The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1907-10-25
HARTFORD COUNTY SCHOOL STATISTICS

Superintendent Wright has submitted
to the State Board of Education his re-
port for the year ending July 81, which
contains some valuable information. We
gather among other things that there are
100 schools in the county, IS OF which
are for colored pupils; that there were
6,249 different pupils enrolled, and that
the average attendance was 1850. We
regret that the latter does not show a
higher ratio to the enrolment; since the
progress of a child must be slow if his at
tendance is irregular.
The finances of the board seem to be in
healthy condition, showing balance
of 81 ,4O5 / 0 in the treasury. Weespecial-
| " commend to the attention of our
readers the literary portion of the report
which is as follows:
DR.. NJ. b. STEPHENS,
| Secretary State Board of Education,
My Dear Sir
In transmitting to you the report OF
| School Commissioners of Hartford coun-
| ty for the scholastic year ending June 80,
| 1907, and the fiscal year closing July 3 H.,
| 1907, | desire to say that general con-
! ditions in our schools for the year 1867
| have been reasonably satisfactory and
more than ordinarily encouraging. In
my official visits reaching nearly 200, l
| have found the majority of our teachers
| doing professional work above the
average, and with few exceptions, ex-
| hibiting an earnest, active and progress
! sive spirit.
Recognizing as do more clearly as the
years go by. and the circumstances and
conditions affecting our people are
better understood, that the most serious
problems Of school administration are
those that touch the work and interest
of the first six grades. l have aimed to
give special attention and supervision to
this part of our system. The instruction
received by the great mass OF our children
even in the first five grades is all they
will ever get, hence our sacred sponsibi-
lty for these years. l am inclined to
think that my emphatic efforts to i'm
prove this phase of our educational work
is bearing some fruit in the shape OF
better primary andintermedlate methods
and in a clearer recognition OF the past
claims of these early years to our most
earnest sympathy and consideration.
We believe there exists in higher schools,
to some extent at least, tendency on
the part of principals to neglect the work
below them, and to bend their energies
exclusively to the raising of the high
school curriculum to meet imaginary
college requirements or to exceed the
work Of other similar schools. We are
in hearty sympathy with this ambition
to excel, but it should be an ambition to
lead in quality rather than quantity, and
above all, it should not result in any lack
of intelligent supervision Of the primary
and intermediate work below. Every
high school principal should know how
to Judge the character of work done by
his assistants. To do this he must study
the work in both atheortic and practical
way, and regard it as his duty to visit
his co-workers whenever opportunity
offers, for observation, for suggestion,
for encouragement and to know that
| foundation being laid beneath him and
his special department are SOLID and sub
Stantial.
The tendency seems to be little too
strong toward the mere information side
| of instruction, and this inclination is en-
phasized by the home pressure tor the so
called practical and unitarian. ltseems
| which develops power to require both
while at school and beyond; is that which
develops students rather than passive
victims of fact presentations that which
sends our young people out of school
| with a clearly defined conviction of duty
| and responsibility with correct views of
| life and its requirements, and with
thoroughly developed love for study. re-
! fnement and intellectual mastery. Too
many OF our teachers are wearing them
selves out doing things that should be
done by their pupils. but under the
teachers constant oversight, direction,
and guidance. Teachers and pupils must
be co. workers if the best is to be accom-
| plished.
Teachers too frequently develop into
preachers" throwing out constant
streams of prepared information at long
range; this is not teaching; the school
room should be workshop, labora-
tory where each one is shaping, modelling,
investigating, working out his own
problems, searching out truth for him
self, generating power by exercise and
personal effort, ALWAYS under the watch
full eye and the skillful suggestion of a
trained and patient teacher.
! Very respectfully submitted,
| CuAS. II. WRIGHT. Supt.