Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-04-26
OUR SCHOOLS.
General improvement in all Grades.
Some Information that Can be found in
supt. Luce's Report.
COMMON SCHOOLS

COMMON SCHOOLS
| One of the most interesting reports from
the State House Is that of the Supt. O
Schools. 1t 10 one of the most important too
Interesting because of this importance. |
can safely be said that the people of the Stat,
ale more concerned for the education of the
children than ever before and no bette
| proof OF this statement is needed than tina
furnished by the statistics of the Repor
for the year 1857. There are less number
Of scholars in the State than in 1886 We
| there were 444 more pupils attending school
the registered attendance in the Summer anc
fall terms was increased by l.s07 and the
average daily attendance By ,844; the regis
tered and average daily attendance for the
| winter and spring terms was increased BY the
numbers ,3lj and 632 respectively. These
| figures show an increase regular and eontin
uous attendance. Again by the more genera
| adoption of the~town system in preference Il
the old school district system the average
| number of school weeks has been increased
! from 20 weeks and days to 90 weeks and :
days 1t may be asserted that the
town system in those towns where it ha,
been adopted has cut short by a few
days the length of those schools in the larger
districts under the old system. Yet if this is
20 the new system has been an improvement
omaii school districts in which the few schol-
afs were afforded but one term or two OF
school per year, have been enabled to fur
| nish their pupils equal advantages in this re-
| spect with those of the large districts Con
eeinihe THIS matter superintendent Luce
| says:
bnt mere again 1t VIII be noticed that the
o ~, SHOWN IL one OF improvement
"e ihcreaSe OF % weeks IN average
iehe'h' taken III connection with the small
e"'e IA Tue aggregate iehgth I'D weeks OF
al 'i,o schoois' ihdlcates reduction ID the
'iunhper oi sHia ana snort schools, and con
sequeht increase larger than the average, IL
Tue length OF those falling below the average
IA length mere was thus secured also with
tne general increase IN length of all the
schools nearer approach to that equality iii
iehgth' the lack OF which is characteristic OF
'he uistrict system.
II /. is asserted that by the abolition OF the
district system the number of ungraded and
peihaps graiea schoois mas been decreased
II II very evident that such decrease means
Improvement ne consolidation OF schools
means larger ana more efficient schools, bet
Ter INSTRUCTORS petter appliances tor teach
ing better classification, better curriculum
ana hnanciai ecoromy. perusal of the sta
'is.cS SHOWS THESE advantages.
further improvement IN our schools is
e'ihceh ny the character or the teachers EN-
pioyed. Female teachers though capable OF
equally as good work as male teachers, hav.
peeh more generally employed, aud their in
crease III number mas been such as to b.
hoteu' Aaded TO TINS al
vantage ts the ppTmanpury of
thelr employment. The qualifications OF
teachers employed also are shown to be of a
h'gher grade. he tendency has been very
marked during the past year toward the EN-
pioymeht OF experienced ami trained teachers.
VI the 1883 teachers employed, CHA were
experienced teachers and COZ graduates OF
Norman schools. GOOD teachers can only be
secured by fair compensation and permanency
OF position. If they cannot find such condi-
IONS III this state they quickly fill places in
the schools of other states.
In regard to school property we quote Supt.
Luce again
1.-The number OF school-houses in the State
remains practically the same as for the pre-
cedng year. The number of these in so
called good condition seems to have de
creased 33. In view OF the TACT, however,
that the value of school property increased by
the sum Of Si99,212, only Sl6O, Sol of which
was from the building of new houses, it may
be questioned whether the seeming decrease
may not be merely the result of difference in
opinion between those reporting, as to what
ought to be considered good condition. "
There was, also decrease of five in the
number of new school-houses erected, though
those this year reported were built at an ag-
gregate increased cost of Sl07,7lS.
Taken in their entirety, then, the group of
statistics now under consideration point in the
same direction a. others They show a good
measure of improvement, as large, probably
is to be expected in any one year, till legis-
lation intervenes and by its fiat hastens the
better time to be. They show, too, the need
of such Intervention. While LIZA out of
1913 school-houses are too poor to he es-
teemed in good condition by local officers,
they must be anything but an honor to the
communities in which they exist These
poor houses will be found. nne-tenths of
them. III towns "hieh are lovingly chhglng 10
80. ' Ds ,ta, a,.,,.n WI ,h,, s,,st,,,,
n',;,.,,s ,a h,iI IT, ,rr;,, AMI uhila i con.
hi l,r,,, ,.,,r.
''s'"ee' VIZ. "''i W., g. a., n '''' -
VI 81" .,' W. .'i"uA !, -, f''
49,, 80, he -, ;,or,,so i, tl,,
,,,,,,,.,f. re,ad h.. t,o ,,aa,'Ia fnr ,la
' ''., - ,i(;. sohon,s - 81 ota WI.
'"pPo,i' VI @ ,. - 80. $780,. g.
''a,' ~: a,,,I, .h S,,,,'r;,,,al1,t
a'',.,as,s ,ar,. correc,jy ,bat .etbe messing
s"es ~, !, - ~,,,,h ,,,s,,a,,,,,,f,,',
"V'' " Va f' -.