quality of work and the facilities for work in the high schools thruout the state. The growth of high schools in numbers and in efficiency is well-nigh remarkable. Two years ago there were 410 high schools with an enrolment of 24,534; in 1914 the number was 484 and the enrolment 31,321. This extraordinary increase in enrolment is probably more than equaled by the progress in other directions. In housing and sanitation, in equipment for shops and laboratories, in number and ability of the teachers employed the high schools over the state show marked improvement. This is due to the general interest taken in high school support, and also in a considerable degree to the high standards set by the state board supplemented by the activ work of the high school inspector.

During the year 1912-13 the inspector visited 155 high schools, and during the year 1913-14 161 high schools. The number of high schools accredited now stands as follows:

While the number of schools is now so large that the inspector cannot visit all of them in the course of a school year, no request is being made for appropriation to employ an additional inspector, owing to the general desire for retrenchment in expenditure of public funds. During the coming biennium it is probable that one of the regular staff of the department will be assigned to aid the inspector in visiting high schools.

The changes made in the rules governing high schools and in the courses of study in high schools have been reviewed in the report of the work of the State Board of Education. The problem of high school support is one which cannot be solved by the State Board; and it is really an important problem. Many high schools, particularly in second class districts, are educating children from surrounding districts, for which the extra attendance credit allowed in the apportionment of school funds is not a sufficient compensation. High school education should be free and open to the childen of all the people of the state. But one district should not be expected to provide this education for children who reside outside its boundaries unless it is compensated therefor, either from the state or county funds or from the territory from which the non-resident pupils come. This problem, which our inspection of schools reveals commonly throughout the state, deserves the consideration of the legislature.

HIGH SCHOOL DEBATES.

In 1913 a new plan was introduced for the management of the state high school debates. The districts were increased in number from three to six, with a manager for each. The method of conducting the debates was also changed. Instead of using the process

of elimination, all schools now debate four times; the final award being made on the basis of the total number of judges' decisions cast for each school during the series. Exact rules of ethics were also prescribed, designed to eliminate many of the excesses of unrestricted interscholastic debating. The winners of district championships for the year 1913-4 were: Northwest district, Bellingham, Whatcom High School; Puget Sound district, Seattle, Lincoln High School; Southwest district, Kalama; South Central district, Outlook; Southeast district, Pasco; Northeast district, Spokane, North Central High School.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL INSPECTION.

A start was made in the biennium toward the inspection of elementary schools. This is a field which has not hitherto been touched by this department, and while our forces and funds are inadequate to establish a comprehensiv system of inspection, it is our intention to make the work extremely thoro as far as it is carried. Plans have been made for conducting the work more extensively during the coming two years.

PUBLICATIONS.

The most effective way of reaching the rank and file of the teachers in this state is by means of the publication of bulletins from time to time. New ideas are constantly appearing; and the teachers of the state look to the state department for occasional publications appraising these ideas, and indicating the practical methods of incorporating these advanced ideas into the operation of the school system of the state. During the past two years we have been unable to publish many bulletins. It has been necessary in fact, to lay aside valuable material and manuscripts solely because of the shortage in printing funds. The following is a list of the publications of the past two years:

State Manual (Sixth edition).

Code of Public Instruction, Annotated.
Educational Directory, 1913-14.

High School Directory, 1913-4.

Bulletin No. 20.-The Community Center.

Bulletin No. 21.-Manual of Agriculture for the Eighth Grade. Bulletin No. 22.-High School Manual (Second edition). Bulletin No. 24.-Environment of Plants, Part II. A Manual in Agriculture.

Bulletin No. 25.-List of Books for Elementary and Rural School Libraries.

Bulletin No. 26.-Suggestions for Community Centers.
Educational Directory, 1914-15.

Of these the cost of publication of the State Manual and the High School Manual has been borne by the Public Printer who disposes of the manuals regularly by sale.

ADDRESSES AND TRAVELING.

The state superintendent and the members of her official staff deliver scores of addresses annually to institutes, teachers' meetings, directors' meetings, patrons' meetings, schools and colleges. There is a constant demand from all quarters of the state for visits by persons from the state offis; and it has been the policy to accept these invitations where possible. It indicates a healthy school spirit on the part of the public. In this way the superintendent is able to reach many people, encourage school improvement and advocate new ideas of school management.

During the biennium also the superintendent has attended the meetings of the National Education Association at Salt Lake City and St. Paul, and of the Department of Superintendence of the N. E. A. at Richmond, Va., and the meeting of the State Superintendents of the United States held at Richmond and St. Paul. In these meetings it has been possible to get in touch with the leading educators of the United States. The state superintendent delivered an address on "Rural School Betterment" before the Department of Superintendence at Richmond, also an address on "Harmonizing Vocational and Cultural Education" before the Educational Council of the N. E. A. at St. Paul. The superintendent has been appointed by President Robert Aley of the Educational Council as a member of a committee of fifteen on school district reorganization; and by U. S. Commissioner Claxton as a member of a committee on "Teachers' Reading Circle Books."

CERTIFICATION.

A major activity of this offis is the examination and certification of teachers. Outside of the certificates or diplomas issued by the higher institutions of the state, the few special and temporary certifi cates issued by county superintendents, and the certificates issued in cities employing one hundred teachers or more all certificates for teaching in the public schools of the state are issued by this department. The correspondence and clerical work incident to handling the certification work occupies the time of one person regularly thru the year; and when the grading of papers is taking place a staff of twelve or fifteen persons normally is employed.

Considerable improvement has been made in the method of handling the certification work. By increasing the day from seven to eight hours for the board of examiners we are now able to complete the grading and send out the certificates within a month after the examinations. The work is increasing all the time because the teaching force is increasing in the state. Also teachers are anxious to raise the grades of their certificates. At one examination the total number of names on the rating sheets (including names of those writing for certificates of all kinds, those applying for renewals, and those writing to secure grades of 90 per cent or over) was approxi

mately 2,600. To handle the clerical work correctly, record the grades, and pass on the applications quickly and accurately is a responsible piece of work.

The work of issuing and recording certificates has reached such magnitude that the present system must be supplanted by a modern expansiv system. At present certificates are recorded in bound volumes for which there are separate index books. In addition there are volumes for recording names of graduates of accredited institutions and cards for recording grades of 90 per cent or over. For this cumbrous system should be instituted a complete card system which would greatly reduce the labor of recording the grades and certificates and the time consumed in referring to the records from day to day.

COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS' CONVENTIONS.

In accordance with the provisions of the law county superintendents' conventions were held in each of the two years under review. The 1913 meeting was held at Spokane, Oct. 27-29. In 1914 the convention was held at Olympia, June 8-10. These meetings were marked by the earnest and serious consideration which was given to problems of school administration. The administration of the schools within the county formed a fruitful topic for discussion. At these meetings the county superintendents formulated rules for common action in connection with the registering of teacher certificates and the management of eighth grade examinations. At both meetings addresses were given by leading educators on pertinent topics.

DECISIONS AND OPINIONS RELATING TO THE SCHOOL LAW.

Decisions of the supreme court are made from time to time which affect the interpretation of the school law of the state. Likewise the attorney general is called upon frequently to give opinions as to the way the school law should be construed. That school officers and teachers may know the latest decisions and opinions we include, in this report all important rulings made since Sept. 1st, 1913. On that date the Code of Public Instruction was issued, the annotations of which contain the substance of all previous interpretations which affect the school law.

Decisions of the Supreme Court.

The provisions of Rem. and Bal. Code, Sec. 4521, requiring the board of directors to make an estimate to the county commissioners, who shall levy the school tax, is directory, in view of the provisions that, if the directors fail to make the report, the school superintendent shall make the estimate; hence, it is immaterial that the estimate was reported to the county assessor, where the county commissioners based the levy upon it.-Goodwin v. Carr, 78 Wash. 193.

A model training school conducted as a department of a state normal school is not a "common school," within the meaning of the law relating to the apportionment of state school funds. No credit can be given for attendance in a model training school conducted as a department of a state normal school,

since the statute makes no provision therefor.-State ex rel. School Dist. No. 8 v. Preston, 79 Wash., p. 286.

Opinions of Attorney General.

The funds of a school district cannot be used to pay the expense of school directors incurred in going to and from the county seat for the purpose of meeting with the county treasurer to open bids for bonds-Campbell, Opinions Attorney General, 1913-14, p. 219.

When a petition is presented to the county superintendent for the transfer of territory from one district to another, the county superintendent has the authority to exercise his judgment in granting such petition. He may correct mistakes, modify boundaries and eliminate part of the territory which the petition proposes to transfer.-Campbell, Opinions Attorney General, 1913-14, p. 223.

The legislature intended that the school districts which had established kindergartens were not to receive credit for the children attending the kindergartens in the allotment of the state and county apportionments to those districts.-Lyle, Opinions Attorney General, 1913-14, p. 226.

Chapter 129 of the Laws of 1913 enlarges the powers of the board of directors in districts of the second and third classes with respect to the use of school property. Dancing is a form of recreation; and since the law does not limit the use of the school property to any particular kind of recreation, we conclude that the school property may be used for dancing.-Tanner, Opinions Attorney General, 1913-14, p. 296.

A school district in which the parents of an emancipated child resides has no claim for the attendance of such child in another school district, in which it has established a separate residence. When an emancipated minor child takes up and establishes its place of residence in a school district other than that in which the child's parents reside, the child is entitled to attend the public schools of the district in which it has established its place of residence without the payment of a tuition fee to such district.-Campbell, Opinions Attorney General, 1913-14, p. 322.

Should a high school charge tuition contrary to the provisions of section 249, the district loses it right to the extra apportionment provided for in such section, but does not forefeit its right to apportionment pursuant to section 245.-Allen, Opinion of April 17, 1914.

Credit should be given for attendance at private schools regardless of grades. Henderson, Opinion of March 24, 1914.

The law does not authorize the establishing of a school or the furnishing of a teacher for adult blind in districts of the first class.-Wilson, Opinion of January 24, 1914.

The power conferred in the law is broad enough to make it the duty of directors to discharge a teacher when there are no children in the district. The board of directors have no authority to make a compromise settlement with a teacher in such a case or to pay a teacher in advance of the work performed.Henderson, Opinion of November 20, 1913.

There is no authority in the school laws for the use of school moneys for medical inspection in school districts other than those of the first class.Campbell, Opinion of January 12, 1914.