The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-03-04
CsTY REPORTS.
school Committee,

CsTY REPORTS.
scho oil Committee.
In accordance with the requirements of the
statute, the experimenting School Committee PIE
sent to the citizens of o tlani their report upon
1.-THE condition OF the schools for the past year he
proficiency made by the pupils and the success
att nding the modes Of instruction and government
of the teachers"
The c mmittee are well aware that they have
supervision and control neither OF The schoo house
nor of their appliances let the condition of TIE
'chools emselves is 40 ntimat ly connected with
and 81 depends u on the state of the buildings
which they comp, at we think few words as TO
present accommod atoms and sugyes ions as 10 needs
il. the imme late future will not be out of place in
this report. FAIRLY In the year the need of greater
Accom- modations for primary pumls residing in the
manifest TO the commit To meet this want
changes were made. ut slight expense In the build
ing on Monument street, by " hch tv light and
airy 70 ms made available ami the seating
capacity If the house derably increased 4
careful examination of the Chestnut street school
mousse ma ny ne Conn ittee OF he C ty Council
on Public Buildings and This commit, eve lied
the fact that not oily he building in a sad state
OF 'epar, but that owing 10 The position and faulty
construction of the raj ways, in case of fire It
would have been almost impossipls 10 clear the
sec nd ami third stories in proven serious
l0ss or ne. The r,,oms were crowded dark and
UNIV holesome. and the sanitary arrang ments Of a
very b,d desert tion. During the Summ-r the
b.
mitted to and approved by tn. committee Two
wiugs were added to the building and by the con.
tfuetion OF two substantial sta rway in ach wing
nearlt the whole OF the main building was rendered
available f.'r school rooms. This sch olhouse now
contains eight large rooms well lighted and toler-
ably ventila ted on the nrrt and second stores
II IL believed thai additional school rooms will
be quit ed in the dstrcis in which these buildipos
are situated for several year; bat when more
accommodations are called for at least four con-
veniout aud safe rooms NAV be fiji. 4 nm in tha
ihird sto OF The Chestnut stree building at very
moderate cost. II is evident, however that at no
distant day the eits NUT enlarge The school bu;Id
ing on Casco street. The co1 mittee have been
comte.iea 70 iurnisn room on Caseo street, at
some distance r. ON the sch o1 in order to commo-
date the pupils LIVING in this district Sucb an
ar angemeni is iucohyenent and is unsatisfactory
TO teachers pupils and parents and will moreover
in the g. prove somew lat expensive In re- ard r.,
The house on School rect, the committee are
oDngea 70 report mat 1t is 10 loiger fit for sch o
use ana tney mort urgently recomn end tn At the
city without unnecessary Delay D. ocnre loL some
where Ia the vicinity OF Thomas street. a.d erect 4
suitable bu iding thereon. With the sitgle eacan-
ton above mentioned the school build, Qs are ali Ia
fsr condition AMI repair, and several Ok them are
models u convenience and neatness. 1t is hoped
nov ever That Tor the sake Of better ventilation the
system OF steam heath by indirect radiation n Az
soon be adoted In all hool buildings and the use
OF stoves be di.pens ed with.
The condition Of the schools for the past wear
has, on the whole. been not unsatis actay to the
S con u &c. NO radical changs ave been intro
duced into t. schoul system but the aim has been
rat or 10 improve the quality Of the work perform
ed In schoo than to ease the quantity or to ex
ti'n OF very large percentage of all persons ent
tied to Instruction at public expense +nds til The
grammar SC ools for and this portion the lime 10 lin
| 'tei in which they must acquire that kt owledge
without which success is wei, nigh impossible In
any trade or bu-iness. 10 wrie neat and legihle
band; to express clearly, if OF with elegance heir
thoughts; to compute readily and acenraielv sncb
trohems as occur In eve day use, and to acou,e
fair amount of knowle GO of geography and of
American history are the ends to Whicn each and
eye'y scholar In u grammar and primary scho IL
should DO r. CURED To devole tbs ir time and alien
tion The committee have by means DISCOURAGED
The stud, of music In schools but IL Mas he n
felt that music should be pursued rs her as an ac
conpishment TO Do acquired by way of recreation
tnan as stuiy dema dug equal time and labor
With the Fundamental branches. " ritten exami
nations in this subject have been abolished and We
IN srsst IN ss n orr % result g'eay increased
Drawing has also received / 8 que share OF atten
on ami SO TAR as II zee led practicable the stlen-
ucuarly di ected towards that branch OF the srnh
iect known rs mechanical drawing Tn results nj
ready obtain from his stud, have proved than
selves IF vslue and it ia thought that by nnrsnin
the branch of the subject above Indicated wiz
xeaer wig r r suits OF far greater pract cal utility
the public schools may be the first ep on he road
ding to system. Other cities hav. alread, 10
son exteut, supplemented drawing with lis ami
ca ion At be bench the anvil and at the IL he
without here discussing The ques ion or the duty
o. the state or municipa ty to provide u aie or
the rudn-Hts OF one, for its rnpils or VIE her a
trade can be better learned in sh or school II ia
we'll 10 ray thst manual instruction 10 public
lik general introdActi has been attemtted Il,
All The scho ls In any one city. Our own school
buildings are totally untitled for the introduc.ion
o. such sy.iem Indeed, it II doub ed If instruc-
ton OF ihis kind eniailing, 1t must no inco, sid
cradle anoupt of noise AMI conf,si ~ can be sue
cessfully carried o. in any h-iding al III same
time, and In Injunction with ordinary school
work. Under these circumstance q eretore W.
have thought II inadmissable to attempt anvt,ing
more In this dir. elton than to utilize the material Il
hand and already provided. aud TO encourage and
foster tho study Of mechanical ra@ing which lies
at the base OF every mechanical pursui aud viii h
II often OF gre u-e to those Q. gagged In occupa-
tons not mechanical.
The progress made by pupils in the primary and
grammar srhools in The stndy of arithinr tic Is not
un v hole entirely satisfactory. Great g re and
much hard work IL bestowed this subject by CON-
pc et and generally success fui teachers and The
pupils ttrive to faithfully folio thei ,.s
yet 1t cannot b. said that Ct desi ed standard 10
at ain.d ls this the fault of the method of tearh
ing arithmetic at present in vogue in most of orr
cities? II seems to be the opinion Of modern edu
Gators, many of whom persons OF the highest II.
taininentd aud Of large an varied experience in
nsiters rela Ing t" the mental training of children
whore opiDtn- are cei taiuly entitled TO great
weight anu carein consideration, that a'ithmeiical
processes My should be taught but that the Iea-
SON for b se processes should be excluded or at
least kept in the backgr und until the chil has
reached oe tain stage in his mental d.yelonme
The age al which he is supposed to reach this sage
Is not very definitely settld. but is generally co..
ceded 70 be about thirteen yeas Until The Chi d.
according TO this theory, reaches this period of his
lie he 70 simpi. 10 compute numbers fol owing
specific di ectnns laid doa by tn le4cher, that he
IL
tations. He 10 to learn how, not ahy
When the pupil ha. passed the period above al
luded to he is then allowed to know the reason of
the " ork he d Q cen engaged in for six or seven
years; an 1t Is commended that the pupil will ac
quire larger and better understanding of the sub
ject at this age In few months than BY wears Of
study b the old method of practice With accom-,
panying explanati ms by he pupil. In q somewhat
modified FIRM his has been the mode of instruction
IN arithm, tc empio, ed In schools. The commit
tee are mol iully pr pared to endorse this me hod
aud are inclined to think the lack of succ IS in III
subject may In som me sure be due to the employ
menu Of it. Experience show that pupil 9. mig
nom country schools, where the old fashioue.
method of instruc ion is in vogue are f4rthrr ad-
vanced, and have q lar bet er unde' standing OF
sri hmetic a d its practical Applicant MS than
children OF the same age who have lived all their
Instr .ction In the city schools During the year
the committee have tndeavored to change the d.
reciion and general drift of the melhod of instrnc
no IN TINS branch. aid to gradually return to the
older and, a. they believe, superior mode. To thor
onghly test the merits of the iwc systems howe, er.
permission was granted Rev. DR.. Thos. Hill at the
boil in arithmetic into the fourth or lowest class
in the Cumberland st eet grammar school and TO
eivs genial oir. ctor in regard to instruction ia
arithmetic In that class. By comparing he resul
Ut thu work. OF the pu lis In this class the work
OF r C asses OF he SINE grades III other schools,
the commit ee hope at the end O. the year finally H.
determ ne whs her the lack OF proficiency IN his
subject is due 10 the method of irst ucti1n and il
g. TO settle u on definite and well arranged plan
for rem. lying he defect.
Writing receives q considerable sh w of attention
In our schools and the committee are glad to re-
prOuciency on Inc part OF the pupils
this direction hat there has been constant iu,-
provement in this depar ment since the employ
ment OF special te .chur Ii a fact not to be cues
t'one'. Tue early age with the practice Of
writing is begun, and the fact that in learning to
read children are taught SCRIPT as well as ordinary
type at The same time, doubt contributes iu some
degr.e 10 ne general success. The papers upon
wn'th the pu ! 3 have Written the results of the
various examinaii many of them moiejs OF
neatness, admirably written and, what is som ,what
remar. able exhibit STRIKING Individuality in the
hand writing
lie members Of the committee have twice during
tho year personally examined every scholar in The
upper cla eer IN primary schools and in ali the
glasses In the Grammar scho ss reading and find
yer, 9 mmendahle progress has bes made. This is
tspe.ia ~ noticeable In SCH, OILS when the atCenti
OF tue pupils Is not confined TO the regular text
oooks and whe" general reading is encouraged both
he syster Of written examinations far the pupils
In he high~r class in the primary schools and for
all cls<ses In the Grammar schools has D. ovei in
many ways highly DO i-ieial Tue aim IN such