Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-01-19
BOARD OF EDUCATION.
Hove to Pension Teachers .Worn
 Out in the Service"


 Ihe board of education at its meet | ing last evening transacted considera. pie- business, mostly of routine char acler ana peculiar to the first meet lngs or a new board. It consisted mostly of changes and additions to the rules and regulations as proposed by ene committee on that work, and one VI the proposed additions rather startled, the board, it being proposi- uon to pension school teachers who become worn out in the service" to quote one of the commissioners of the board. The idea Is Comm:ssioner Lar k1nss and in conversation before the meeting opened he seemed to have given the subject considerable thought ana study In expressing himself on the matter later to the board. he sad that 1t was hardly fair to a teacner Wno gave good service while she was able to discard her in her declining years. Commissions Larkin moved that a committee be appointed to con- Ter with the city attorney and ascer- tam 1T such matter would get the support of the legislature, and for Su- perlntendent Tinker to see how the Idea Is worked elsewhere Commits sioner Larkin said such rule would undoubtedly work to the benefit or the schools here and that 1t was very hard 10 drop q teacher after she had given perhaps thirty or forty years of her life to the service of the department of education. A teachers pay is by no means exTavagant, he said, and he saw no reason why his idea should not be carried out. The committee ap- Tinker Commissioners Phelan and Larkin.
 Among the changes to the rules and regulations the following are the more important. The office or position of school painter is created. The com mittee on rules saw no reason why there should not be school painter as well as a school carpenter
 The teachers shall keep an hourly record of the temperature of their re spective rooms during the winter sea- son.
 School shall resume Tuesdays after vacations instead of Mondays. This was the old rule, but the last board changed it.
 Pupils shall not be deprived of their recess under any circumstances. the superintendent believing that confine- ment faiisAto work the desired charm in the turbulent bosom of refractory pupil. whereas the desired temperature in his blood is brought about by a romp out doors.
 The truant officer shall visit fac tories in quest of truants. This propo- sition met with some objection from Commissioner Larkin His objection to the rule was that it was never lived up to and there was no use in having that kind of rule. However, the rule was allowed to stand.
 Superintendent Tinker was allowed another assistant in his office. her sal ary to be not more than $45O. for the present at all events, there being more work in that office than one assistant can do.
 Hereafter a pupil must have attend ed school five years before he shall he entitled to certificate for work. new law passed by the last legislature gave boards of education power to fix any requirement. in that respect. For merlv if was only necessary that pupil should he 14 years of age to en- title him to certificate. Now he may be 16 before he is entitled to it, that is the board can keep him at school until that age to have him fulfill the re- ulirement laid down by this law
 Some of the dividing lines of som of the schools were changed.
 
 Elm street school was referred to the proper. committee and City Engineer Cairns will be asked to draw plans for improved sanitaries for the Crosby { school.
 Commissioner Larkin moved that the clerk get the opinions of the man. concerns of the city on yer tical and commercial writing. This was referred to committee.
 Commissioner Larkin also moved that the superintendent shall here after furnish the board with the aver ages of each class and of each school at the close of each term. Commis- sioner Phelan said there was no ne cessity to do that. because the present plan was the better. Of course s--e teachers are all right but If the ques- ton of averages was left to them they would see that they were up to the mark. So this matter was also left to a committee.
 The matter of awarding the con tracts for school supplies was ad- iourned to the next meeting.