- tive co-operation is possible, which, if gained, be- comes a potent factor in obtaining results, which without it. the school cannot secure.
Many in- stances occur every year where it is proved that the school reaches and influences children who are not, reached by parents; that the school can and does control, where the home does not. If, in these cases in particular, the teacher's influence and active interest be continued-trans- ferred with the child to his home in such a way that it will not be misinterpreted or misunder- stood-the power of the school for good in such cases would be vastly increased. The teacher who can and does render such service in behalf of the
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children committed to her care would be an immeasurable power for good in the community in which she works. For these ends, the number of children in each school should be reasonably small, with a teacher who is alive to the claims, privileges and responsibilities of her position; a teacher who is broad-minded and well-trained, with ability to recognize what are the best interest and the highest needs of the chil- dren entrusted to her, and knowledge of how best to min- ister to those needs.
On the part of the community and School Committee there should be a generous recognition of the importance of the Primary teacher's work, and readiness to support and second all her efforts; they should meet promptly every require- ment for successful school work at any necessary expense, and above all. furnish attractive and healthful school rooms where children may be taught by the best personal influence, amid elevating surroundings. These conditions are not
imaginary or impossible. They exist in some schools; they may be secured in all. To provide them for every school is important, but especially so for the early years of life when the influence of the school is most marked and potent. The failure to provide them for any other reason than that it is impossible to do so is to fail to meet the meas- ure of our responsibilities.
GRAMMAR SCHOOLS.
The Grammar schools include grades 5 to 9. The number enrolled in these schools at present is 535, about 33 per cent. of the total school enrollment. They occupy 13 school rooms, making an average number of 41 pupils to each teacher. The largest number enrolled in any one school room is 54. and the smallest number is 23.
The work of these classes has been confined closely to the established course of study. This course is full, apparently
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leaving no time or place, as at present arranged, for addi- tional subjects. Notwithstanding the prevalent opinion that the schools are trying to teach too many subjects, our pres- ent course of study includes, in addition to those subjects the schools are required by Statute to teach, only vocal music, Sloyd and nature work.
The music takes one hour a week in each class. Sloyd is offered only to the boys in grades 7, 8 and 9, and the work in this subject takes, on an average, two hours a week for the boys in each of these classes. So far as I am able to judge, the time given to Sloyd does not interfere to any ex- tent with the other school work, since the boys readily make up the work done by the rest of the class in their absence. Nature work is closely correlated with geography, especially in the lower grades, and takes very little of the time which could profitably be given to other subjects in any grade. Civics and algebra, as taught in the 9th grade, are legitimate topics, the one of history and the other of a phase of arith- metic.
It is apparent, therefore, that little has been added to the subjects of study required by law, and that reading, writing, arithmetic, and the study of the English language, still hold full but not undisputed sway.
Our aim still is to emphasize in school work what is popu- larly regarded as the essentials. What these essentials really are is a vexed question. Opinions of those amply qualified to judge differ widely. In any judgment that may be given it must be borne in mind that the majority of pupils do not go beyond the Grammar schools. and that whatever is done to make the masses of children intelligent, useful and loval citi- zens must be done before they reach the age of 14 or 15. What will best accomplish this purpose is the important question, an answer to which no one-except our critics-is able to give. There is good reason to believe, however, that what we need is not additional subjects of instruction. but
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more thorough and scientific methods of teaching what we already have. It may be wise to eliminate rather than to add. If we can secure the best teachers, reduce the num- ber of pupils assigned to each, provide suitable accommo- dations and appliances, and give the teacher time and free- dom to work with individuals instead of with classes, we shall have accomplished much toward increasing the ef- ficiency of the schools.
Promotions are made in each school by the regular teacher at the end of the school year in June. In doubtful cases the Superintendent is consulted. These promotions are based on the estimate of the pupil's daily work made by the teacher, and recorded at the end of each month, in the Grammar schools, on report cards sent to the parents. When condi- tions seem to justify it, a pupil may be promoted on trial for a month. In such a case, the parent is notified by written form of the intended conditional promotion, and the pro- motion in this form is made only in case the parent gives written consent thereto. If, at the end of the probationary period, the pupil's work warrants it, the promotion is made for the rest of the year, but no pupil is expected to be re- tained in any class when his interests are best served by his going back to a lower one.
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