The Primary School meeting will be held in the hall of the new Rice School, on Dartmouth St. Board can be obtained from $1.75 per day and upwards. MEETINGS AT THE EDUCATIONAL ROOM, 129 WASHINGTON ST., BOSTON. Appointments. Nov. 6th. Question: How many branches may a pupil profitably pursue at a time? M. Grant Daniell, Esq., of Boston, will preside, and open the discussion. Nov. 20th. Question: To what extent should teachers render assistance to their pupils? David Bentley, Esq., of Brookline, will preside, and open the discusssion. These meetings will occur, as heretofore, on the first and third Saturdays of each month, commencing at 2.30, P. M. Assurance has been given that the reports of these discussions are one of the most interesting and instructive features of the Teacher; and the method now adopted of presenting our readers with the subjects to be considered will give abundant opportunity to all who may so wish, to prepare themselves for an expression of their views. It is especially desirous that the ladies should attend these gatherings in larger numbers, and participate in the exercises. They may feel confident that what they say will be most graciously received. There are many teachers to whom questions occur while they are engaged in their daily work, which they would like to hear discussed. If any such will send the questions to the secretary of the meeting (address Mr. N. E. Willis, English High School, Boston), he will do his utmost to secure persons to open the debate upon them, and to take part in it. THE WORCESTER COUNTY FREE INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE. The second year of this institution has just opened with great promise of usefulness. The faculty has been enlarged, and as now constituted stands: C. O. Thompson, Professor of Chemistry. George I. Alden, Professor of Mechanics and Civil Engineering. John E. Sinclair, Professor of the pure Mathematics. Miss M. S. Fletcher, teacher of French and Milton. P. Higgins, Superintendent of the Workshop. The recitations all close July 1; but the month of July is devoted to practice in the several departments under the direction of the instructors. In addition to this, from six to ten hours a week are usually secured for the same purpose. The course of study is essentially like that in other schools of the same order except that more than the usual amount of time is spent in free-hand drawing. The junior class devote twelve hours a week to this branch. The course of study includes three years. Candidates for admission are examined in the common English branches and in elementary algebra. Students are received from any quarter; but those from the county of Worcester, and twenty from the State of Massachusetts at large, receive free instruction. MESSRS. EDITORS, SCHOOL STATISTICS. -At a meeting of superintendents of public schools, held in Boston in May last, the following report was adopted; and, on motion of J. D. Philbrick, Esq., it was unanimously voted to request its publication in the Massachusetts Teacher. For the Committee, AUGUST 12, '69. J. H. TWOMBLY. Gentlemen of THE CONVENTION,-The Committee on School Statistics : appointed at your last meeting, have duly considered the topics assigned to them, and present the following report. In order to spread useful information, and to furnish data for a more accurate comparison of schools in different places, the Committee recommend that the following items be published in the annual school reports of cities and large towns: 1. The population of the city or town. 2. Number of children from five to fifteen years of age. 3. Number of school buildings of each grade, and the value of houses, lots, furniture, libraries, and apparatus. 4. Number of schools of each grade. 5. SCHOOL ACCOMMODATIONS. High School, Grammar Schools, No. of sittings. Cost per sitting. Primary Schools, 6. Number of male and female teachers in each grade of schools. Whole number of pupils belonging to each grade of schools. Average number of different pupils belonging to each grade of schools. Average attendance in each grade. Average number of children from five to fifteen years of age, not connected with the Public Schools. Age at which children are admitted to Primary Schools. Number and average age of children admitted to Grammar Schools. Number and average age of children graduated from the Grammar Schools. Number of pupils admitted to the High School, and the number graduated from the same. Number of Private Schools, and the number of resident pupils belonging to them. 8. FINANCES. Assessed value of real and personal estate, and the ratio of the assessed to the true or market value of property. Total amount of taxes levied; amount levied for the support of Public Schools. Sum expended for the erection and repair of school buildings. Incidental school expenses. Cost of supervision of schools, including salaries of Committee, Superintendent, Secretary, Treasurer, and Messenger. Salaries of teachers, and the cost of education per scholar in each grade of schools. Your Committee believe that the statistics furnished by the State Board of Education would be greatly improved by giving more fully the status of the High and Grammar Schools. Consequently, they recommend that you call the attention of that Board to the propriety of annually publishing the following items respecting those grades of schools. HIGH SCHOOLS. Number of courses of study, and the time embraced in each. Average attendance. Number of graduates for the year. Number fitted for college. Number of teachers and their salaries. Cost of education per scholar. GRAMMAR SCHOOLS. Number of years embraced in the course of study. Average number of scholars belonging to the school. Average attendance. Number of pupils annually admitted, and the number who go through the course of study. Salaries of teachers, and the cost of education per scholar for the average number belonging to the schools. It is also recommended that, in making out the per cent. of attendance, scholars who have been absent ten sessions should not be taken into the account. In making this estimate, however, absent pupils should not be omitted on the hypothesis that they will not return till the expiration of the ten sessions, except in case of decease or regular dismission. Teachers should not assume that scholars reported "sick" will not return within the time specified. Respectfully submitted, J. H. TWOMBLY, A. J. PHIPPS, H. F. HARRINGTON, Committee. E. B. HALE, DEDICATION OF THE NEW RICE SCHOOL HOUSE. THE new Rice School House, corner of Dartmouth and Appleton streets, was dedicated, September 23d, with appropriate exercises. The beautiful large hall of the school-house was filled with spectators, the greater part of whom were ladies. The desk upon the platform, and other parts of the hall were adorned with a number of beautiful bouquets. The singing of the occasion was performed by a large choir of pupils selected from the Rice and Franklin Schools, under the direction of Mr. J. B. Sharland, and it is almost needless to say that it was very fine. An appropriate hymn opened the exercises about three o'clock, after which appropriate selections of Scripture were read, and prayer offered by Rev. E. B. Webb, D. D. A three-part song was then sung, after which, in the absence of Alderman Richards, Chairman of the Committee on Public Buildings, Hon. James M. Keith, of the same Committee, delivered the keys of the building to His Honor the Mayor. Turning to Mr. Charles L. Flint, Chairman of the District Committee, who also presided over the exercises, the Mayor addressed him as follows: And now, Mr. Chairman of the Rice School District, I pass into your hands the keys of this building, trusting that they will never be turned against the honest inquirer for learning, and that they may be used most effectually in securing its portals against contaminating influences and disturbing elements. May this edifice, so auspiciously commenced and finished, and intended for such excellent uses, prove all that its builders have desired. As a seat of learning, may good scholarship and honest endeavors be ever found within its walls, and may the inculcations that proceed from the teachers, emanate from virtuous impulses, be well received and crowned with success. In accepting the keys Mr. Flint made an extended address, which was replete with interest and which was heartily received. His reply to Mayor Shurtleff, and remarks to Mr. Wheelock, the Master of the school, were as follows: REMARKS OF CHARLES L. FLINT, ESQ. Mr. Mayor: It gives me peculiar pleasure to receive from your hands, on behalf of my colleagues, the Committee of the Rice School District, the keys of this new and commodious building. I cannot forget that even before your elevation to your present position you manifested the warmest interest in the establishment of this district, and that when it was established it was you who first suggested for it the honored name of Rice, with which we, as a Committee, have been perfectly satisfied, and of which we are justly proud. It is true we have no long history of which to boast. It was only two years ago this very month when the Rice School started into active being. It gathered in its complement of pupils from more than one over-crowded school, taking some from the Brimmer, some from the Dwight and some from the Quincy, and nestled them in an antique structure commonly known as the old Franklin Building. When I was in Switzerland, a few years ago, I reverently sought out the building occupied as a school by the renowned Pestalozzi, who founded a new system of instruction, and gave his name to a new method of teaching the young ideas. It had been built as a castle in the 12th century, and so was some six or seven centuries old, and so dilapidated as to make it about as difficult to climb as the Rigi, the Faulhorn, or the Jungfrau, lumbered up with every conceivable rubbish, damp and noisome in the extreme. The old Franklin building has often reminded me of that. Judge, therefore, how thankful we are to acknowledge our indebtedness to you, and through you to the City Government, for having provided us with this new, convenient and spacious structure, so admirably adapted to the purposes for which it was designed. We are not unmindful of the increased obligations and responsibilities which this large outlay for greater accommodations imposes upon us as a committee, but we regard them as so important for the intellectual, physical and moral training of the boys of this community that we cheerfully accept the trust, and pledge ourselves to renewed earnestness and effort to develop here a grammar school of the highest character, worthy of the name it bears, and of a city that has good reason enough to be proud of her schools. And now Mr. Wheelock, it becomes my pleasant duty to place the keys of this school-house, the symbols of your authority and trust in your hands, as the accomplished Master of the Rice Grammar School. When the committee selected you two years ago to fill this responsible and honorable position, they did it with the utmost confidence that you would do your part faithfully and fearlessly to make this school one of the best in the city. That confidence has grown every day. With your able corps of assistants you have accomplished all that could reasonably have been expected and more, and now that your sphere of usefulness will be enlarged we still have confidence in your ability and your faithfulness to this high trust. May the children that go out from this school have occasion long to look back upon the days spent here as among the brightest and sunniest of their lives. We entreat you to prefer substance to show in matters of instruction, gentleness to harshness in matters of discipline. We entreat you to remember that the best education is that which embraces the widest knowledge of common and useful things rather than of books; that text-books are at the best but the tools of incompetent teachers, a necessary evil under our present system of instruction, and that the less you have to do with them beyond a strict compliance with the rules and regulations of the School Committee, the better; and to remember especially, that the prime object of education is to teach the pupil to think, to investigate, to observe and to know, not so much of books, as of the things of every day life. I congratulate you most heartily, on behalf of the committee, upon your auspicious entrance into this model school-house. REMARKS OF MR. LUCIUS A. WHEELOCK. In accepting the trust imposed upon him, Mr. Wheelock expressed his deep sense of his responsibility, and hoped by the most earnest labor on his own part and that of his assistants to be able to meet all expectations. He could promise for himself and assistants constant and devoted labor. In closing he complimented Mr. Flint, and hoped he and his associates would long remain in the same agreeable relations which had previously existed. (Applause.) |