Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-08-22
Board Of Education.

We have received from Hon. nj. Thurston
his Annual Report, as also the Report of the
Board of Education of which he is the Sec.
retary. Ii is filled with variety Of educa-
iional information, and useful suggestions Of
a prospective bearing on the important cause
TO the promotion of which lie is so faithfully
devoted. To give our readers some knowl-
edge Of its contents, we avail ourselves Of
the condensing labor of the Kennebec Jour-
nal.
The Board declare their conviction that
the methods employed for the advancement
of our common schools for the four years
past, have caused great and marked i'm
provement in them; and that no portion of
the public money is SO judiciously and prof
itabIy expended, as that applied 10 the en-
couragement of Teachers Institutes. The
teachers have availed themselves eagerly and
gratefully, of the opportunities of improve
ment thus afforded: aud the beneficial re-
suits are slready manifest in their schools.
The Secretary's Report has evidently been
prepared with great care and labor, and
evinces a thorough acquaintance with his
subject, as well as Jealous devotion 10 the
duties Of his Office. Ii embodies great
amount of statistical information, compiled
mostly from the annual school returns which
are appended.
Returns were received from 32l towns
comprising about seven-eigths Of the popu-
lation OF the Stale. Kennebec and Waldo
are the only counties furnishing returns from
all Of the towns.
The total amount of school money raised
by tax is 1921 ,925, being S52, 1884 more than
the minimum required 10 be raised by law.
Kennebec 0,25S,-excess, 1924; Lin
coin S27 0S3,-excess, S4,6O4; Franklin,
ST, ,535, excess, ,S24S; Somerset $40, ,9S9,-
excess, S512; Waldo $40, 73O,-excess, S2,-
92o; Penobscot S30,470,-excess, Sl4042,
the largest excess of any county.
The amount of Bank TAX distributed was
S21 1865; and of other school funds raised
SIO,425.
The whole number of scholars returned is
1914 ,095, of whom 1l0,609 attended school in
the summer. and 133,4l3 in tue WINTER
kennebec returned 24,97S scholars, York,
2l,3l6, Cumberland 2O.62l, Lincoln, 1891
Franklin 1875, Somerset l2.005, Penobscot
2l,092, Waldo 20,S4S, Oxford 12 290, Piscat.
aquis 4,659, Hancock ii 500, Washington
II, 622, Aroostook 1909.
No. of male teachers returned in the State
2,454; female 1875. No. of school houses
in good repair ,39l No. no. in good repair,
1871.
The number of teachers who attended the
institutes in lS47, was $40 males and S57 fe-
males; in lS4S, .05l males, I,2SS females
1919, S34 males, LOSS females. Only 26O
teachers attended the institutes for the three
successive years; but 4,467 attended in some
one of them.
The Secretary says that while the Insti-
iutes have been of immense value TO the
canse Of education: still the capacity Of our
school system for good cans.ot he fully de-
veloped till we have more thorough and
permanent corps ofieachers. To accomplish
this he suggests several plans:
lst. To make each member ofthe boaru
OF Education school officer; whose duty II
shall be to examine teachers in hls county,
and give certificates; to lecture in each town
through the year; to visit the schoois, ano 70
consult with the committees and teachers as
to discipline, government. modes OF 'nstruc-
ton, sc.
ed. To establish three protracted insti-
tutes in the western, middle, and eastern
parts of the States, respectively to continue
10 session three months from the latter part