USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wakefield > Town annual report of the officers of Wakefield Massachusetts : including the vital statistics for the year 1882-1886 > Part 31
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Soon after the beginning of the fall term it was announced that Miss Perkins had yielded to the enticements of a life- long companionship and home on the bank of the Father of Waters, and the First Grammar School, so long under her faithful guardianship, passed under the control of Miss Sophia F. Hamblin, a resident and former successful teacher of this town, in which position she fully maintains her for- mer reputation.
In the resignation of Miss Field, Miss Stearns and Miss Perkins from our corps of teachers, the town sustained a loss which can hardly be estimated. Each in her sphere was unexcelled. From their long terms of service, five, nine and eleven years respectively, and their intimate acquaintance with all the details of our system, as well as from their peculiar ability as teachers. they seemed well nigh indis- pensable to the successful conduct of our schools.
To their new homes they carry the love and respect of all with whom they have been associated, and the warmest wishes for their future happiness.
FREE TEXT BOOKS.
The law compelling towns to furnish free text books to all their scholars went into effect August 1, 1884, just after the promotion in our schools had been made, and before the scholars who had been promoted had bought their books for the year then next ensuing, so that all scholars who had been promoted in a way which caused a change in text books had to be supplied.
. The arguments in favor of the law when passed, briefly epitomized, were that it would place all scholars upon the same level, that none would be recognized as pauper children, that the books would cost less, that they would be more promptly furnished, that scholars would be better sup- plied, and that it would make our schools free in fact as well as in name.
21
162
Your Committee, appreciating the spirit and intent of the law, determined to execute it with all the fidelity and fair- ness possible in every particular, regardless of the amount of work which it entailed. By the terms of the law we were not allowed to furnish scholars who were already sup- plied, so our first work was to have taken a complete account of the school books, in the hands of the scholars at the close of the term, in order to know who had and who had not books.
Having ascertained the number of scholars who would attend school in the fall term who were not supplied with books, also what each scholar would probably need, and making what seemed a reasonable allowance for supplies, we recommended that the town raise the sum of three thousand dollars, and the recommendation was adopted.
Various schemes for handling the books were discussed, but we finally undertook to do the work of receiving, marking and delivering the books and supplies ourselves, which we have done with the help of Mr. W. W. Bessey, who was appointed Messenger for the Committee.
The total amount expended is $2,814 44, of which eighteen hundred and seventy-six dollars and eleven cents have been for books and nine hundred and thirty-three dollars and thirty-three cents for supplies. We have on hand of the above four hundred and sixty-four dollars and seventy-four cents, which makes the cost of the books and supplies actually put into the schools twenty three hundred and forty-nine dollars and seventy cents.
Of course these books will not have to be duplicated for the present, and during the coming year only new scholars and those who have not been already supplied will need books ; the supplies will be substantially the same.
It is too early to form a judgment as to how this law will work, but some things are already demonstrated that the
163
town can buy the books cheaper than the individuals, and thus it is, in fact, a material saving to the inhabitants of the town, although the burden falls in a different quarter. Practically, now the cost of books is assessed upon the property of the town, while under the old law it frequently happened that the largest expenditure was made by those who could most illy bear the load. Scholars are now more readily supplied with such books and other articles as they need, and in this particular it is a great advantage.
It also has a tendency to keep children longer in school, and of course affords them corresponding benefit. The books are loaned to the scholars, and for any loss or injury, except ordinary wear, the parents are held responsible. The cost of books and supplies has been larger than in some of our neighboring towns and less than in others, but about the same as in many towns in which the schools have a high reputation. The cost of books for the inauguration of the free text book system will vary in different towns from many causes, such as a different time for promotion, a larger or smaller supply on hand at the start, or the correctness of the account of books on hand given to the Committee, but the total cost for a series of years will be about the same in towns having schools of like grades and affording equal opportunities.
To make the matter a little plainer, we will illustrate by the example of our neighboring town of Stoneham, to which our attention has been called. It will be borne in mind that this law went into effect August 1, 1884. Our promotions from one grade of school to another were made at the close of the June term, to take effect at the beginning of the Sep- tember term. This is the time when the great bulk of the books are needed. In Stoneham the promotions were made in April, so that when the law took effect the children liad just been supplied with a large portion of a year's books, and the town has not been required to furnish them. The
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book account of Stoneham will show differently at the end of another year if its Committee understand the law as we do. The same reason holds good in many other towns.
Again, the supply which scholars had on hand when the change was made, and the correctness of the account which they gave to the Committee are elements which enter into the examination of the comparative cost to different towns. Another element of importance to be considered is how Committees have understood the law. Some have refused to purchase paper, pencils, pens. etc. ; some have required two scholars to use one book to some extent ; some have been extremely penurious and allowed so much paper, so many pencils, so many pens, per month; and we are in position to know that many towns which show small ex- penditures have large bills against them standing unpaid upon the books of the booksellers in Boston.
We have taken no such view of the law, but have inter- preted it to mean that the schools and the scholars should be supplied with books and such other things as were reasonable and proper for their best interests, and that the supply should be full, but not lavish. All the bills that were incurred prior to the closing of the town books have been paid, and there were no outstanding accounts.
We are not responsible for the law, only for its fair and honest execution. We herewith present a statement of the books and other articles purchased, to which we respectfully invite the attention of the town.
,
TEXT BOOKS.
Book -.
Number.
Price.
Amount
Warren's Physical Geography,
50
$1.13
$56.50
Warren's Common School Geography,
170
90
153.00
Warren's Primary Geography,
150
40)
60.00
Swinton's Language Lessons,
125
28
35.00
Swinton's English Grammar,
150
42
63.00
165
Books.
Number.
Price.
Amount $11.25
Perry's Bible Manual,
25
$0.45
44
50
22.00
Barnes' U. S. History,
90
1.00 1-6 off
75.00
Franklin Written Arithmetic,
150
7.5
93.75
Franklin Elementary Arithmetic,
200
35
58.34
Franklin Primary Arithmetic,
225
20
37.50
Franklin Algebra,
22
90
16.50
Franklin First Reader,
175
18
66
26.25
Franklin Second Reader,
200
30
66
50.00
Franklin Advanced Second Reader,
5
36
1.50
Franklin Third Reader.
125
42
43.75
Franklin Fourth Reader,
175
54
78.75
Franklin New Fourth Reader,
120
60
60.00
Franklin Fifth Reader.
75
90
56.25
Franklin Sixth Reader,
90
100
75.00
Worcester's New Pron. Speller,
275
23
52 71
Worcester's New Primary Speller,
160
18
66
24.00
Monroe's Chart Primer,
10
· 10
1.00
Music Readers,
95
84
66.50
. 6
150
20
25.00
75
30 1-10 off
20.25
..
175
9
15.75
.6
..
60
24
21.60
..
40
40 1-6 off
13.34
Music Charts,
3
5.50
66
13.74
Key Bradbury's Arith. for Teacher's Desk,
63
" Franklin
63
Otto's French Grammar,
30
1.14
34.20
Otto's French Reader,
30
96
28.80
Wentworth's Geometry,
32
1.25 1-6 off
33.33
Steele's Chemistry,
32
1.00
26.67
Steele's Geology,
17
1.00
66
14.17
Steele's Geology,
1
90
Steele's Physiology,
21
1.00
17.50
Steele's Physiology,
1
1.00
66
84
Swinton's Outlines of History,
21
1.44
..
25.20
Swinton's English Literature.
23
1.12
25.76
Review Questions in Geography,
20
12
2.40
Chase & Stuart's Cæsar,
15
95 1-10 off
12 83
Les Princes de L'art,
4
1.05
4.20
French Dictionary,
4
1.50
6.00
Classical Atlas,
25
2.00 1-6 off
41.67
.
Crittenden's Commercial Arithmetic,
1,13 1-10 off
34.58
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Books.
Number.
Price.
Amount. $21.67
Latin Lexicons,
13
$2.00 1-6 off
Greenough's Virgil,
1
1.60
1.33
Harkness' Latin Grammar,
21
1.12
19.61
Harkness' Latin Reader,
20
87
14.50
Geographicai Readers,
25
1.00
20.84
Swinton's Geography,
15
.
80
12.00
Cox's Mythology,
1
75 1-10 off
68
Manual of Commerce,
1
1.00
Baird's Classical Manual,
1
64
58
Nordhoff's Politics for Young America
75
68
Blass' Ancient History,
1
1.44 5 off
1.37
Le Contes' Geology,
1
3.25
3.10
Hill's Elements of Rhetoric,
40
1.00 1-6 off
33.33
Book-keeping and Blanks,
19
23.34
Picciola,
5
48
2:40
Gray's Botany,
28
80 1-6 off
18.67
Gage's Physics.
21
1.12
26.13
Sharples' and Phillips' Astronomy,
28
1.00
23.34
Dictionary for Teachers Desk,
2
7.00
14.00
$1,876.11
SCHOOL SUPPLIES.
Copy books,
90 dozen at $1.00
·
35.00
Drawing books,
26 dozen at
.84 1-6 off
18.20
54 dozen at 1.44
64.80
.6
25 dozen at 1.80 .6
1.50
Slate pencils,
Lead pencils, common,
36.60
Drawing pencils,
10.50
Crayons,
16.63
Penholders,
7.50
Pens,
3.00
Slate sponges,
1.05
Splints for Primary work,
1.97
Two bells,
17.50
Black board erasers,
6.00
Rubber erasers,
.
Rewards and merits,
·
30.10
.
$90.00
50 dozen at .70
37.50
10 sets cards, .18 . .
29.00
36 90
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Rulers.
$6.30
Ink and keg,
7.00
Blotting paper,
5.00
Blank composition books,
51.00
Pencil sharpener,
4.50
Examination paper,
85.44
Practice paper,
14.00
Two call bells,
1.36
Spelling blanks,
41.48
Note books for High School,
4.69
Slates,
53.91
Ruling slate,
1.80
Dumb bells for High School,
17.00
Chemicals
8.54
Apparatus
26.61
Yardstick.
25
Color cards for Primary Schools,
20
Two thousand envelopes for report cards, .
7.00
Drawing practice paper,
7.80
Wall maps, .
28.25
Pitch pipes, .
48
Bartley's record books,
6.00
Teacher's account books,
10.40
Numeral frame,
67
Expressing,
17.93
Carting and cases,
6.50
W. W. Bessey, services as messenger,
66 25
Object blocks for Primary Schools,
9.72
Color charts, 4 at $2.00,
8.00
Paper file,
50
Ink bottles for High School,
6.00
$938.33
·
In the above account for supplies is charged the sum of two hundred and twenty-five dollars and seventy-five cents, which would have been expended on articles necessary for the use of schools had not the law relative to free text books been passed, and so might with at least equal propriety have been charged to the Contingent Fund. As these items are in the nature of school supplies, and as it made no difference to the town, we preferred to charge them to this account
168
that we might more readily know what our supplies cost. We have charged to the text book account those books which are charged to the pupils, to the supply account those things which are expected to be used up by the scholars and not returned. Deducting from the total amount expended two thousand eight hundred and fourteen dollars and forty-four cents, the above amount of two hundred and twenty-five dollars and seventy-five cents, and the amount of books and supplies now on hand, to wit., four hundred and sixty-four dollars and seventy-four cents, it would leave as the cost to the town, on account of the passage of the free text book law, of two thousand one hundred and twenty-three dollars and ninety-five cents.
The execution of this law has largely increased the work. of the Committee.
SCHOOL ROOM.
With the opening of the Hamilton Building, the West Ward, Franklin street and the Centre Schools, in a measure, were relieved from the crowding which they had endured . for many years.
From these schools were taken a number of scholars sufficient to fill that building, about two hundred in all ; but this did not supply all the needs. The Primary Schools in the centre had too large a number on their registers, for which seats had to be provided when they attended, and the small school in the Bank Building has been continued during the year, and if we can judge by our experience in the past, this or a primary school in some other place in the Centre will be needed continually. In other words, we have not adequate Iprimary school room. One more room for that grade is imperative at once, and the near future will show increased demands.
This subject has received the careful attention of the
169
Committee, and two plans have been considered : one to build a house sufficient for two schools, one a primary and the other an intermediate, in the northerly part of the school yard in the centre and the other to erect a four-room building in some suitable locality in the centre and use such part as may be necessary for schools of a lower grade, and the remainder for the First Grammar School, which now occupies the upper room of the High School Building. The first plan will answer the immediate requirements, but the second will prove the most economical and satisfactory in the end. The First Grammar School, since its transfer to the High School Building, has occupied a too lofty and somewhat dangerous room, and the time is rapidly drawing near when that room will be absolutely necessary. for the purposes of the High School.
We submit these two plans to the town, and urge some immediate action. Others may be able to suggest some wiser arrangement. If so, the Committee will gladly concur in it.
If, however, the condition of the schools in the Centre should change so that no additional room would be needed, the Committee would not of course advise any expenditure.
LEAVING THE SCHOOL ROOM.
Early in the year complaints began to reach us that scholars were not allowed to leave the school room when necessary, and we at once investigated the matter, and we learned that several annoying occurrences had taken place, yet we were satisfied that teachers were endeavoring to use all the care in their power, and we understood how difficult it was for the teachers to determine between the real and feigned necessity. Later in the year these complaints were renewed, and with such violence that we called all the teachers together, and placed the situation before them just
22
170
as it was, and instructed them to use extraordinary diligence in attending to such matters. Since that time we have had but one complaint that a scholar was not allowed to leave the room when there was a real necessity for it, and we have no doubt this was an honest complaint.
In examining this question for the purpose of learning whether teachers or scholars were in fault, and as affording us some means of comparison, we prepared blanks and dis- tributed them among the teachers, requiring a statement of the exact number of requests to leave the room and the number granted from February 16th to March 14th, a period of four weeks in which there were nineteen school days, Washington's Birthday coming within those dates, and we publish the total results as follows :
Schools:
No. of Requests.
No. Granted.
High School,
178
178
Advanced Grammar, .
36
36
Centre First Grammar,
.85
84
.6
Second Grammar,
418
152
..
Third Grammar,
87
61
66
First Intermediate,
189
178
Second Intermediate,
444
400
Third Intermediate,
490
320
66
First Primary,
304
232
Second Primary,
264
177
North Ward,
247
223
East Ward,
198
181
Woodville,
185
171
Greenwood Intermediate,
55
47
Primary,
188
179
Franklin street Intermediate,
44
54
Primary,
141
124
Hamilton First Grammar,
50
48
66
Second Grammar,
7
7
171
Hamilton Intermediate,
90
6
Primary,
62
57
West Ward Intermediate,
53 48
. .
Primary,
125
114
Bank Building Primary, .
69
54
The remarkable thing is that the most complaints have been made in relation to schools in which the greatest num- ber have been allowed to leave the room. It is a significant fact that in one school four hundred and ninety requests were preferred in a given term, and in another school of the same grade, and with more scholars, only ninety. In one school four hundred and forty-four requests were preferred, and in another school of substantially the same grade only fifty-three. If there is any explanation of this difference consistent with the honesty and fair dealing of the scholars we should be very glad to learn it, for it is painful for us to contemplate anything like untruthfulness or dishonesty in the scholars. We prefer to find the explanation elsewhere.
SUPERINTENDENCE.
We have presented our views of superintendence, and a Superintendent in former reports so fully, that we forbear reproducing them, and only call attention to what must be manifest to every citizen, that no Committee can, from the very nature of things, give to the schools that care and con- stant supervision which the magnitude of the interest demands. The proper expenditure of twenty thousand dollars, the organization of twenty four schools, the employ- ment of twenty-eight teachers, the adaptation of a course of study to the needs of more than one thousand scholars, the selection of proper text books, the purchase and distribution of all the text books and supplies for these schools and scholars, the care of ten school buildings and the yards
172
around them, and the constant watchfulness required to know the condition of each school and the character of its work are a portion of the duties which devolve upon the School Committee of this town. This work can best be done by one suitable person who can devote his whole time to it, and we believe that two thousand dollars expended for such a Superintendent as we described in our last annual report would prove the wisest investment the town could make, and the results would be quickly apparent in an improve- ment in the present good condition of our schools, and we unhesitatingly recommend it whenever the town can afford it.
GROWTH.
As pertinent to our remarks upon the condition of our schools and their superintendence, we may properly add that so steady and almost imperceptible has been their growth that few who have not been connected with them realize how vast has been the change which the last two decades have wrought.
A comparison of the present year with 1864 shows that the number of schools has exactly doubled, and instead of thirteen teachers we now employ twenty-eight; and while the average attendance then was four hundred and sixty- two scholars, the registers of this year show an average attendance of 909, but it is not in the number of schools, teachers or scholars that our growth is most notice- able, but it is in the scope, variety and character of the work done, in the development of more natural and scientific methods of instruction, in a more accurate training of facul ties, and in a more general and yet careful cultivation of the physical, mental and moral powers.
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We quote from a report of twenty years ago :
" Drawing maps on the blackboard has received attention in some of the schools, while in others a practice so important to students in geography has been neglected.
In some schools a taste for music has been cultivated with good effect and without loss to other branches.
In writing the general progress has not been great. The prevailing impression is that there cannot be sufficient time allotted to it in the common schools to accomplish much. In the little time that teachers have to devote to it, if they would teach and urge certain principles or rules to be observed in writing, pupils might profitably practice out of school, which they would regard as mere pastime, especially if they could discover an improvement on every page of their work.
Punctuation, definition of words, etc., have received more uniform attention.
Arithmetic has been well and successfully taught. At the private examinations classes were questioned quite extensively in fractions, and they exhibited an unusual intelligence upon the subject."
Comparing that report with our schools today, in which not only map drawing but free hand and mechanical drawing is the rule, in which music is taught as a science, penman- ship considered an absolutely essential part of the work, and in which not only arithmetic but higher mathematics, the natural sciences and the ancient and modern languages " are well and successfully taught," the great improvement made in school matters and methods is easily discovered.
The intense devotion of teachers and the friends of educa- tion and a liberal expenditure of money, alone has accom- plished these improvements.
GENERAL CONDITION.
The general condition of the schools is a matter for con- gratulation. The year has passed smoothly without out- break or serious disturbance, and the prescribed work of the year has been in most instances satisfactorily performed. Teachers and scholars have labored harmoniously and
174
enthusiastically, and the results are such as usually flow from work performed with such a spirit.
We have never been carried away with the new departure theories in educational matters which flourished for a season and then withered away, and consequently have not been obliged to retrace our steps or travel in dubious paths.
We are believers in sound learning, and we adhere to the old-fashioned doctrine that our public schools are established to train boys and girls into men and women. We have never yielded to the idea that the school-room was a play house or that children could be educated in the true sense by play alone, nor, on the other hand, have we yielded to the high pressure system and allowed our schools to become impregnated with the idea that the whole child-life must be spent in cramming knowledge into the children's minds by the pound or the cubic inch. Between these extremities there must be a mean which it is the duty of the educator to discover. To the performance of this work your Committee have addressed themselves as best they could.
As children are physical beings, and their future happiness and success depend largely upon good health, the first great care of teachers and Committee should be to so arrange the work of the schools that the physical condition of the scholars may be improved and not impaired ; not, however, assuming to relieve parents and guardians in the slightest degree from that duty, or to discharge any functions which the law does not impose upon them. A human being is capable of the best work only when a sound mind is con- tained in a sound body ; and as a system of public schools cannot contain sufficient elasticity in its curriculum or in its methods of work to exactly meet the mental and physical conditions of each individual child, the best aggregate result can be obtained only by arranging the course of study so that- the average child can comprehend and thoroughly master it with case. The quick and ready are thus relieved
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from nervous anxiety, and those of slower mould are not in- jured by a little extra exertion. The dull and lazy are in no danger, it is only the active, ambitious or delicate child that needs care.
Much has been said and published during the year in criticism of the purposes, management and results of our common schools, and we doubt not many just criticisms have been made, but we do not understand these criticisms to have been made upon our schools or upon the schools in country towns generally, but upon city schools and those in large, social centres between which and ours a wide differ- ence exists, and a still wider difference in the surroundings of pupils. The mischiet of these criticisms is that no just discrimination is made, and faults which may be fairly attributable to our schools or to the schools of a single city or town are imputed to the common school system of the country.
When G. Stanley Hall and Dr. Harris write discriminately and sincerely upon the different phases of our school system and with the evident purpose of calling the attention of edu- cators to defects in the system which have been emphasized in particular instances within their observation, the news- paper arouses the multitude by isolated quotations from their writings, and gravely announces one day that our chil- dren are being turned into machines, and the next that their nervous systems are being shattered by the intense applica- tion required in the schools and the undue stimulants administered to arouse their ambition. It is sufficient for us to say that, the endeavor of our schools has been, without detriment to his physical welfare, to develop in each in- dividual scholar a mind capable of application to ordinary matters, and faculties trained so that he can apply the great underlying principles to every newly existing state of affairs.
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