Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-09-28

room that all tne6o eVliS HOW. The reciCe~ tion rooms are in a marked manner more unhtted stiA~ for the large classes which should enter them.
 The total number registered in the High school room last year was 2S6. Not quite all of these were members of the school at any one time.
 By filling up some of the alsles and by putting in oid-iashtoned double desks seat ing room was found for 200. The "ventila- ton of the room is vIle," says one of the teachers.
 The recitation rooms are too small, very ineonvenient and not sufficient in number. There Is no room for a physical laboratory, no room for the proper study of botany, no room for a library.
 The corPs of teachers is excellent and not inferior to any in the state. The courses of study are equal to those of the best High schools. Pupils are fitted for college, for a scientific school, or can obtain a higher ed ucatiou which better prepares them for the affairs Of life.
 But the ability of the teachers, the well de- vised courses of study,t the time which should be devoted to class recitation, the faithful efforts of the pubils. in short, the general success of the school is all sadly hampered by the present sta'e of things
 The pres ent building is not adapted to the needs and requirements of a modern and properly equipped high school and cannot be made so. A large number of young men and young women in Waterbury are seeking a higher education. It is due 10 them that we provide commodious building. We are far behind other cities of the state in this respect.
 This whole matter was widely discussed during the summer and tall of last year. Various sites Tor the Few building were pre- posed. An unsuccessful attempt was made to cb ain part of the Bronson library lot of the legal voters of the Center school district held on November Is. 1892. it was voted to ask the city authorities to grant to the Center school district, a lot in the rear of that deedtd to the Bronson library. This vote was properly presented to the eommC D council and by them referred to the board of road commissioners and there the matter rests.
 SCH DOL PLAYGRoUNDs.
 Not much attention has been paid to beau tifying the ground about our school build Ings. small portion at least in front ought to be made attractive to the eye The expense would not be great. It Is a reflection upon our good tas ste..tnat so:little has been done.
 SCHOOL FURNITURE.
 Our school houses erected within the last few pears are well furnished with convenient desks for the teachers and with single inde- pendent desks and seats for the pupils. In the older buildings there are many rooms which have the combination desk and seat and what is worse, the double combination desk and seat.
 This combination form Is quite objection able as regards the good order and dIscl- pline oi a school and especially objectionable as regards the health of those who use it. The close seating together of children makes it impossible to avoid inhaling each others breath and makes much more easy the com munication of uncleanliness and the germs of disease. Large floor space, broad aisles and widely separated sittlnRs should be pro- vided in ali future school houses. In the present buildings the double and combina- ton form should be replaced by single independent desks an seats.
 LITERARY FURNISHINGS.
 Our schools are in part supplied with charts, globes, waIl-maps and dictionaries. More are needed. The primary rooms should have much more material for object work and for Kindergarten instruction. Every school house Is quite well furnished with clay and models for drawing.
 Every building should have te0clers' library containing books of reference and books on methods or tcacnlnR. Every SclOOl room should have pupils library containing books of reference and books of information suitable to the grade of pupils in the room. In such libraries We are very deficient and are behind most other cities of the state. All schools of the three primary grades should have free surF lcmentary reading books. The confinement 10 one small reading book for a whole year is a great detriment 10 rapid progress in reading and will account for much of its poor reading in higher grades.
 APPOINTING TEACHERS.
 The present system of appointius teachers from the standing of candidates in a com petitive written examination was adopted more than fourteen years ago. The objects sought were as follows: First, to secure for the schools the very best available teachers second, to relieve members of the board from the exceedingly persistent personal solicita- tions of candidates and their friends; third to prevent any charges of favoritism against individual members of the board.
 The standard required for passing thes e examinations has varied from about 6S to 75 per cent. It was argued, however, that this figid adherence to the standard of a techni- cal written examination was depriving the schools of the services Of teachers whose age thorough education, training and experience were not represented in the written work. Iu later examinations, therefore, it was thought best, h several instances, to go through for the second time the papers ot those who came a little below the passing mark. The written examination was looked upon as oi necessity, the most important factor in de terming the qualifications of a candidate, but not the only one. IL should be understood that in every case the successful candidate obtains only six months certificate. She does not receive full certificate, nor Is she regarded as permanent teacher unless this six months trial Is satisfactory to the schoC visitors.
 The examinations are entirely impartla and inn erSonal. As many envelopes as ar, needed are numbered on the inside. Thes, envelopes are shuflsd and then dis tributed. The candidate answers genera l questions calling for her age. name, address previous education, training and experienc, as Il teacher, and places the answer within the envelopes. The envelopes are gathered ! together and not opened until the numerica marking oF every parsr has been determined and recorded. The candidate places he number on the upper left hand corner o every paper she hands in. and In the exami nation of this year she was requested to pil i every paper in such way as to conceal th' number until the pin should be removed.
 It was formerly the custom to distribut the papers of the candidates among the diff ferent members of the board at one of it meetings for marking. This plan required much less time, but could not always be i'm personal, because by accident or otherwise the number and name of a candidate nigh be known to the one marking her PRper. Fo the last three or four years every paper ha been read aloud to the asse embled school wis itors, and, not until the marking has beeI IGreed upon, has the number of tho pape been given out by the reader. This necessi tates very much more time but is entirel impersonal and makes the ranking more uni form. Every candidate is called upon t