USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Worcester > Town annual reports of the several departments for the fiscal year ending December 31, 1883 > Part 21
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GRADE.
Barker,
Ella L. Dwyer, Principal,
VIII
Barker,
Mary A. Hathaway,
VII-VI
Barker,
Olive G. Davidson,
VI
Woodward,
Nettie A. Murray,
VI
Woodward,
Mary F. Harrington,
V
Woodward,
Mabel B. Tew,
IV
Woodward,
Mary F. Barker,
III
Woodward,
M. Gertrude Griggs,
II
Woodward,
Catherine T. Nevins,
I
SYCAMORE STREET.
COMMITTEE.
TEACHERS.
GRADE.
Moriarty,
M. Ella Spalding, Principal, Janet Martin,
VIII
Moriarty,
VII
Moriarty,
A. Teresa Timon,
VI
Moriarty,
Susie A. Partridge,
V
21
Brown,
Sarah M. Brigham,
WALNUT STREET.
O'Flynn,
Kate A. Coughlin,
Woodward,
Emma J. Houghton,
328
CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 38.
COMMITTEE.
TEACHERS.
GRADE.
Barker,
Hattie S. Hagen,
IV
Barker,
Sarah W. Clements,
III II-I
Barker,
Eliza J. Day,
I
NEW WORCESTER.
COMMITTEE.
TEACHERS.
GRADE.
Parker,
Charlotte H. Munger, Principal,
VIII-VII
Parker,
S. Lizzie Carter,
VI-V
Parker,
M. Ella Clark,
V-IV
Conaty,
Jennie M. Tainter,
III
Conaty,
Hattie S. Putnam,
II
Conaty,
Rebecca H. Davie,
I
SOUTH WORCESTER.
COMMITTEE.
TEACHERS.
GRADE.
Conaty,
Carrie A. George, Principal,
VIII
Conaty,
(Amelia M. Walker,)
VII
Conaty,
John E. Lynch.
V1
Conaty,
Ellen M. Boyden,
V
Phillips,
Mary O. Whitney,
IV
Phillips,
Lydia W. Ball,
III
Phillips,
Mary C. Paige,
II
Phillips,
Maggie A. Mahony,
I
Phillips,
Jennie M. Sprout,
I
MILLBURY STREET.
COMMITTEE.
TEACHERS.
GRADE.
Glasgow,
Francis P. Mckeon, Principal,
VIII
Glasgow,
(L. Elizabeth King,)
VII
Glasgow,
Mary A. Rourke,
Glasgow,
Eliza J. Lawler,
VI
Casey,
Marion C. Tucker,
V
Casey,
Harriet E. Maynard,
IV
Casey,
Elida M. Capen,
III
Parker,
Anna B. Ranger,
II
Parker,
Mabel Piper,
I
PROVIDENCE STREET.
COMMITTEE.
TEACHERS. GRADE.
Ball,
Etta A. Rounds, Principal,
VIII-VII
Ball,
Sarah J. Newton,
VII-VI
Ball,
Mary E. Convery,
VI
Ball,
Ella J. Lyford,
V
Murphy,
Emma M. Plimpton,
IV
Murphy,
S. Cornelia Chamberlin,
III
Murphy,
Mary A. Kane,
II
Murphy,
Mary C. Smith,
I
LAMARTINE STREET.
COMMITTEE.
TEACHERS. GRADE.
O'Flynn,
Arthur Hay, Principal,
VII
O'Flynn,
Sarah M. Averill, Assistant,
O'Flynn,
Ida A. Tew,
VI
O'Flynn,
Louise A. Dawson,
V
O'Flynn,
Mary E. Kavanagh,
V-IV
Warner,
Ellen T. Shannon,
IV
Barker,
Ida A. E. Kenney,
Conaty,
Kate E. Kenney,
SCHOOLS .- SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
329
COMMITTEE.
TEACHERS.
GRADE.
Warner,
Anna M. Murray,
III
Warner,
Abbie F. Hemenway,
II
Reidy,
Emma F. Brown,
II-I
Reidy,
Ida F. Boyden,
I
Reidy,
Mary B. Wheatley,
I
QUINSIGAMOND.
COMMITTEE.
TEACHERS.
GRADE.
Murphy,
Richard H. Mooney, Principal,
VII-VI
Murphy,
Helena M. Kalaher,
V
Murphy,
Edna Currier,
IV
Knight,
Olive M. Butler,
III
Knight,
(Mary A. Winter,)
II-I
Knight,
Mary C. Morrissey,
Knight,
Alice V. Phelps,
I
ADRIATIC.
COMMITTEE.
TEACHERS.
GRADE.
Reidy,
Emma A. Porter, Principal,
VII
Reidy,
Sarah E. Rogers,
VI
Reidy,
Lizzie E. Chapin,
V
Reidy,
Abby B. Shute,
IV
Brown,
Mary A. McGillicuddy,
III
Brown,
Cora A. Baldwin,
III-II
Brown,
Mary M. Bowen,
II-I
Brown,
Etta T. Whalen,
I
Brown,
Etta M. Thayer,
T
EAST WORCESTER.
COMMITTEE.
TEACHERS.
GRADE.
Scannell,
Ella W. Foskett, Principal,
VI
Scannell,
Minnie M. Parmenter, Assistant,
V
Scannell,
Mary E. C. Carroll,
V-IV
Cristy,
Julia A. Bunker,
IV
Cristy,
Kate C. Cosgrove,
III
Cristy,
Aloysia Radcliffe,
III
Lamson,
Mary E. Russell,
II
Lamson,
Mary J. O'Connor,
II
Lamson,
Maggie E. Magone,
I
Lamson,
Anna T. Kelley,
I
ASH STREET.
COMMITTEE.
TEACHERS.
GRADE.
Glasgow,
Mary J. Mack, Principal,
VI
Glasgow,
Mary S. Eaton,
V
Glasgow,
Mabel Crane,
IV
Cosgrove,
Kate A. Fallon,
III
Cosgrove,
Sarah A. Boyd,
II
Cosgrove,
Marina H. Tucker,
I
GRAFTON STREET.
COMMITTEE.
TEACHERS.
GRADE.
Casey,
Bridget T. Carlon, Principal,
V
Casey,
Evelyn E. Towne,
IV
Casey,
Kate A. McLoughlin,
III
Knight,
Margaret J. McCann,
III-II
Knight,
Carrie M. Adams,
I
Knight,
Ella J. Emerson,
I
Scannell,
Annie Brown,
330
CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 38.
SUMMER STREET. TEACHERS.
GRADE.
Cosgrove, Cosgrove,
Abbie A. Wells, Principal, Mary A. Hayward, IV
Mary A. Gauren, III
Cosgrove, Glasgow,
Alice Chapin, Arabell E. Burgess,
II
Glasgow,
I
SALEM STREET. TEACHERS. GRADE.
COMMITTEE.
Thompson,
Minnie F. Whittier, Principal,
IV
Thompson,
Mary O. Whitmore.
III
McCoy,
(Nellie F. Lindsay,)
III
McCoy,
Addie M. Blenus.
McCoy,
Nellie J. Carlon,
I
UNION HILL. TEACHERS.
GRADE.
Woodward,
Etha M. Stowell, Principal, Anna D. Stowell,
II-I
MASON SEREET. TEACHERS.
GRADE.
Knight,
II
Knight,
Mary E. Pease, Principal, Agnes R. Stewart, SUBURBAN.
I
COMMITTEE.
PLACE.
TEACHERS.
Ball,
Northville,
Mary F. Lewis.
Knight,
Tatnuck,
Elma L. Studley.
Mrs. Taft,
Trowbridgeville,
Ada D. Saunders.
Scannell,
Blithewood,
Edw. A. Quinland.
Glasgow,
Bloomingdale,
Lizzie M. Urban.
Ball,
Adams Square,
Anna DeW. Pearce.
Ball,
Burncoat Plain,
Hattie L. White.
McCoy,
North Pond,
Peter A. Conlin.
Phillips,
Chamberlain,
Fanny R. Spurr.
McCoy,
Lake View,
Emma G. Goodwin.
Mrs. Taft,
Valley Falls,
Eliza J. Seaver,
VI-IV
Mrs. Taft,
Valley Falls,
Georgianna M. Newton, III-I
DRAWING. COMMITTEE. Messrs. Murphy, Parker, Barker, Lamson and Reidy. TEACHER. Walter S. Perry. Fanny H. Smith, Assistant, High School.
MUSIC. COMMITTEE. Messrs. Cosgrove, Woodward, McCoy, Mrs. Taft and Mr. Swan. TEACHER. Seth Richards. EVENING SCHOOLS.
COMMITTEE. Messrs. Conaty, Casey, Mrs. Taft, O'Flynn, Hill and Thompson. TRUANT OFFICERS. Henry E. Fayerweather, Wm. Hickey.
COMMITTEE.
IV-III
Woodward,
COMMITTEE.
COMMITTEE.
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
To His Honor the Mayor, and the School Board of Worcester :
IN conformity to your regulations, I submit the following as my Sixteenth Annual Report; and by these regulations this report, which it is the duty of the Superintendent to prepare, becomes the Report of the School Board to the public, and the school authorities of the State.
ABSTRACT OF STATISTICS. FOR THE YEAR 1883.
I. POPULATION.
Population, Census of 1880,
58,295
Estimated population,
70,000
Children between the ages of five and fifteen, May, 1883,
12,721
II. FINANCIAL.
$48,570,334 66
Valuation, May, 1883, Increase for the year, 3,065,822 00
City Debt, December, 1883, less cash and Sinking Fund,
2,369,877 25
State, county and city tax, 1883,
872,197 76
Rate of taxation, .0172
Value of school-houses and lots,
897,986 00
Other school property,
75,804 95
*Ordinary expenses of schools,
171,919 56
Per cent. of same to valuation, .0035
.197
Repairs of school-houses, furniture and stoves.
8,100 83
New furniture,
$1,791 60
Rents,
937 51
.2,729 11
Expended for all purposes,
$182,749 50
Per cent. of same to whole tax,
$180,020 39
* See detailed Statement in Secretary's report.
332
CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 38.
Average cost per scholar for day schools, including ordinary repairs,
17 82
Average cost for all schools, including ordinary repairs,
16 88
Same last year,
$18 11
Cost of evening schools,
3,160 59
Average per scholar,
9 09
Cost of evening drawing schools,
1,787 57
Average per scholar,
8 28
Cost of High School,
17,841 95
Increase,
1,228 08
Average per scholar,
38 69
Decrease,
5 68
Expended by City Council for new school-houses,
47,964 67
III. SCHOOL-HOUSES.
.
Number occupied December, 1883,
41
Rooms, not including recitation rooms,
227
Rooms rented,
2
Drawing school rooms, recitation and evening school rooms, additional,
9
Whole number of sittings :
In High School,
542
Additional space for
50
Grammar schools, Grades IX .- VI.,
2,909
Grammar schools, Grades V .- IV.,
2,696
Primary schools, Grades III .- II .- I.,
4,828
Suburban schools,
504
IV. SCHOOLS.
High School,
14
Grammar rooms, Grades IX .- VI.,
58
Grammar rooms, Grades V .- IV.,
54
Primary rooms, Grades III .- II .- I.,
88
Suburban schools,
12
Northville, Tatnuck, Valley Falls (2), Trowbridgeville, Blithewood, Bloomingdale, Adams Square, Burn- coat Plain, North Pond, Chamberlain, Lake View. Evening schools :
7
Washington Street, East Worcester, New Worcester and Quinsigamond for boys; Walnut Street for girls; Bel- mont Street and South Worcester for both.
Free Evening Drawing Schools, both sexes, 7
V. TEACHERS.
Male teachers in High School, 5
9
Female teachers in High School, Male teachers in Grammar Schools,
13
Female teachers in all grades below the High School, 209
SCHOOLS .- SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
333
Special teacher of Music, male,
1
Special teacher of Drawing, male, 1
Special teacher of Drawing, female, Number of teachers in Day Schools,
239
Graduates of the Worcester Training School, or of a State Normal School, 164
Male teachers in Evening Schools, 18
13
Teachers in Free Evening Drawing Schools, male 4, female 1,
5
Whole number of teachers, 275
VI. PUPILS.
Census of children 5 to 15, May, 1883,
12,721
Number registered in Day Schools,
12,104
Increase,
267
In Evening Schools,
487
In Free Evening Drawing Schools,
255
Number registered in all the schools,
Increase, 514
1,564
Estimated number in this city in private schools here,
1,500
Pupils in State Normal School, this city,
97
Average number belonging to public schools, Increase, 1,090
10,098
Average daily attendance in Day Schools,
9,082
Increase, 847
1,016
Average daily absence, Increase, 243
Number at close of Fall term, 1882,
9,622
At close of Winter term, 1882-83,
9,629
Increase from last year,
910
At close of Spring term,
9,650
Increase,
705
At close of Summer term,
9,408
Increase,
620
At close of Fall term, Increase, 392
10,014
Per cent. of daily attendance to average number belonging, Decrease, 1.5
89.9
Number perfect in attendance the whole year, Decrease,
266
Perfect three terms,
343
Perfect two terms,
679
Perfect one term,
1,844
1
Female teachers in Evening Schools,
12,846
Number over 15 years old, Increase, 276
188
334
CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 38.
Number registered in High School,
Increase,
74
302
Increase,
33
370
Number at the close of the year,
539
Increase, 93
Number of graduates, June, 1883,
51
Number left the school,
98
Average number belonging,
461
Average daily attendance,
448
Average daily absence,
13
Per cent. of daily attendance to average number belonging,
97.1
Average age of pupils, January 1, 1884,
16.2
Average number of pupils to a regular teacher,
32.9
FINANCIAL.
The ordinary expense for the year, is $171,919.56 against $164,610.61 last year, an increase of $7,308.95; the ratio of this cost to the whole City tax is less than last year by % of one per cent. Including the repairs of school-houses, furniture, stoves, etc., the cost of schools for 1883 is $180,020.39, an increase over the previous year of $8,210.20; and the total expenditure is $182,749.50, an increase of $9,020.49.
It may seem, from these statements, that the schools have been less economically carried on than they were the year before; but the reverse is true. The average cost per scholar; this year, has been for the day schools, only $17.82 against $18.65 last year; and including the Evening Schools, it has been $16.88 against $18.11 the previous year. The average number of pupils belonging to the Day Schools has been 10,098, against 9,008 in 1882, an increase of 1,090 pupils. At the average for each, $17.82, the cost of educating these pupils is $19,423.80; which would be the expected increase in cost to correspond with the increased number of pupils.
SCHOOL-HOUSES.
The new house on Millbury street with eight rooms on two floors, has been completed at a cost of $31,503.02. From the Auditor's Report this cost seems to be $34,892.42; because no
672
Boys,
Girls, Increase,
41
335
SCHOOLS .- SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
credit is given for the revenue $330.20 for gravel sold; and because the item of $3,059.20 for brick and freight, is charged both as a separate item and as part of the contract price paid to Mr. Addison Palmer. The. Winslow street school-house has been enlarged by the addition of six new rooms, at a cost of $16,413.64 ; though in the Auditor's Report the cost seems to be $1,800 more, by reason of a double charge similar to the above. On account of the Grafton street house there was also an ex- penditure of $48.01, which makes up the total as given above.
For the sum of $47,916.66, these fourteen rooms to accommo- date seven hundred pupils, have been built; and the lot on Millbury street has been purchased. This lot is large enough to accom- modate another house; and one will be needed there within a few years.
MORE HOUSES WANTED.
But this seemingly large addition to the school-houses does but little more than supply the present need. It hardly does this ; for the average number of pupils has increased by 1090, and the average daily attendance, by 847. As shown in the report for the year 1882, the yearly increase of pupils actually attending school in the fall term has been, on an average 437 for the last five years ; and this increase will be augmented year by year as the city grows larger. At present, then, a new house of ten or twelve rooms must be erected every year to accommodate the natural growth of the city ; if omitted one year the burden will be the greater the following year. And serious damage to the schools results from delaying to build new houses when they are needed. There was an interruption in the progress of all the pupils in the vicinity of the new Millbury street house, because that building was not begun in season to be completed till six weeks or there- abouts after the beginning of the fall term.
In the district between Pleasant and Main streets, Beaver street, and Park avenue, all the school-houses are full to over- flowing ; and a new house must be built in the vicinity of the Jaques Hospital grounds. To relieve Ledge street, Providence street, East Worcester, Thomas street and indirectly Belmont
-
336
CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 38.
street schools, a new house is needed near the junction of Mul- berry and East Central streets. Both these houses will be called for the present year.
This constant demand for more school-houses is not the fault of the School Committee, but a natural consequence of the growth of the city. If there were no increase in the population, the present school-houses would be sufficient. There are cities which require no new school-houses ; but we do not wish to be like them.
It has been suggested as a means of getting rid of the necessity for more room, that pupils in the Primary schools, grades I., II. and III., go to school only half a day each ; and that each teacher have only half as many, on the ground that each pupil will learn more in a small school than he can in one twice as large ; and that each child will have more time to play. But this plan requires just as many rooms as now, though each might be a little smaller ; and if the schools were to be as large as now, so that only half as many rooms will be required for the Primary grades, then the serious question arises whether the teachers can advance the pupils as rapidly as they ought in half the time, daily-that is for each teacher fifty pupils in the morning and fifty others in the afternoon.
As an other method of avoiding the building of so many new school-houses, some one has proposed the admission of pupils at a later age than five years. The average number belonging to the first grade, five to six years, is about 1,600; and in the sec- ond grade, six to seven years, there are about 1,400 pupils. In these two grades of some 3000 pupils we make use of about 60 school-rooms, or six houses of ten rooms each. To dismiss all these pupils, then, would tide the city over the building of new houses for half-a-dozen years; and to abandon the first grade would put off the building of new houses two or three years.
It is possible that children in these grades, whose parents can devote to them all the care they need, may be as well off, or even better off, at home than they are in school. For those children whose time would be spent in the street if not in school, the case is different. At the age of five years a child may be trained in
337
SCHOOLS .- SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
school to habits of industry, obedience and order. After two additional years of street training, the school training would be more difficult and probably less successful. This is not a ques- tion, merely, whether the public schools shall to some extent take the place of nurses ; it is a question how the rising generation shall be trained. And it may even be more economical to build the school-houses, at the rate of $50,000 yearly, than to let the boys and girls run wild from the age of five to seven years.
TEACHERS.
The number of teachers constantly employed in the day schools is 239, an increase of 17 for the year. The number in the evening schools and the evening drawing schools is the same as last year. Of these teachers 164, about two-thirds, are graduates of the State Normal Schools, either here or elsewhere. To the corps, there are appointed yearly on an average twenty or twenty-five new teachers. These appointments constitute one of the most im- portant duties of the School Committee ; since upon the character of the teacher, more than upon any other one thing, depends the real success of the schools.
Within the last ten or twelve years greater care has been taken year by year in the performance of this duty. The selection rests upon no one man, or two men ; it is so systematized that no one could make appointments from mere personal caprice, if he were so inclined. Application for employment in our schools is made to any member of the School Committee, or to the Superintendent of Schools; and the names of all applicants are entered in a book kept for the purpose. Twice a year, in January and in June, there is an examination of these candidates, who receive due notice, by the Committee on Teachers consisting of six persons of whom the Superintendent is chairman. This examination is both written and oral upon the common English branches of study, Methods of Teaching, Psychology, Hygiene, etc. Each candidate is furnished with a printed set of ten or fifteen ques- tions in each of the ten or a dozen branches of study in which they are examined; he writes the answers to these questions, one set at a time, with no possibility of any assistance from any one ;
338
CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 38.
each of his papers is designated by a number, and by a number only, which he has drawn upon a card and placed with his name upon it in a sealed envelope. All the papers in each subject are then collected by the person in charge; and they are subsequently examined by the Committee and each is marked, to designate its character. The average of the marks of any one person, as designated by his number, indicates the standing of that person ; and so far no one knows the name corresponding with the number, which makes it much easier to mark impartially. Simultaneously with the writing of these papers the candidates are separately called before the Committee, and examined by each member in the presence of the others; and each member indicates, by a mark previously agreed upon, his opinion con- cerning the fitness of the candidate. This oral test before the Committee takes account not merely of the literary attainments of the candidate, but also of his self-possession, his appearance, his quickness of perception, and the nature and quality of his thought-in short, every thing which bears upon his ability to teach. In addition to all this the moral character of the candi- date, the state of his health, and his opportunities for study are known to the Committee, so far as possible, through certificates and testimonials. After the written papers of the candidates have been examined and the results put into tabular form, the Com- mittee meet, unseal the envelopes and place the names opposite the proper numbers; then they each announce the marks they have given to the several candidates ; the oral marks of each candidate are then averaged ; and this average combined with the standing in the written examination shows the rank. The Committee then decide by vote which of the candidates shall be approved and receive a certificate ; and of those so approved they make two classes : the first to be preferred, and the second to be appointed when none of the first are available. From the list of candidates so approved, and from this list only, appointments are made by the joint action of the Visiting Committee of the School and the Superintendent; every such appointment is reported to the Board at its next regular meeting, where objection to an improper appointment may be made; three months later, the person so
339
SCHOOLS .- SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
appointed comes forward regularly under the rules for election for the remainder of the school year, unless he is sooner dropped for some cause by the Visiting Committee and the Superintend- ent; and at the end of the year objection may be made by any member of the Committee to the re-election of any teacher.
It will be seen, then, that no teacher is appointed without the direct action of six members of the Committee and the concur- rence of the whole; and that no one is retained more than three months without the direct action of the entire School Committee ; and if, after all, incompetent teachers are retained, or improper appointments are made, the remedy lies with the representatives of the people, who are always glad to correct any errors that may be pointed out to them.
The impression prevails to some extent that none but graduates of Normal Schools can pass these examinations. It is true, that graduation at such a school does not create a presumption against a candidate ; and that a study of the science of education and the art of teaching, both theoretically and practically, such as is common in Normal Schools, helps one to pass a proper examina- tion-just as the study of Algebra will help one to pass an examination in that study ; but it is not true that a person who is equally well qualified, is not as likely to be approved.
This method of examination is not followed strictly in the selection of teachers for the High School, where each vacancy requires a teacher specially fitted in one or more subjects.
PUPILS.
The census of May, 1883, shows the number of children 5 to 15 years old to be 12,721; and the whole number registered in the Day Schools is 12,104. Of these about 1,500 are over 15 years of age. About the same number of pupils are registered in the private schools here. It thus appears that some 600 pupils of school age are not registered. As school attendance is not compulsory after the age of 14 it may be that these 600 are between the ages of 14 and 15.
The average number belonging to the schools has increased very largely, and it is unusually near the whole number registered.
340
CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 38.
The per cent. of daily attendance to the average number belong- ing has decreased by one and five tenths per cent. It is .899 instead of .914; that is, of every 1,000 pupils belonging to the schools on a given day it appears that 914 were present in 1882, and only 899 were present in 1883-a difference of 15 in favor of the previous year. This difference, it is believed, is more apparent than real.
The average number belonging, the attendance, etc., for 1883, as compared with 1882, appears in the following table :
School.
Average No. belonging.
Per cent. of attendance.
Cases of tardiness per pupil.
Cases of absence per pupil.
Average age.
1882
1883
1882
1883
1882
1883
1882
1883
1882
1883
High.
374
461
96.6
97.1
1.10
.68
2.5
5.5
16:3
16:2
Grade IX.
293
363
96.8
94.2
1.22
1.13
16.
19.4
14:11
14:11
66
VIII.
464
555
94.8
92.8
1.38
1.58
18.8
25.8
13:11
13:10
66
VII.
578
673
92.8
92.6
1.64
2.02
27.8
25.9
13 :
12:11
.6
VI.
772
955
92.4
91.8
2.38
2.01
28.4
30.
12:4
12:2
66
V.
1,102
1,200
92.5
91.1
2.05
2.43
29.
31.3
11:3
11:3
IV.
1,222
1,265
91.1
89.8
2.35
2.51
33.7
38.
10:3
10:2
III.
1,074
1,249
91.4
90.7
2.41
2.29
33.9
34.4
9:2
9:1
II.
1,203
1,403
90.5
88.
2.84
2.61
36.6
42.5
7:11
7:11
I.
1.590
1,631
88.5
84.4
3.18
3.01
41.9
53.1
6:9
6:8
Suburban.
333
338
86.2
S7.6
5.15
5.11
52.1
47.9
9:5
9:9
Totals.
9,008 10,098
2.49
2.40
32.2
35.
The per cent. of attendance at school always contains an ele- ment of uncertainty. It is to some extent discretionary with the teacher whether an absent pupil is to be counted as belonging to the school ; and as long as this uncertainty exists, no per cent. of attendance can be absolutely correct. If a premium is paid for a high per cent., as in comparing one school with another, it will be high ; otherwise it will be true. Such a premium has a tendency also to force the attendance of pupils at school. It often happens that children go to school when it is the duty of their parents to keep them at home. Necessary absence is to be commended as much as unnecessary absence is to be condemned. There is no premium in this city on a high per cent. of school attendance.
341
SCHOOLS .- SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
The following from the report of the schools of 1882 is evidence of the truth of the last statement :--
A record of the tardiness and absence for each school is kept and reported to this office ; for many years this record has been published in the annual report of the school committee. The comparison of one school with another in this respect has aroused a good deal of emulation among them. At first, no doubt, the ambition to excel in respect to attendance was bene- ficial to many a school ; but there is evidence that the record has recently become too much an end in itself, in some of the schools ; and, for the present, nothing but the aggregate for each grade is printed in the tables following. Every teacher will, none the less, put forth every wise effort to secure punc- tuality and regularity of attendance.
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