The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1885-03-12
Name Matters.
THE CONDITION OF THE SCHOOLS.

THE CONDITION OF THE SCHOOLS.
State Superintendent Luce submitted his an
nua report to the Legislature last week. II
was delayed by the failure to obtain prompt re-
turns from several sections of the State, and
even now Is not complete, because of the fail
ure OF the School Committees of twelve towns
and plantations and the municipal officers of
eleven to make the returns required by law, as
follows: Auburn, Aurora, Bath Belmont
Chester, Garry ing Place plantation, Fraukfor
Greenvae plantation. Greenfield, HowIand
kos>uth, Montvie, No. II plantation. Pros
pect, ROckland. StacyvilIe plantation, Stat>on,
Webster, Wesley, West Bath, Wi,casset. These
returns should have been made on or before MAY
| and their non-recept has involved Il loss to the
schools in the above municipalities of amounts
of State aid ranging from 5000 to $500. The
total school resources for the past year were
81 09lO64. an increase of Sl2,049 over the pre-.
cedlng school year. The amount expended
however, increased S2G,325, making the Total
expenditures for the year Sl,l34, $50. or AN av-
erage of SOL per scholar in the State against
S5l9 for the preceding year. On account of
non attendance the actual amount eXpend-
ed per scholar was S1.I5 against 81 .54 in 1882 s.
The increased expenditures were provided for
by Increased local appropriations and by more
careful outstanding of resources, resulting from
larger and more intelligent popular interest
in the schools, and which manifested itself in IA
demand for better teachers, better supervision
ana Increased school appliances. Superintend-
ent Luce says, in speaking Of the school attend
ance, that the increase of $40 appearing in the
returns for 1923, the first for over a decade.
and which it was hoped was the beginning of
series of increases as constant rs the de-
creases had been for series of years, has not
been maintained. The statistics for the past
year show a decrease in attendance of }53 from
the year 1898, decrease SO small. when COM
pared with the average for the decade past ag-
gfegatlng over II, OO0 that there is still hope for
future Improvement in this regard. The decrease
in the whole number of different pupils attend
ing the schools is some larger than that in the
number of persons of school age. In the regis
tered attendance upon summer schools the de-
crease corresponds very nearly with that in
school population, while that in average at
tendance is very marked. and evidently points
to the existence of some condition OF conditions
of exceptional character, such as, perhaps, the
prevalence of epidemics peculiar to childhood.
That it is not due to the general diminution of
parental interest or to poor teaching, is evident
from the marked increase in both registered
and averaged attendance upon the winter
schools Taken whole, he says, the stais-
ties for the year are least satisfactory of any,
because least indicative of progress There has
been loss of one day in the average annual
length of all the schools in the State, but an in
crease, nevertheless, in the aggregate amount
of services rendered by teachers. There has
been a continued movement toward the con-
solidation of schools and the abolition Of school
ed, is that shown in the statistics gathered relat-
ing to the scope of the work done, the course of
study pursued. There has been broadening of
instruction toward the practical. There has been
for several years steady Improvement in the
character of the teachers employed, but of the
144S employed the past year 1914 were new to
the work, of whom probably not more than
fifty had ever received any training for their
work other than that gained incidentally while
pursuing their school studies. The cause of
| this is the present system of selecting teachers
| on account of the school dstr let system.
| The free high schools appear to be growing
| more and more into popular favor, and are eX-
erting beneficial influence upon tie other
| grades, both below and above them. During
| the past two years the number of towns hold
| ing free high schools has increased from Sc to
| 1913. the number of terms of schools from 173
to $50, the aggregate number of weeks from
| 1874 to $40, the total attendance from 6215 TO
1857, the average attendance from 5l92 to 1883
| the total expense from $4,000 to 500. 1873
and the expense to the State from $13,S13, to
$21 ,SSS.
The number of students attending the three
normal schools of the State has increased from
100 in 1888 to 20S in 1884, but the number gradu
atng decreased from SO to 49, Speaking OF
these schools, Superintendent Luce recon-
mends that the diplomas given the graduate.
be made legal evidence of fitness for teaching
and licenses to teach in any school in the State
below the high school grade; second, that the
Board of Trustees be authorized to arrange fol
and establish in any one or all of them courses
of study of not 'less than two nor more thar
four years; third, that the regular appropria
tons for current expenses be increased to no
less than $4,000 per annum.
PROBABLY A CALAIS TIMES LIE.
A despatch from Calais, Maine, to the New
York Tribune, dated March 9Th says: The hea,
of one of the oldest and most respectable fami
lies In the State died several years ago, leavin,
property in real estate and in business invest
ments, valued at 1892 900, to his daughter, ag
seventeen. She was the last and youngest mem
Der of family of seven children, and her faith
er was the "ast man of his race as he used t.
say. Her guardian, Louis Roche, was French
man of somewhat doubtful character, thoug