The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-08-29

Aourishng condition of the schools in the city snt
county OF Philadelphia and throug bout the s ;ase
President POTTER reported that they had 81 |,
cetded in forming young mems institutes in the
The next State that reported was Connect ut.
by Mr. Barnard
Mr. BARN,Rp, on thepart of Connecticut, repre-
education of the State. in prosperous condition.
Academies and institutions of secondary education,
less so-and The common schools as making slow
progress The e,uarity of the system is found
in the mode Of support-that being derived from
State and to wn funds. There is a State superin-
tendent, WHO is also principal OF the State Normal
School, although the main charge OF the Norna al
School devolved on an assistant principal. The
annual expense Of the Normal School IS about
5000 year. The building, which cost 81 900,
provided by the citizens OF New Britain The
Normal School is open to teachers of both sexes.
Pupils ain from six weeks to three years.
Eight to cbers institutes held in each year
There county and State socations of teachers
Upwards of two hundred addresses on the subject Of
school i'll provement delivered in every part Of
the State. A series of educational tracts are no W
i'll the course of publication.
gentleman from Indiana reported unfavorably
OF the condition OF supported schools in that State
The people, however. were waking up to the sab
ject. The question free schools had been submit
ted to the vote of the State, and a ma orty had
voted in their favor. There was, then, an open
field for the friends Ct education. The convention
WhiCu Met iuSt year LOT revising tne C0uStlCuCOn,
had introduced valuable section in their favor.
Prof. REED, of Indiana, said that there had been
improvements introduced into hi, State, in ad.
vance OF any other. In pect to the school fluid,
great appropriations had been made to it. In no
State was there more intense interest felt in edu-
cation at this moment
Mr.. TuAYER from Massac husetts, next reported:
Massachusetts, has Board OF Education Of which the
Governor is chairman o6icio Its secretary is its
active officer, with salary Of 5co. lie has assist
ant with salary of S1,UW $1,000. The Legislature
atIfh fhn lasf ltnfu,
agents. at exps Of So o. whose duty should be
to visit the various counties in the State and lectures
and other means to excite interest in, and pro
the cause Of the common schools. The scho) fund.
hitherto limited to million of dollars the Legslat ure
at its last session authorized to accumulate to
The income from this fund amounting. in 1850 30 about
$45CCo divided capita among the children attend
ing the public school,, between the ages Of four aud
sixteen years, which number must be certified to by
majority Of the school committees OF the towns cities
respectively. The dividend amounted, che last year.
about twenty cents the scholar-a sum not very
siderable, but still an encouragement to the people
whose property Is taxed for the support Of the
schools to the amount Of million Of dsllars year
There three nal schoos-two Ter pupils Of both
sexes and one for young women supported at annual
aggregate expense of about $4,000 which highly
cessfu and the demand for teachers for the district and
other schools at these institutions it difficult fully
supply so satisfactory is the preparation for teaching
made therein.
The Legislature have granted in aid of the operations
Of the American Institute Of Instruction, $500 year.
for the last eleven years. and the grant has been extend
ed to the n. xt four years
The State Teachers Association receives $3.50 year,
each county ditto $780, and Teachers Institutes AIDE
quate sum for carrying on their meetings
The school for idiots receives SIS 600 a year
Cities aud towns author lied establish the Office Of
Superintendent of Schools Some towns have done sol
Boston and New Bedford among them The former pays
this officer salary Of So 500 a year.
Boston expends an average amount annually Of up.
M o s'ou Wv iGr Ter PUBLIC ne schools OF
authorized to take land for school ses-eher with
without the proprietors consent-to the extent of =
quarter Of at the discretion of the committee
At late session Of the Legislature, law passed
empowering towns to impron inve terate ruants
vagrants Boz adopted the la v; and several CT
these lnquens at this time suffering the pc naty
in bodses u correction.
A gentleman from Michigan reported that they
had fine university where the tuition gratis
They had also normal school. an asylum for the
blind and for the deaf and dumb. They had a
large school fund.- and their schools had been often
free schools; and the poor children were educated
years from the adoption of their constitution
they should have a free school system. Then any
child might enter the common schools, prepare for
the university, and graduate az any Of the three de-
psrtments at a cost simply of ten doll irs matTcu-
laton fee On the subject Of teachers institutes,
the Legislature had made no provision. They had
had them, however, through private effort.
From New Jersey, Dr. COOKE reported. Tic said
that the Governor of New Jersey, for tho last Jhre,
years, had been an eficienS friend Of education
There one difficulty, from the want Of opera
tion of Erie nds in public system There had beeI
an Improvement within few years, and the inau
ence Ct the sessions of this body at Philadelphia haC
! produced happy results. Another diff ,ulty wa:
the small public fund. There had been no provi
sion for the construction of school houses. During
the past year great advance had been IN ade in tn,
matter Of fund.-. law had been passed " hici
autht rized townships to incorporate themselves fo
educationa al purposes.
| From New York, Mr.. BULKY, OF Albany, lat
president Of the state teachers institution, re
ported that the educational institutions of the STATE
had advanced. II had probably more benevolent
institutions for the afflicted than any other State
/ VI Il had kaA lac. ~
ter Of norm al schools. Teachers institutes were
| frst successful in New Yerk but since the passage
Of law in relation to the same, they had declined.
| The colleges of New York were we'll kno vn a U al
versity bad during the past year, been established
under favorable auspices. In respect to libraries
| they were too often Unsolicited Night schools had
| been established in New York city with grea; sue
cess. New York had its State teachers Institute
The people are beginning to pay their teachers
better
Mr.. PIERCE stated that the school fund was $780,
Geo, the literary fund $4,000, and the library fund
$1,000,
Mr. PoMRoY, ofSyracuse, wished, in order to pre-
vent erroneous impressions, to correct statement
made by Mr. Bulky, in re gard TO the recent ac
ton Of the Legislature upon tho free school law OF
the state. The Legislature, though IL nominally
acknowledged the bility aud justice Of the
free school principle, had yet seen t to expunge it
from the laws OF the State-so, that the free TOOL
| system was really abandoned in ths State Of New
York. This change was ma 10 in order to com pro o.
| Mr. PATCHIN made q further statement of the
| system Of schools in New York
| Professor AGNEw M xt made a further statemen.
with regard to Michigan University
| On notion, it was resolved that the Convention
adjourn finally at four o'clock.
Many gentlemen have already left the city, anC
lsrlrehend ibst the great speeches of the Consen
tion have been made
: hool libraries are un Ter discussion.
| Mr. JouoMET, Of New York CORE its the impress
sien that the Libraries of New York are inferior.
Professor Red rs making some remarks to sho
| the value Of libraries
Mr. PAIcHiN urges that the library should be al
| ways located nj The .chool house.
After speeches from n gentleman from Con1ecti
| cut, and frCm Professor Ancrtws, of Connecticut
the Association adjourned until afternoon.
LAST SESSION AFTERNOON OF FOURTH DAY.
Tbeie WIS some discussion with regard to th,
conf ostiOn Of the minutes of the meeting for pub
ratiou. IL the wish of the ASSOCIATION that IL
their port there should b. mention of any tex
books, which might be considered an advertise
! ntnt.
a resolution was passed appointing a committee
! IN m fla snl 4 a~h ots