USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Newton > Town of Newton annual report 1878-1879 > Part 9
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GENERAL REPORT.
Further to test whether this was parrot-work, or whether thought was enlisted, we asked them if they could print for us something of their own on their slates. Hands were raised in assent, as many as there were little ones in the class. and three minutes later the slates were examined. One had printed, "I can see the pretty little kitty ; " another, " I can see a little boy. Can he see me?" a third, " I can see a pretty little baby. Can the baby eat? Yes, the baby can eat." And each of them all had printed something conveying a thought. The letters of the several words were correctly and even gracefully formed. The right ones were in every case used ; the capital letters, inter- rogation-point, period, and comma, were all right, and as they are given above. Their vocabulary was of course limited, and obviously no words would be used that they had not before learned and printed. But the point is, that they had learned them ; for the combina- tion was new, and the whole thing was evidently im- promptu and alive. It should be added that this took place in each of the rooms visited, that our call was not expected, and that the teachers took no part in the examination. Here was certainly a noticeable achieve- ment ; for these are more than initial steps in all the difficult problems of reading, writing, and spelling, and was the fruit of fifty days' work.1
Similar results, and flowing from the same attempt to follow the natural laws of development of the child's mind, were found in the classes of the second year. Here the process of writing had, of course, been car- ried farther, and the children were using the script
1 The only needed modification of this statement is, that a small per cent of the class were enrolled in the spring.
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REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
characters. This they did with correctness, and some of them with great beauty and ease. To test their independence, and to learn how far they could make use of their attainments in the expression of thought, and how far they were mere copyists and slavish imi- tators, they were required to write from memory four lines of a poem they had just been repeating in con- cert. This, it will be admitted, was a severe test for pupils who had been only one year under instruction. The lines were written, - time, four minutes, - not all with equal excellence, but with correctness of spelling, capital letters, and punctuation, and, in some instances, without a fault. And when, later in our visit, they were required to write on their slates something of their own composition, the result was no less satis- factory than before.
In arithmetic, also, these children had made a degree of progress which will be very assuring to those who are in doubt whether children of so young an age can be expected to know any thing of number. Simple questions were answered by them, and even framed by them for their associates to answer, involving each of the fundamental rules of arithmetic; and while the words " addition," " subtraction," "multiplication," and " division," were unknown to them, all the processes were correctly performed. Something, also, of fractions they had learned, but this little by processes so natural that their ideas were evidently both clear and practical.
Here again we must refer to the superintendent's report for a statement of the principles through the application of which these results have been gained by our teachers.
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GENERAL REPORT.
ADVANCED CLASS IN THE GRAMMAR-SCHOOLS.
The suggestion has been made by intelligent friends of education among us, that something is due to a con- siderable class of our pupils who cannot. attend either of the High-school courses, or perhaps that school not at all, and who yet ask for something more than our grammar-grades as now limited are able to give. It is worthy of our consideration, whether, without any in- crease of our expenses whatever, there might not be added, for the benefit of such pupils, an advanced class, to be under the instruction of the master. For the instruction of such a class, our masters are all thorough- ly competent ; and it must be obvious at a glance that a full course of one additional year in the grammar-school could be more profitably administered than one-third or one-fourth of either course in the High School.
PERMANENCY OF TEACHERS.
By the present usage of the Board, our teachers hold their office for a single year, and, if retained beyond that period, do so by renomination and annual re-ap- pointment. It is a grave question whether the supposed advantages of such a system are not more than out- weighed by its obvious evils. By denying to the teacher a sense of security in his position it leaves him exposed to a degree of nervous unrest as he approaches the time of annual re-appointment, from which, it would seem, one who has earned the confidence of the Board by years of successful labor ought to be exempt. The practice, besides, finds little encouragement in the usage of other branches of the public service, where the in- cumbent holds his position, not by annual appointment,
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REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
but during good behavior. The judges of our courts, and the public teachers of our holy religion, are not supposed to be the less efficient because they hold their position under this rule. The same remark applies to many other appointments of trust and emolument under our State and National Governments ; while the entire civil service, as is well known of European Governments, is made efficient and stable by the force of this simple principle, since it may well be doubted whether a more powerful incentive can be devised than the con- sideration that the appointee holds his place so long, and only so long, as he proves himself competent and faithful, i.e., " during good behavior."
CONCLUSION.
On the whole, then, we congratulate our fellow-citi- zens on the results of the year. The Board, feeling the responsibility of their trust, have made it their steady aim so to guard and foster the schools as to leave them inferior to none in the Commonwealth. The superin- tendent and teachers have co-operated with them in this aim ; while our pupils, also, have cheerfully welcomed their share of the labor necessary to maintain the good name of their native city.
The condition and progress of the several schools is reported below by the various committees assigned to the duty by the Board.
In behalf of the Committee.
AMOS E. LAWRENCE, Chairman.
NOVEMBER, 1879.
HIGH SCHOOL.
THE whole number of pupils in attendance on this school the last year was 282, 6 more than the previous year, and 21 more than the year before. Of these, 145 were girls, and 137 boys. Of the whole number, 61 were in the college course, 29 in the mercantile, 193 in the general, making 237 in the regular courses, and leaving 45 who have been special students, - one more than last year. The average daily attendance was 232.7, or 91.9 per cent of the whole. The classes contained the following numbers : I., 34 regular and 6 special ; II., 43 regular and 12 special ; III., 68 regular and 9 special ; IV., 92 regular and 7 special; and 11 (post-graduates and others) not classed. The average age of the pupils was, of the first or highest class, 173 years ; of the second, 17; of the third, 16}; and of the fourth, 1532. This average will be found almost identi- cal with that reported for the same classes last year, the first and fourth classes differing by only one month of time, and the third by two. The second class averaged the same in both years.
LAST GRADUATING CLASS.
Of the class who graduated in June last, thirty-one took the four-years' course, and the remaining thirteen
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REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
the three-years' course. Of these, five remain with us as post-graduates, deferring to another year, on account of their age, their entrance on college-life. Three are en- gaged in teaching, and are doing well. Eight have gone from us to higher schools and colleges, and one to the Normal School at Framingham. Three have entered at Harvard, two at Williams, and one each at Tufts, Smith, and Wellesley. In the examinations for matriculation at these several institutions our pupils acquitted them- selves with credit, and well sustained the honorable reputation of our school and its teachers. If any of our citizens fear that their school is declining, these examinations for successive years ought to assure them that it is still worthy of their confidence. We have not done all we could wish, nor all we have aspired to do ; but the records of the higher institutions to which our pupils have been sent will surely not accuse us of failure. Better results could unquestionably be gained, if the pupils of our school could be carefully selected, and the incompetent, the idle, and the mere diploma-hunter, could be sifted out from our classes. But the presence of such pupils is an evil not confined to the schools sup- ported at the public expense. Private institutions are not exempt from them, and it surely would not be diffi- cult to show that the doors even of our chartered acade- mies and colleges are not effectually closed against the aimless and unworthy.
GRADUATING EXERCISES.
Similar evidence of the thorough work done in our school was given by the retiring class in their closing exercises on graduation-day. The large audience that filled the hall gave evidence of their interest by remain-
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HIGH SCHOOL.
ing in their seats till the close of the protracted session. The essays were creditable to the several speakers, show- ing a degree of independence in thought, and extent of culture, that could only come of earnest labor, and that were quite inconsistent with the theory that the pupils had reached the end of a four-years' pastime. The elocution was not perfect, though it showed training and painstaking effort.
PRESENT SYSTEM OF INSTRUCTION, ALLEGED DEFECTS.
In the last report attention was called to a suggestion that a change in the curriculum of the High School was desirable ; and. while it was stated that a change for the better would be promptly adopted by the Board, and welcomed by the teachers, it was pertinently remarked that the proposed change would be a return to the system abandoned by us a few years ago, and, as it was then supposed, for valid reasons.
Those reasons .it was not the purpose of the report to give. It is desirable, however, that they should be given, so that it may be clearly seen whether they were mistakenly or justly regarded as valid, and, con- sequently, whether it is advisable to play an abandoned rôle over again, or to adhere to our present system.
Under the old system, there were two courses of study, - the college course and the general course. The studies of the college course were conformed, as for obvious reasons they must be, to the require- ments of the colleges. The general course was de- signed, as it now is, for pupils who finish their school education at the High School. The studies of this course were virtually all required ; that is, pupils were
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REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
required to take them all as a condition of graduation from the school. The college course answered its pur- pose reasonably well; but the general course proved defective, especially in the number and kind of studies. The number was too small for some pupils, and too large for others. Pupils that were able in body and mind could take more studies than were required ; while pupils who were not very vigorous or clever were obliged, in order to do their work well, to take less.
In the kind of studies there was a similar want of adaptation. Studies that were well calculated for the. training of one pupil were far from being always well calculated for the training of another; so that pupils either would pursue a study that was not adapted to their strength or capacity in a superficial or perfunctory sort of way, or would drop it altogether. As all the studies were required, whenever pupils dropped a study, they lost their right to graduate ; and, in losing their right to graduate, they lost, naturally enough, much of their interest in their studies and in the school. Then they would drop other studies, and by and by they would drop themselves out of school. Bad examples are contagious. The spirit of "dropping" grew and multiplied, till classes found to their sorrow, when they reached the end of their course, that most of their members had dropped away. Not more than one in fifteen, sometimes not more than one in twenty, of those who entered the school at the beginning of the course, went through, and graduated.
For these reasons, the general course wa's revised, or, rather, an entirely new one was framed. As the evils of the old course grew out of its want of adaptation, the new one was made wider in its range of studies, and largely elective.
27
HIGH SCHOOL.
The superiority of the new course manifested itself in the more enthusiastic, and consequently more thor- ough work of pupils, and especially in the great pro- portional increase in the number of graduates. The number of a class when it graduated from the school, as compared with its number when it entered the school, was no longer as one to twenty, or as one to fifteen, but as one to five, and sometimes as one to three.
Later, another course was added, -the mercantile course. This course was designed to give pupils such general knowledge and training as would be servicea- ble to them in a business-life; and, if the number of pupils taking it be an indication of its utility, the course must be regarded as meeting a want in the community.
Under the present system, then, there are three courses, - the general course, the college course, and the mercantile course. In each of these courses cer- tain studies are required, while others are elective. The elective studies predominate in the general course ; the required studies, in the other courses. Moreover, pupils in one course are allowed, under certain restric- tions, to elect studies from other courses. Both the mercantile course and the general course admit of im- provement in certain particulars. The former espe- cially would be bettered by diminishing the number of required studies. The college course, whether for better or for worse, must be conformed, as was pre- viously said, to the requirements of the colleges.
Objections have been raised to the present system, certain of which it may be well to consider. It is sup- posed by some persons, that pupils have the exclusive right to elect their studies ; and, as they are incompe- tent to do so, the elective feature of the system is pro-
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REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
nounced to be unwise. The answer to this is plain and decisive. Pupils have not the exclusive right to elect their studies. It is the duty of the parent or the teacher to guide or influence their choice. It is some- times said that parents are not competent to aid their children in the election of studies. Admitting this to be true, they have the teachers to fall back upon. But the framers of the elective course did not admit this to be true. They believed that a large majority of parents sending children to our High School were intelligent enough to determine what and how much their children should study, - whether. for instance, they should take algebra instead of French, or twelve lessons a week instead of twenty.
It is sometimes even maintained that parents, though they know enough to choose studies for their children, should not be allowed to do so. They must take what is provided for them by the authorities, and ask no questions. No matter if an intelligent father objects to the initiation of his daughter into the mysteries of trigonometry ; no matter if an intelligent mother is averse to German gutturals for her son, - trigonometry and German are prescribed, and must, therefore, be taken, or the children must be denied the privilege of the school. This is sufficiently autocratic. It may be the right system for some communities ; but the School Board. when they introduced the elective feature, did not think it the right system for ours. They believed that with us, and in a school supported at the public expense, intelligent parents should be allowed a voice in determining the studies of their children, and con- trived a plan to give that voice expression. But, even if pupils were to elect their studies, they could not go far astray.
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HIGH SCHOOL.
In order to graduate from the school, pupils are required, under the present system, to take, as the mini- mum, twelve lessons a week throughout the course. Of these lessons, seven at least must be in prescribed studies : the remainder are in elective studies, any one of which could hardly fail to be of some advantage to the student, and could, whenever expedient, be easily changed for another.
Another objection is, that both teachers and pupils are distracted by the multiplicity of studies. A brief consideration of facts will show that this cannot be the case. The instruction in the school is largely depart- mental. The majority of our teachers have in charge but one or two branches each; the rest have a com- paratively few branches cach ; and all have branches adapted to their several tastes and capacities. That, under this arrangement, teachers properly qualified for their position should be distracted by the multiplicity of studies passes understanding. The case with pupils is similar. Rarely, if ever, do pupils take so large a number of studies as to be distracted by them; and, even if this should happen, the distraction could easily be remedied by diminishing the number.
Another objection, for which there is still less ground, is, that the system makes superficial scholars. People glance at the wide range of studies, and, assuming that each pupil takes all the studies, conclude, that, where something of so many things is done, nothing can be done thoroughly. The conclusion is entirely right; but the premises are entirely wrong. No pupil ever did such a thing as to take all the studies. No pupil, even if so inclined, would be permitted to do such a thing. Such a thing would defeat a main end of the system. A
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REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
main end of the system - perhaps it would be better to say the main end of the system - is to afford pupils an opportunity, not of learning a little of every thing, but of learning a few things well, - a few things, not rigidly prescribed, but carefully selected ; for, as there are many paths to a right culture, it is believed to be better for each pupil to take, so far as practicable, the path best suited to his mental and physical powers, than for all pupils, irrespective of their powers, to be forced to travel the same path.
Such are the objections to the present system com- monly urged as most important. So far as they are not purely fanciful, they are based, it would appear, almost entirely on misconceptions of the nature and working of the system. Other objections there are; but they will generally be found either to lie against drawbacks for which there are compensating advantages, or to in- volve, not so much the distinctive features of the system as mere matters of detail. Even the advocates of the system are not quite satisfied with its details. They are willing to admit that here, at least, are certain defects which might well be remedied ; such, for instance, as the number of hours a week assigned to certain studies, or the order in which certain studies are pursued. They would not, however, approve of having the remedy applied, as some well-meaning doctors advise, so as to sacrifice the system. Still less would they approve, if - as the old system was abandoned for reasons drawn from an experience of its defects - a return to it, or to any thing like it, should be brought about because of alleged defects in the new system that do not exist.
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HIGH SCHOOL.
CALISTHENICS AND MILITARY DRILL.
During the past year the Board have continued the military drill and calisthenics. Bi-weekly exercises in the drill have been required an hour each for the boys, and, for the girls, a lesson in calisthenics of equal length at the same time. These have been under the charge of special instructors, competent by training and taste to do thoroughly well the work assigned them. First Lieut. Carter is a graduate of the West-Point Military Academy ; and Miss Ireson is also a trained and enthu- siastic specialist in her department. The combined expense of these two schools is six hundred dollars, - a sum so small as to give emphasis to the affirmation of one of our most prominent citizens, that he would not, for five thousand dollars, part with what had been done for his son alone by the military drill. For it must not be forgotten that it was the physical defects of the pupils that suggested these drills. Stooping forms in childhood are premature deformities; and, before the introduction of our system of physical culture, our rooms were full of them. Undeveloped muscles, sunken chests, and turtle-heads drawn down between rounded shoulders, were painfully frequent among both boys and girls,
The change for the better is most marked throughout the school; so that, with very few exceptions, the parents acknowledge the benefit to their children, and heartily thank this Board for what has been done.
It will be seen that the primary object aimed at was neither amusement nor exercise, but culture, -as truly so as in any other department of the school. A secondary aim, and yet certainly not an unimportant one, was, in the case of the boys, to give them the elements of a
·
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REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
science which they may at any time need, and which, in no unlikely emergencies, restless and turbulent men may force the government to use. Our citizens have had opportunity to see for themselves the soldierly bearing of the High-school battalion, and must acknowledge, that, whatever else the drill is, it is not mere boys' play. If our city government can find argument and justifica- tion for fostering the Claflin Guard at no inconsiderable expense to the treasury, it will not be difficult for them to sustain the School Board by annually granting the small sum needed to maintain in our High School the military drill.
STANDARD OF ADMISSION.
The qualifications for entering the High School have been prescribed by the rules of the Board, with a view to its widest, as well as best, influence as a school for all the people. The restrictions upon entering it are based on the supposition that it will best serve the public by maintaining a high standard of education, by making it, what its name implies, an advanced school, meeting the demands of the times, and reflecting honor upon our town. Between those who complain that too much is required, and those, on the other hand, who say that we are satisfied with too little, the Board have sought the golden mean, and have left the standard of admission unchanged. It does not seem that it is too high ; and in the judgment of the Committee we can- not afford to make it lower, either by modifying the rule, or by careless or mere routine admissions under it. We regard it of primary importance that the ex- aminations on which entrance is made to depend shall be honest and thorough ; and this the superintendent
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HIGH SCHOOL.
and masters are charged to secure. Added emphasis is given to this demand, not by any admitted failure in the past, but by the tone of public sentiment, and the suspicion that the high schools of our Commonwealth are depreciating in character and solid worth, and no longer afford an education equal to that of private and endowed academies. The warning thus given may well be heeded ; and if it be true that some deserve to die, it becomes us to maintain at least our present standard, if we would prove that we deserve to live.
The responsibility of guarding and promoting the well-being of all the schools of the city devolves alike on each member of the School Board; but, for the purpose of securing a more effective supervision, the several schools are respectively given into the more immediate charge of individual members of the Board. A similar rule is adopted by the High School Commit- tee, and the various departments will be found reported below by the gentlemen to whom they have been assigned.
AMOS E. LAWRENCE, Chairman High School Committee.
THE MERCANTILE DEPARTMENT.
The establishment of a mercantile course in our High-school curriculum was an eminently wise and practical measure. Thus far, its results have proved successful and satisfactory. In its educational training, those who seek to become artisans, mechanics, mer- chants, or cultivators of the soil, or who contemplate other industrial pursuits, are favored with literary ad- vantages and privileges equally adapted to their needs, as are those anticipating services in professional associa- tions.
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REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
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