Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-08-03

SCHOOL AFFAIRs.-The monthly meeting of
the School Committee was held last evening.
The report of the Superintendent of Schools
was read and accepted. The report shows
that
There are now in the Center District thirty
nine schools, viz: one High School, eight
Grammar, eleven Secondary, and nineteen Pri-
mary schools, taught by fitty-seven teachers
There are also thirteen suburban schools, en-
ploying fourteen teachers. The whole num-
Der OF scholars registered for the term was
$3.50. The average attendance in May was
1858; in June, 1888; in July, 1868; for the
term, 2S0l. Much the largest average was in
the Primary schools. In the higher grades
the irregularity was more marked In some
cases, classes have beeen sadly broken up, and
the course of study seriously interrupted. The
report expresses the hope that great improve
ment will be made in the matter of attendance
Of the High School reference is made to the
changes which have taken place there, and it
is suggested that the rules be so changed as to
make it impossible for teachers to resign in
the middle of term, and compel the entire
revolution of a school. The introduction of
the study of drawing under the instruction of
Miss Knowlton, is commended, and the sug.
gestionis made that the studies of perspective,
of practical mechanics, and civil engineering
d
| structon. 1t is also recommended that a fe-
male teacher be engaged in the place left va
cant by the resignation Of Mr. Graves The
rest of the graded schools are iii thriving and
promising condition. The only difficulty is
that the attendance is not equally distributed,
which might be obyiated by changing the
time of making the promotions from winter to
spring. The suburban schools have been well
attended, In a few of them room for improve
| iS hut fla raSt 6olr
thy of imitation.
The Superintendent has adopted the plan of
charging every bill audited by him to the
school house where the expense was incurred
and every charge shows what the bill was for !;
and all the expenses Of the department will be
shown at the close of the year. With view
to securing more careful consideration in mat
tiers of expenditure, he suggests that all ques-
! tons involving an increase of expenses should
be referred to and reported upon by commit.
tee of finance. What is most wanted is not
| fitful and spasmodic attempts at reform, but a
uniformly generous and economic adminstra-
ton of the school system.
The two recommendations in the report
viz: change of the rules requiring resigna-
tons to take effect only cat the close of
terms" and the reference of questions of
increased expenditure to a committee of
| finance were referred TO the commit
tee on revising the rules The quar-
terly report of the Principal of the High
School was read, and placed on file.
bect of excluding from thepublic schools
pupils under five years of age, brought to the
notice of the Board in a communication from
the City Council, was referred to a special
committee, consisting of Messrs. Harding, T.
X. Earle, and Goddard.
The committee on the examination of
teachers reported the appointment of Miss Hes
ter A. Greene as teacher of the Pleasant street
north secondary school, in place of Miss Bige-
low, resigned and of Abigail Pratt teacher Of
the Front street (west upper primary, in place
of Miss Greene, promoted. Miss Calista B.
fainter and Mrs. Abby Wetherell were elect
ed permanent teachers of their respective
schools The petition of number of resi-
nents in Quinsigamond, asking change of
teacheas, was referred. The salaries of the
teachers, newly appointed, of the English de-
partment in the High School, and of the
Thomas Grammar school, were, after some
discussion, fixed respectively at $l100 and
$1,000 reduction of 500 in each case