The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-11-03
OUR PEDAGOGUES.
Annual Meeting of the Cumber-
land County Association.
Fall Report of the First Days Proceed
ings.

The first session of the annual meeting of
the Cumberland County Teachers Associa-
tion was held yesterday at the High School
room, Saccalappa. A large number of
teachers were present-nearly two hundred
including Prof. T. G. Robinson of Bowdoin
College, Mr.. A. f. Richardson of Fryeburg
Academy, A. E. Chase of Portland, W. j.
Corthell of Gorham, f. e. G. Robbins of Deer
ing, Thos, fash of Portland, Mr.. Chas. Fish
OF Brunswick and others prominent in educa-
tional matters. The opening address was by
Mr.. A. f. Richardson, of which the following
is a summary:
MR.. RICHARDSON'S ADDRESS.
Maine and Cumberland county have un-
doubtedly made considerable advance in
education during the past year, and We occupy
a much higher position than we did few
years ago; but our advancement has not been
such that we ooght to feel satisfied with it.
Maine should take the lead in school matters.
We ought not be content to occupy place
quite so near the foot of the class.
Among our greatest hindrances to advance
ment is the district system, which still exists
and 1 fear will continue TO exist, because it
has within itself elements which prevent its
abolition. The district agent is elected with
out the least regard to his fitness for the posi-
ton, and he employs some relative or friend
without regard to qualifications The next
year another man is elected, and a new set of
teachers appear to take charge of the schools.
Young men educated in this manner find their
way into the Legislature. We must expect to
find opposition to improvement in school laws
from such representatives.
We pay our teachers too low wages. How
can we expect female teachers to prepare
themselves for their work when their average
pay in this country is only $40 per week,
with an average of only twenty-five weeks in
year? We do not pay our male teachers
enough either; for this reason we are continu-
ally having our best men called away into
other States. New Hampshire has come down
upon us during the past year, and taken from
our number one whose loss will be felt for
years in the educational circles of this State.
Our normal schools ought to be better pa
tronized. Only seventy-nine normal gradu-
ates teaching in Cumberland county, when
| there are thousand teachers employed, is not
the right kind of record, especially when we
| have within the county one of the best normal
| schools in New England.
An advance ought to be made in the study
| of English literature, which might be made to
| take the place largely of English grammar.
| To be sure, English grammar teaches us speak
/ and write the English language correctly, but
a scholar must have thorough knowledge of
| the English language before he can compre-
| hend the textbooks used to teach English
| grammar.
School attendance should be much greater.
| Ten thousand between the ages of four and
| twenty-one who do not attend school at all
| in county where there are only $1,000
pupils registered, is too great number. We
cannot pride ourselves on an average attend
ance of only "A per cent.
On the whole, the prospect is not the worst
The influence of Gorham Normal School is be-
| ing felt more and more each year The grad
| ed schools are increasing in number and eff
cheney. The Normal graduates teaching in
the county number seventy more than they did
ten years ago, while the average pay of female
teachers has increased t,go cents a aCeek during
these ten years.
Following the address of Mr.. Richardson
was paper on Topical Teaching" presented
by Mr., W. E. Aver of Cumberland Mills.