The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-02-01
DAILY PRESS.
Tuesday Morning, February I, 1870.
Report OF the Superintendent Of Common
Schools.
PORTsLANT

Schools
The second annual report of our very able
and energetic Superintendent of Schools, Mr..
Johnson, has come to hand. The report con-
talns an amount Of condensed and well ar
ranged Information that speaks ell for Mr.
Johnson's industry.
The fact that first impresses a. reader of
the Superintendant's report is that though
there is an improvement since last year OF
eight per cent. in the attendance of pupils,
yet only one half of the children between the
ages of four and twenty-one in the State of
Maine attend any school. This is a truly
lamentable fact and deserves the closest scru-
tiny of cur Legislature, though an annual in
crease of eight per cent would soon remove all
ground for discomfort.
1t is gratifying to find that the decrease in
the number of school children which has been
steady from 1851 to 1868 has at length in some
way been arrested. The report shows that
during the year 1869 the number increased
from 225.200 to 22G, ,l43.
The report contains a variety Of matter
that will demand our attention hereafter.
For the present we lay before our readers IL e
report of J. B. Webb, Esq, the efficient SUI
pervisor of this county:
Educational York Performed. Immedi-
ately on receiving my appointment, COM
menced visiting schools, comforting with CON-
mitteeS and holding meetings of teachers
One hundred and ten schools have been Wis
tied. Ten teachers meetings. two county
and three town Institutes have been held
Twelve lectures have been given. Through
these means five hundred teachers have been
reached in the county, and balieve their eff
cheney has been greatly promoted. Circulars
have been prepared and sent to the school
district Agents, setting forth their powers and
duties, calling their attention to a more
prompt and faithful discharge OF them, and
also urging more careful preparation OF their
school-rooms for winter sessions, by havipg
them more convenient and comfortable, and
better supplied with necessary maps and
charts. Their attention has been particular
ty called to the importance of greater care in
selecting teachers.
1t is highly gratifying to here acknowledge
the hearty response given to any communica-
ton to the Supsrintendins School Commit
tees, soliciting their co operation in the work,
by elevaling the stanGard OF qualifications of
teachers, by requiring teachers to be present
at stated times for Examination, and making
such examinations more extensive aud thor
uuoh. and in the assistance they have render
ed me by securing full attendance at the
teachers institutes. We have always been
met by the committees most cordially, and
their aid has contributed very largely to
awaken che present cheering interest in the
prosperity OF our public schools.
Tie press has been of great service in nv
work, by frequent and encouraging articles.
pad often by iull reports of teachers insti-
tutes and associations.
Obstacles. While presenting so encourag-
ing results of my labors in conjunction with
the school committees of this county, am
sensible oi great and serious obstacles that in.
terpose to materially retard the prosperity OF
our schools, and which here wish to notice.
The multiplicity OF school districts, many OF
which are small and too weak to support
good school houses and competent teachers,
leads to short sessions and poorly paid, con,
sequently cheap instr uction. The present
district system, placing the employment Of
teachers in the bands OF agents Is in my opln-
ion very Objectionable, and it is hoped that
the time is not far distant when it will be abol.
ished 1t cannot be expected that an agent
can knoD the qualifications of applicants for
positions as teachers, consequently poor and
inexperienced teachers are often engaged to
take charge of more responsible schools, while
more efficient teachers are compelled to take
less important positions. In this way much
of our teaching force Is lost. With our limit
ed means for supporting public schools, con-
solida ion OF districts would seem to be the
dictate Of wisdom. 1t must be apparent to all
| that the progress in grading our schools, and
gng gTsfaaesfo o. eTea, es
| retarded by the present district system, auC
| thousands OF dollars, that might be saved b,
proper union of small districts and graduation
OF the schools,are now annually paid to acade
mics and other private institutions.
Te1t-B0oks. The great variety of tex
books now in use, many of which are not lev
ell to the comprehension OF the pupils fol
whom they are prepared, the large number o
books in series unnecessarily multiplying
the number Of classes, and thereby diminish.
ing the teachers Usefulness, the FREQUENT
changes and partial changes, rendering even
to1n uniformity quite impossible, are serious
obstacles to healthy condition OF our
schools. Recently, visited the schools of a
town, having only nine districts, and four
different readers, three kinds oil grammar, and
| four different biographies. l am able to name
| five adjoining Towns in TINS county, each
using different textbooks. A change of resi-
| dence from one OF these towns to another
must necessarily be attended with no small
pecuniary burden to the parents, and a ser-
| Gus embarrassment to the progress OF the pu-
| pills. 1t is hoped that these evils may soon
| find remedy in the adoption of uniform
system OF textbooks. In presenting these
| views iavoring State uniformity, iudiciously
inaugutated, l wish to here say that have
been led TO adopt them from a careful Ib-
servance of the manv prominent obstacles
that the present system lays IN the way OF
good Classification, and progressive and
thorough course OF instruction in our public
schools.
Attendance. Peace, happiness, and the
safety OF property and life are secured by the
education OF the masses. For this purpose
every man is taxed, whether he has or has not
| children to be benefited by the education for
which he pays. The laws OF the country
wisely provide tor the security oil property and
and life by the general diffusion OF knowledge
through the public schools; now as the State
claims the right to tax its citizens for the sup.
port OF public instruction, can We doubt her
| right and duty to secure to the people the
| highest benefits OF such taxation. 1t is hoped
| that wo may have such statute euactments as
shall bring all the children in the State to the
school-room, where they may receive that cul
ture and training that shall tend to make
them good citizens.
| In presenting these views in favor of abol
| iShing the present school district system, OF
uniformity of textbooks, and compulsory at
tendance OF pupils at school, am pleased Il
be able TO say that they are heartily seconded
by large majority Of the School committees
| and they receive the almost unanimous ap
proval of our citizens.
tutes held in the county, the number of teach
ers attending, and the number of towns rep.
resented:
A cn-4 "a