Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-05-24

~""uai report OF the State Super
intendent Of the Common Schools of Maine
mas been issued from the press. 1t makes q
very handsome volume, and is crowded
III" valuable Information and suggestions on
educational matters. Hon. n. A. Luce the
author, has expended much time in preparing
this work, and its elaborateness and accuracy
| are very cfedIfabie tn him In statistics il is
specially rlciI and full, while its rerommen
| cations should be we'll considered bv eyer
parent and teacher in Maine.
STATISTICAL.
Inc number of scholars in the State in
iooi was Zl3 92I; in 1880 PA csc : decrease
-" 80 Inc whole number attending school
al 1851 was lao OCT; in 1880. I49 800 an in
crease of 240 The decrease in the number
| OF children of school age has been co,s,an,
| since lsIO. with the exception of one wear
| ana IN IL wears amounts TO the startling ao
eregate of 1920 While there has been .
| decrease in school population there has been
steady gain in attendance upon our schools
The number Of school districts in the Stare :.
$500; ~ towns have abolished the distric,
system There are 4.30S school-hou 3 O39
| OF winch are reported in good condition.
Durlng the year 81 school houses have been
| erected, at an aggregate cost of s95.347 The
4
Maine Is S3,026,395. The number of male
teachers employed in summer schools is 3O5
male teachers in winter schools 257. Mum
Der or female teachers employed in summer
schoois, 4,63S IN winter schools 243l To-
,al NUMBER OF teachers in summer schools.
4.9sS; in winter schools, 4.GsS. OF these
| teachers 457 are graduates of Normal schools
| and 4.7l3 of them have had previous expert
| ehce. ihe average wages of male teachers
per month, excluding board, is 1913 %. Of
| female teachers, Sl452. Number of towns
electing supervisors was PA, an increase over
| 1851 OF 22; number electing school COM
mlttees. 223, decrease of 10. The total
school resources for the year were 81 ,O47 229.
VI this amount S706,52l came from town
! treasures; S3l6.439 from the STATE. and
S24 1853 from local funds The amount ex
pended for common schools-current ex
penses-was 1865, 697. leaving an unexpend-
ed balance of Ss1, 532.
ATTENDANCE.
| We have in the State by the last enumer-
alton made, 2l3, 1927 persons of school age
between the ages of four and 81 years. OF
these, l5O.067 were in the schools at least two
weeks during the year,-for no pupil is con-
sidered registered who attends less than that
| time. 1t needs no argument to prove that
| the non-attendance of go. $50 absentees thus
evident, shows condition of things greatly
to be deplOred. Children are evidently,
somewhere in the State, and from some cause
or causes. growing up, in far too large num-
| bers for the future veal of society. to people
our poor-houses, our jaiis and our prisons
But not only is the condition of the schools
unsatisfactory as regards absenteeism but
| also as regards truancy. One in every five
| of those after ding. both in summer and win
ter, is shown to be habitually truant. One
dollar in every five expended for schools
| $4,000 of the 81 ,000, 900 annually expended
is thus apparently wasted in this one leak
| alone. And this waste. probably quite half
of it. is due to poor teaching. There are
schools in which, because of the eager, in
| tense interest in, and love for the school
work. awakened in the pupils by the live.
skillful and work -loving teacher, truancy is
almost unknOwn,-frOm which compelled
| absence is something over which pupils
| mourn and lament. With right teaching, all
| schools can be brought to this state. But
poor teaching is not wholly chargeable with
| this evil. Poor school houses and small
| schools tend to produce it; parental indiffer
| ence, parental neglect and parental greed
are prolific canses of it; and to these causes
is owing the larger part of the other half
of this great evil.
ACTUAL CONDITION.
lnuer tne neau OF ''hctudI COHU1tlOn,
Supt Luce touches upon the average length
of schools and finds that it is only l2l days,
"a smaller number than most of the leading
| northern and western States. The average
number of scholars per teacher in the sum
| mer schools throughout the State was 81. and
| o6 in the winter. This includes both graded
| and ungraded schools. Mr.. Luce strongly
recommends better and more attractive
school houses, and the introduction of mod
ern educational appliances and apparatus as
an accessory to teaching; more care IN Sc
lecting teachers; and the more general en-
| ployment of supervisors. From his analvsis
of the actual condition of our common
schools, Superintendent Luce makes the
following deductions:
|. Too MANY of our children are either
habtual absentees or truants from the schools.
9 The schools are too short generally;
| and they so differ in length in different sec
lions as 10 afford nothing like equality Of
| privileges, either in quantity or quality.
3. Too many of them are so small as to
he of comparatively little value and to neces-
| state large waste of the public moneys.
4. The course of study prescribed for
them by statute is so extensive that 1t cannot
he COMPLETED properly in most Of them; and
| the general attempt to do so in answer to
| real demand for all and more than is contain
| ed in it, results in superficial work from the
start. -,
5. A very considerable portion OF the
school. houses, outside of the cities and large
villages. are unsuitable in situation and sur
| roundngs; in exterior style and interior ar
rangement and finish; in furnishing, heating
| and ventilation. Many are wholly unfit and
MANY worse than unft-are nurseries OF i'm
! nuritv. uncleanness and vice.
Textbooks are not always of the best,
| are not in full, supply, and are far from uni
| form even in the same school. Other neces-
sarv appliances and aids to the best teaching
are yery greatly-some of them almost wholly
wanting in all save few of the best schools.
Z. The teachers-the great majority OF
| them-lack professional knowledge and skill
yerv MANY are wanting in literary quallhca-
t;ons: nearly one-third are without previous
! experience. and lack maturity of mind ana
| Judgment; and too many are lacking IN those
| elements of character, social and moral.
which are needed in the teacher who Is TO De
an example to his pupils. -,
3. The supervision is wanting in vigil
ance. authority, force and permanently IL
does not supervise.