The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-03-05

way JUST where IL belongs. TuDl1C huueo -
school work and of those doing it-whether IL
be of ianitors, teachers or school officers-inst.
gated by whatever cause, has, IL is true, nttie
effect upon the intelligent and expellenceGi
but such attacks do have a harmful enect on
children in school. The result, ACCORDING 10
| the TESTIMONY of teachers, Is to make cnhuren
FESTIVE under the restraints OF the school fooms
impatient of study, impudent to their teachers
and careless of their attendance on scnooi.
This imposes additional labor, care and per-
| plexity upon teachers, whom these critics aHecl
| to respect. increases corporal punishm6nts IN
| the schools, and works other mischief upon
the children. There was consequently great
wisdom In the rule Of onr fathers, Never 10
criticise the teachers or their schools IN the
hearing of their children, but to 20 directly to
the proper school authorities with their com.
plants" Children are In school ENCOURAGED
to read respectable papers, and they are the
first to see and discuss whatever OF error or
evil Is publicly paraded In them; hence as the
influence of the public press Is extended by the
very work Of the schools so Its responsibility
in regard to them is CORRESPONDENCE increased.
SCHOOL BOOKS AND SCHOOL APPLIANCES.
Proper and useful school appliances-the
tools of the school room, such as charts, OUT
liue maps, globes, CRAY oDs, erasers, pointers,
&c, also alphsbets, counters, blocks, Stats,
pictures and other material furnishing occupa-
tion and means 10 amuse, interest and instruct
the little ones, are now here. as elsewhere,
literally supplied to schools. 1t has been OBJ
served that larger amount of reading than Is
found in the ordinary reading books, especial
ly when for economical reasons tw, classes In
succession use the same reader, is very desira-
BILE for exercises In sight reading and TO in
terest pupils in what they read. This observa-
tion led the School Board to supply for q time
TO the schools from 20 to 80 copies of several
magazines, snch as the Nursery, Our Little
Folks, Wide Awake, St. Nicholas, &c: The
inferior.ty of the readers long in use in the
civ cOmnOaA1 with 0tbara mi rQreuty la-
sued, and the reluctance to put parents to the
expense of purchasing new ones, contributed
no doubt to the willingness of the Board to en-
deavor by the introduction of supplementary
reading to meet the want felt by teachers for
more and better reading for their pupils than
was 10 be found in their s'old readers. The
clamor for new readers, however, became 30
strong, and the defects OF those in use became
on comparison so conspicuous that the COM
"ittee, after much time and thought devoted
to the examination of rivel books, fixed upon
the series best adapted, one or the other of
them. to meet the wants of our schools While
discussing the excellencies of those Two series
OF books, weighing points OF superiority in
each and finding 1t difficult TO decide between
them, the question arose. Why not introduce
both series and thus secure the advantages of
both, and at the same time by the books give
each class an entire book for each year Instead
OF continuing the schools to one series OF five
books. This arrangement would double the
ton struck the whole committee favorably as
1t would at present furnish reading enough
without making il necessary to supply further
supplementary reading The only obstacle to
The plan was the necessity of requiring parents
topurchase new reader each year, while many
c. mplain of blyiDg one reader in two years.
To meet this oil stacle it was thought advisable
to adopt the plan, universally popular wherever
tried, OF supplying free readers TO the schools.
To do this it would be necessary to appIy to
The citv anuuni IN N he nd oit
to provide free readers for the public
schools Among the arguments for the plan
were these-new reading books needed in
the schools; one reading book for each class is
none too much reading for year; If the city
supplies its schools with readers il can Just as
cheaply furnish different book for each sue
cessive class as the same book for two classes;
the books will cost the city only fraction of
what 1t will cost citi zens, aud the larger ones
will last number of years in the same school
rooms, while books owned by pupils are after
one or two years use thrown aside as useless.
These and other reasons equally convincing,
being presented to the City Council, that body
was found quite as ready as the School Board
to make the trial. The two series of readers
were consequently soon procured in sufficient
quantities to supply all the schools at a very
reduced cost. These books We're put into the
schools at the beginning of that term, and
have been in use six months. These books, as
We'll as maps and charts, belong to tine schools
and not to the children. The children, how
ever, have free use of them at home, when
necessary, as we'll at school, bnt they are not
allowed to abuse them as they often do books
In which they have an ownership. This prop
or care of books is most valuable lesson to
learn. The rules of the School Board are very
exacting on this point and teachers are par
ticular in enforcing them,
The worthy Principal of our largest school,
school OF 1900 pupils, gentleman, on whose
Judgment we are all accustomed to RELY, said
taW 6ayS 9incn 1.-THE INTERPOLATION af froo
reading books has been in this city a splendid
success" He remarked further that s'the
readers were universally liked by teachers and
pupils, and their Introduction had added great
y to the interest In reading" This accords
with the genial testimony of other teachers.
The cost OF supplying what additional readers
will be needed during the next year will be
very trif1ing, and 1t is earnestly recommended
to keep up the supply.
SPECIAL SCHOOLS AND SPECIAL INSTRUCTION..
Portland School for Deaf-The progress made
by this school within three or four Years is
wonderful, not only In securing numbers, but
i'll securing what is of more real vaiue, recoe-
milton and confidence throughout Vi aine. That
most of this progress is due to the energy and
ability of the Principal and her faithful asso-
ciates ia the Instruction we all most cordially
admit. The present years work has been very
prosperous.
Practlce School-This school has already
been alluded to under the head of Primary,
NJ. B, Spring street.
Writing, Drawing and Music.-The progress
of the schools in these two departments Is
spoken of with COMMUNICATION; and the value
OF the instruction III school is urged.
ATTENDANCE.
Statistics show that attendance on cur schools
is increasing iii numbers as we'll as in punctuai-
ity. Parents aud teachers are to be commend
ed for this. Tie prompt attention of Mr..
Beal, or truant officer, to their demands or
assistance greatly aids III securing better at
tendance.
RECOMMENDATIONS.
= 1t is recommended: l. To finish at once
two new rooms in the Smaller schoolhouse- 2.
To entirely remodel the interior of the Chest
nut street schoolnouse 3. To keep up the
supply of free reading books 4. To make
both the semi-annual examinations consist of
fewer questions, consequently briefer.