Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1863-03-27
Correspondcnte.
Report of tho s. S. Committee
of Franklin.

Mr.. MoIera or and Gentlemen In
accordance with the requirement of the
Statute law of this State your Committee
have cudc.vorel to lay before you tae
proficiency and standing Of the several
schools in town, which have come under
their observation during the current year ;
and. with your consent, We will further
dctaiu you with few brics remarks in
relation to our schools in general.
Although our schools of the past year,
compare we'll with those Of any previous
year over which our supervision has cx-
tended, yet they tall far short Of that
high standard. to which their Importance
demands that thry should attain. 1t i
. self-demonstratcl fact, that every mih
and woman, needs COOL common s,h9ei
education which consists in 4 thorough
knowledge Of reading. spelling, writing,
arithmetic, English grammar and geosra-
ply for without this, they cannot ht!y
occupy those positions in society, in which.
in order to become useful and respectable
men and women, they must necessarily be
called upon to act. Than, taking this tor
granted, the question arises, will every
child obtain COOL common school eia-
cation, as our schools are being mlnassl
At the prescott time? which question, at
ter moments reflection, no one can fail
TO answer in the negative. Thea, there
is = loose screw somewhere in the machin-
cry for, by proper and juiicious man
agement of the fund which our State law
provides for educational purposes, this
can be accomplished. 1t will be observed,
ty reference to the statistics taken from
the teachers register, that about one
fourth Of the scholars in town have not
been to school during the year; aud that
the average number in Attendance, Is only
about three fourths OF the entire number,
whose names are upon the teachers regis
ter, thus making an entire absence from
school, of more than forty per cent Of all
the scholars in town. This. it seems to
US, shows conclusivcly that there Is a
want OF interest on the part of the pa
rents; for it is the parents business to
send the pupil to school, and the teachers
business to control him after he arrives
there. Our schools can never attain to
any grea, degree of excellency, while this
want Of interest exists. Parents in gen.
eral, do not fully realize the injurious et.
Esc,s of taking their children out OF
school. 1t is a generally conceded fact
with public teachers, that the scholar
who is absent one day every week, loses,
at least, fifty per cent Of its profit. Then
~ parents value the intellectual culture
Of their children, they should avoid. in
all cases, taking them out of school unless
it i. absolutely necessary. And they
BnOupu Nislt tueiE sSuOOis ""N
be ever ready to speak an encouraging
word to the teacher, and to the scholars
and thus show to them that they are in
tcrested in the education Of their child
rcn; for the child is very apt to think
that anything is of minor Importance IT
which its parents take no interest,
School agents constitute another re-
sponsible party in relation to our schools
They should take the same interest in en-
gazing teachers, that they would IN en-
gaging a man to transact their own pri
yate business. and should engage those II
whom, they have entire confidence. Lee
it be the motto to engage good teachers
notwithstanding they command high
wages We shall end this to be the most
profitable course in the end. Although
our minds, and means, are necessarily en-
gagged to certain extent. in matters per
taining to the present war. which Il
.hak;ng our glorious fabric TO its yer,