EDUCATIONAL.

Massachusetts. Quite a number of new churches and schoolhouses have been finished and dedicated in Boston within a few weeks past. The new building of the Girls' High and Normal School was formerly occupied by the Boston Natural History Society, and furnishes five additional schoolrooms, capable of accommodating about 250 pupils. Only such persons were present at its opening as were officially connected with the schools or had received special invitations. The music was furnished by the young ladies of the school, and addresses were made by Dr. Russell, Mayor Wightman, and Dr. A. A. Gould. Mr. Philbrick said that he had never before publicly stated the fact, that among the best teachers of the Boston lower schools, were those who had graduated from the Normal School. The Bowditch School house, on South street, is a new building, erected mainly on the plan of the Lincoln Schoolhouse. Mr. W. T. Adams is the master. Its dedication took place at the opening of the year. It contains fourteen school-rooms and a large hall, and will, in its upper classes, be occupied by girls exclusively. — St. Mary's Institute, in Endicott street, is the result of the trouble which took place in the Eliot School, three years ago. Some Catholics joined their efforts with those of Father Wiget, in establishing a Catholic school. The work has been carried on and completed, after Rev. Wiget's removal, by Father Barrister. The building is five stories high. The first floor is used as a chapel, and the second as a place for meetings of societies and for exhibitions. Each hall will seat 600 persons. The third and fourth stories contain school-rooms which will accomodate 600 pupils. The fifth story has a gymnasium and nineteen sleeping apartments. These are intended for the use of poor but worthy young men, who wish to become priests, but have not the means to go to college. - The annual exhibition of the Chauncy Hall School, and the distribution of prizes, took place, at the close of the year, in Tremont Temple. The result of the exhibition, and the increased number of scholars, show that the school has not suffered in its interests or usefulness on account of the times. - The present pupils of the Boston Latin School, collected a sum of money for raising the national flag upon their school-house. On more mature reflection, however, they concluded to put their money to better use, and have sent two large boxes, filled with mittens, socks, shirts, towels, and blankets, to Captain Shurtleff's company, in the Webster Regiment.

Maine. Prof. A. P. Kelsey, formerly of the State Normal School, at Albany, writes in the New York Teacher about Maine:

"Our schools are entirely free to all who choose to attend. The law requires that a per capita tax of sixty cents be levied for the support of schools, and in a majority of cases this amount is exceeded by the voluntary action of the towns. You may not be aware that in this state every town is incorporated, and does pretty much as it pleases. We have no county organization, except the courts; no poorhouses except in two or three of our larger cities.

"Our supervision of schools does not deserve the name of system. We have a State Superintendent, and in each town either a committee or a supervisor, as the people may each year choose, so we have sometimes one and then the other, and no intermediate officers. Hence there is no uniformity or progress, and the influence of the State Superintendent is almost wholly lost. Yet this miserable system costs $14,000! How much better if the state were divided into thirty districts,

each containing 130 school districts, and men selected who shall, for a reasonable compensation, devote their time and energies to so noble a work.

Perhaps it may be interesting to have some statistics of our schools, etc.: Number between 4 and 21, 243,376; number attending winter schools, 141,747; average length of session, 10 weeks; number of school districts, 4,146; number of male teachers, 2,776; average wages of male teachers, $21.31 per month; number of female teachers, 4,632; average wages of female teachers, $2.03 per week; population of the state, 1860, 628,600; valuation of state, 1860, $164,714,168; aggregate expenditure for school purposes, $616,879; expenses of supervision, $13,714; value of school-houses in state, $1,164,000; number of school-houses in state, 3,946; average value of school-houses in state, $295.

"The tax on the banks is all appropriated to the schools, and amounted last year to about $74,000. Our common school fund is quite small, yet will be gradually increased by the sale of the immense tracts of land owned by the state, and reserved for that purpose. The fund now amounts to only $151,000.”

Wisconsin. We gather from the Wisconsin Journal of Education, the following statements concerning the affairs of public schools of the state: Whole school districts, 3,762; parts of districts, -24 being reckoned as equal to one whole district, -1,792; children over 4 and under 20 years of age, 299,133; 194,264 of these attended school; pupils under 4 years of age, 2,013; pupils over 20 years old, 2,166; estimated number of pupils in private schools, 8,000. The schools have been kept open, on an average, six months. Estimated number of male teachers, 2,400; female, 3,600; total, 6,000; of whom only 3,500 were teaching at any one time. The monthly wages of male teachers amounted to $23.01; of female teachers, to $14.62. The school expenses were, $723,124. There are now in the state, 4,211 schoolhouses, valued at $1,302,720. The highest valuation of any schoolhouse is $33,000; the lowest, 3 cents!!

Virginia. The report of the Committee on Amendments to the State Constitution is a novel document. Its authors come to the conclusion, that, in the best regulated society, labor belongs to capital, or, in other words, the capitalist "must own" the laborer; and attribute the prevalence of "more conservative and rational principles" in the South, "mainly to the institution of slavery, which constitutes a partial restriction on the right of suffrage." With regard to free schools, the report says:

"This tendency to a conflict between labor and capital has already manifested itself in many forms, comparatively harmless, it is true, but nevertheless clearly indicative of a spirit of licentiousness which must, in the end, ripen into agrarianism. It may be seen in the system of free schools, by which the children of the poor are educated at the expense of the rich; in the various forms of exemption and homestead bills; in the popular cry of 'lands for the landless,' and 'homes for the homeless;' in Fourierism and communism; in the habitual disregard of the ordinances of religion and of the institution of matrimony; and more distinctly in the form of abolitionism."

Iowa. The Wesleyan University, located at Mount Pleasant, comprises seven departments. The whole number of students is 161. Two literary societies are connected with this institution.

PUBLICATIONS.

The Atlantic Monthly maintains its high reputation, and its large circulation is constantly on the increase. The contributions of Agassiz on METHODS OF STUDY IN NATURAL HISTORY will prove of especial interest to teachers.-The January number of Harper's Monthly is particularly interesting; and the numerous engravings do much to illustrate the text.-Dr. Lewis's Gymnastic Monthly and Journal of Physical Culture appears in pamphlet form. The January number contains, besides interesting articles and cuts, a phonographic report of the exercises at the first commencement of Dr. Lewis's Normal Institute. - The Home Monthly, Rev. Wm. M. Thayer, Editor, and Merry's Museum are two excellent publications, the former for adults, the latter for children. Clark's School Visitor is another welcome guest for young America. - The Working Farmer and United States Journal is a monthly that has proved to be very useful. A friend of ours, a teacher in Ohio, some years ago, read an article in this journal on the cultivation of grapes. He tried some of its suggestions, and last year realized $200 as the fruit of pleasant out-door work, in addition to his salary. - The Literary Chronicle and Advertiser, by G. L. Dix & Co., Boston, will be forwarded free, except the postage, to any one who notifies the publishers that he wishes it.

BOOK NOTICES.

LESSONS IN PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. BY WALTER WELLS, A. M. New York: Published by Mason Brothers. 1861. pp. 128. Quarto.

The subject of Physical Geography is deservedly receiving more and more attention in our schools. Several valuable text-books on the subject have, within a few years, been prepared, and to a considerable extent have been introduced into the public schools. The work before us is a valuable contribution to the department of Physical Geography, presenting many new facts and valuable illustrations. A prominent teacher, in whose judgment we have great confidence, informs us that he is using the book in his school with great satisfaction. Teachers will do well to examine it. Copies can be found at the store of Messrs. Crosby & Nichols.

KE KUMA MUA ANO How, I HOONANIIA I NA KII MAIKAI. Na J. PULA I KAKAW. Bosetona: Ma Ka Hale, Paipalapala O Bazin & Ellsworth. 1862. pp. 48.

We

This is one of the most beautifully illustrated little books we have seen. suppose it to be a school primer for use in the schools of Honolulu. If our supposition is correct, the boys and girls of that far distant region will have the delight of learning their liquid language from just as charming a book as can be obtained by the best children in the Yankee land. We give a specimen of the text.

Beneath a spirited picture, representing some boys and dogs, who are having a grand time with a truck, is the following:

Huro! Huro! Holo maoli na kamalii. Aoaoa! aoaoa! Hahai aku na ilio i na kamalii, me ka leo oluolu.

He lealea kupono no na keiki kula, i mea e oluolu ai ka manao, a e ikaika'i ke kino.

What in the world this means, we do n't know; but we suppose the young heathen in Honolulu will understand it.

PROGRESSIVE HIGHER ARITHMETIC: combining the Analytic and Synthetic Methods. Designed for Schools, Academies, and Mercantile Colleges. By HORATIO N. ROBINSON, LL. D. New York: Ivison, Phinney & Co. 1862. This work is designed for the more advanced classes in our schools, who are completing their arithmetical study. It presents a wide range of practical subjects, which are requisite to a thorough education in this department. Its definitions are clear and concise; its rules accurate and comprehensive, and its problems well adapted to illustrate the principles of arithmetic, and cultivate habits of investigation and thought, which will be of great value in the real business transactions of after life.

We cheerfully recommend this text-book to teachers as one which merits a careful examination.

S.

THE PROGRESSIVE SPEAKER, AND COMMON SCHOOL READER. By a well-known eminent Teacher. Boston: Bazin & Ellsworth.

We have had occasion recently to re-examine this admirable school book, and our previous opinion of its merits has been fully confirmed. The selections are judiciously made, and present an unsurpassed variety of styles of reading.

Among the many good school Readers now offered for use, we know of none we can more heartily recommend than this book, and the Primer of the same series.

S.

THE STUDENT AND SCHOOLMATE. Edited by WILLIAM T. ADAMS (Oliver Optic). Published by Galen James & Co., 15 Cornhill, Boston.

Teachers will thank us for calling their attention and that of their pupils to the advertisement of this popular monthly in the present number of the Teacher. It will be seen that the club rates are very low indeed. All who know the reputation of the editor as a writer for the young- and who does not? - will need no assurance from us of the merits of the magazine. It is instructive without being learnedly dry, and simple without being silly. We have, however, these two complaints to make that whenever we take it up we are unable to lay it down again until we have read it through; and that children in coming in contact with it at this season of the year are very apt "to take it." Any teacher will do his pupils a positive good by assisting them in getting up a club, it being very desirable with this as with some other things, "that they have it when they are young."

C. H.

Those who are contemplating any change of SCHOOL BOOKS are invited to examine the fol lowing STANDARD WORKS:

Eaton's Primary Arithmetic.

Colburn's Mental Arithmetic.

Eaton's Treatise on Written Arithmetic.

This has been the exclusive series for the past three years, authorized in the Boston Public Schools, and is used with the best results. It is extensively in use throughout the country. The Mental Arithmetic of WARREN COLBURN has long been the chief book of its kind, and is used EVERY

WHERE.

Worcester's History.

This is a well-known book of high value, and an acquaintance with the revised edition is now required for admission to Harvard College; it is a UNIVERSAL HISTORY.

Smellie's Philosophy of Natural History.

This is an entirely new edition re-written by Dr. JOHN WARE, and illustrated with over fifty elegant engravings. This is the STANDARD TEXT-BOOK in use in schools on this subject.

The Universal Speaker.

Those seeking new and interesting matter for school declamation and dialogues, will do well to examine this original work.

Philbrick's Primary School Tablets.

The Superintendent of the Boston Public Schools has furnished in these Tablets a new and invaluable aid to Primary instruction.

Taylor's Method of Classical Study.

The Principal of the famed Phillips Academy, at Andover, has in this little volume laid open the SECRET of his great success.

The above books are already extensively in use, being original, well established works of their kind from authors of established reputation. Teachers and school officers contemplating any change of Text-Books, in any of these departments, are earnestly requested to examine these books. VERY LIBERAL TERMS made for first introduction, making it more economical to use the best Text-Books than to continue with inferior ones.

Copies of books furnished for examination, with reference to introduction, on application to the publishers,

Jan. '62,

BROWN & TAGGARD,

PUBLISHERS, NO. 29 CORNHILL, BOSTON.