The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-01-01
the SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
The Saturday Session OF the High
School Given Up.

At the school committee meeting last
evening, the committee to whom was re-
ferred the petition to dispense with the
Saturday session in the High School made
Its report.
The following is the text of the report
which was adopted
To the experimenting School Committee:
AT the regular monthly meeting of this
committee to investigate and report concern
ing petition to dispense with the Saturday
session In the High School.
Your committee beg leave to present the
following report: The preamble to the
petition begins with the following state.
ment:
Whereas, 1t is wei known that many pupils
have broken down der the constant strain of
IN CONSEQUENCE thereof, are sending their children
to private schools"
Your committee cannot allow this state
ment to go .unquestioned. That some pupils
break down while in the High School is
admitted, but so far as we can learn not
more than IN other high schools of the same
rank, or in other occupations of life, We
graduate from our high School as high
percentage Of those admitted, as the average
High School in New England does.
OF those who break Down, it may fairly be
questioned, In how many cases the break
down is due TO constant strain of the high
school course" and how many to other
causes.
Your committee think it would be nearer
the truth II the word some were substituted
for the word many in the clause quoted
above.
Again the petition recites, that each
Saturday In the school year is observed as
holiday In large majority of the high
schools of Massachusetts, including thesBos-
ton High and Latin Schools, and those in
the surrounding towns"
This statement is somewhat misleading.
The Boston Latin School has six years.
course. The high schools ''in most of the
surrounding towns" have forty weeks in o
year and five hours In session. We have
thirty-eight weeks In a year and four and
one-half hours in a session We think it
will be easily seen that even with our six
sessions Ia week. our pupils do not work
so many hours in a year as their Massachu-
sets brothers with their five sessions in a
week.
Although we have taken exceptions to some
OF the statement made in the preamble, we
recognize the fact that the petition coming
as 1t does from so large and so representative
body OF citizens merits careful considera-
tion. Your committee have tried to look at
the matter from all standpoints. As the re-
suit OF their deliberations they submit the
following recommendations
First-That the prayer OF the petitioners, viz:
that the Saturday session in the High school be
dispensed with he granted, from this lime onward
and that the rules and regulations be amended ac-
secohd-That as soon as it can be conveniently
arranged by the principal of the High school, the
coed two hours per week.
Third-That chap. viii, sec 8, of the rules and
regulatlons be amended by striking out all after
one O'Clock p. M" In said section.
Fourth-That chap. vii, sec. 8 of the rules and
regulations DO amended by striking out If the
Eight days including December rs and January
! ana inserting In their place the word 1.-THE
week including December 25."
Your committee would earnestly impress
upon the minds OF the petitioners that in the
college preparatory course the same amount
OF work must be done in five sessions as has
heretofore been done in six. This we think
can be done, but 1t will necessitate longer
daily lessons.
A. L. DUNN,
CHARLES A. RING,
CLARENCE A. BAKER
The committee then amended the rules and
regulations as called for by the above report.
Hereafter there will be no session of the
High school on Saturday. The Monday SEES
sion will be four and one. half hours in
length. The holiday vacation will be the
week including December Is. No other
changes were made.
On motion of Mr.. Webb, Miss Clara A.
Thurston was given leave of absence for
the rest of the year. Miss Ida l.. Greene
was elected temporary teacher in the Nc
| Lellan school.
Miss S. Elizabeth Hallowell was elected
temporary teacher In the Mcclellan school In
place OF Miss e. A. Short, out on leave of
absence.
Miss Margaret Moulton was elected teacher
In the Practice school.
Miss Clara G. Sawyer of the North school
was given a leave of absence for one month.