SECT. 6. Any town, containing less than five hundred families or householders, may establish and maintain such a school, as is first mentioned in the preceding section, for such term of time, in any year, or in each year, as they shall deem expedient.

SECT. 7. It shall be the duty of the president, professors, and tutors of the university at Cambridge, and of the several colleges, and of all preceptors and teachers of academies and all other instructors of youth, to exert their best endeavors, to impress on the minds of children and youth, committed to their care and instruction, the principles of piety, justice, and a sacred regard to truth, love to their country, humanity and universal benevolence, sobriety, industry, and frugality, chastity, moderation, and temperance, and those other virtues, which are the ornament of human society, and the basis upon which a republican constitution is founded; and it shall be the duty of such instructors to endeavor to lead their pupils, as their ages and capacities will admit, into a clear understanding of the tendency of the above-mentioned virtues to preserve and perfect a republican constitution, and secure the blessings of liberty, as well as to promote their future happiness, and also to point out to them the evil tendency of the opposite vices.

SECT. 8. It shall be the duty of the resident ministers of the gospel, the selectmen, and the school committees, in the several towns, to exert their influence, and use their best endeavors, that the youth of their towns shall regularly attend the schools established for their instruction.

SECT. 9. The several towns are authorized and directed, at their annual meetings, or at any regular meeting called for the purpose, to raise such sums of money, for the support of the schools aforesaid, as they shall judge necessary; which sums shall be assessed and collected in like manner as other town taxes. [See Rev. St., ch. 15, § 12.]

SECT. 10. The inhabitants of every town shall, at their annual meeting, choose, by written ballots, a school committee, consisting of three, five, or seven persons, who shall have the general charge and superintendence of all the Public Schools in such town. [As to the expiration of the committee's office, see St. 1846, ch. 223, § 1.]

SECT. 11. In any town, containing five hundred families, and in which a school shall be kept for the benefit of all the inhabitants, as before provided in this chapter, the school committee, chosen under the preceding section, shall perform all the like duties, in relation to such school, the house where it shall be kept, and the supply of all things necessary therefor, which the prudential committee of a school district may perform in such district.

SECT. 12. Any town, containing more than four thousand inhabitants, may choose an additional number, not exceeding six, on such committee.

SECT. 13. The school committee shall require full and satisfactory evidence of the good moral character of all instructors, who may be employed in the Public Schools in their town, and shall ascertain, by personal examination, their literary qualifications and capacity for the government of schools.

SECT. 14. Every instructor of a town or district school shall obtain, of the school committee of such town, a certificate in duplicate of his qualifications, before he opens such school, one of which shall be filed with the town treasurer, before any payment is made to such instructor on account of his services.

SECT. 15. The school committee shall determine the number and qualifications of the scholars, to be admitted into the school, kept for the use of the whole town as aforesaid, and visit such school, at least quarter yearly, for the purpose of making a careful examination thereof, and of ascertaining that the scholars are properly supplied with books; and they shall, at such examination, inquire into the regulation and discipline of the school, and the habits and proficiency of the scholars therein.

SECT. 16. The school committee, or some one or more of them, shall, for the purposes aforesaid, visit each of the district schools in their town, on some day during the first or second week after the opening of such schools, respectively, and also on some day during the two weeks preceding the closing of the same; and shall also, for the same purposes, visit all the schools kept by the town, once a month, without giving previous notice thereof to the instructors.

SECT. 17. The school committee of each town shall direct what books shall be used in the several schools kept by the town; and may direct what books shall be used in the respective classes.

SECT. 18. The scholars at the town schools shall be supplied by their parents, masters, or guardians, with the books. prescribed for their classes.

SECT. 19. The school committee of each town may procure, at the expense of the town, or otherwise, a sufficient supply of such class books, for all the schools aforesaid, and shall give notice of the place, where such books may be obtained; and the books shall be supplied to the scholars, at such prices, as merely to reimburse the expense of the same.

SECT. 20. In case any scholar shall not be furnished by his parent, master, or guardian, with the requisite books, he shall

be supplied therewith by the school committee, at the expense of the town.

SECT. 21. The school committee shall give notice, in writing, to the assessors of the town, of the names of the scholars so supplied by them with books, and of the books so furnished, the prices thereof, and the names of the parents, masters, or guardians, who ought to have supplied the same; and said assessors shall add the price of the books so supplied, to the next annual tax of such parents, masters, or guardians; and the amount so added shall be levied, collected, and paid into the town treasury, in the same manner as the town taxes.

SECT. 22. In case the assessors shall be of opinion, that any such parent, master, or guardian, is unable to pay the whole expense of the books so supplied on his account, they shall omit to add the price of such books, or shall add only a part thereof, to the annual tax of such parent, master, or guardian, according to their opinion of his ability to pay.

SECT. 23. The school committee shall never direct to be purchased or used, in any of the town schools, any school books which are calculated to favor the tenets of any particular sect of Christians.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

SECT. 24. The inhabitants of every town may, at any town meeting to be called for that purpose, divide their town into school districts, and determine the limits of such districts, [this power of towns limited in a certain case. St. 1849, ch. 206,] or they may, if they think it expedient, carry into effect the provisions of this chapter, without forming such districts.

SECT. 25. Every town, which is or may be divided into school districts, shall, at their annual meeting, in addition to the school committee for the town, choose one person, [or three, in a certain class of cases. St. 1839, ch. 137,] resident in each school district, to be a committee for that district, and to be called the prudential committee; who shall keep the schoolhouse of such district in good order, at the expense of the district; and, in case there be no schoolhouse, provide a suitable place for the school of the district, at the expense thereof; provide fuel, and all things necessary for the comfort of the scholars therein; select and contract with a schoolmaster for the district; [if the town shall expressly so vote. St. 1838, ch. 105, § 2,] and give such information and assistance to the school committee of the town, as may be necessary to aid them in the discharge of the duties required of them.

SECT. 26. In any town, which shall so determine, the said prudential committee may be chosen by the inhabitants of the several school districts, to which they respectively belong, in such manner as the district may direct.

SECT. 12. Any town, containing more than four thousand inhabitants, may choose an additional number, not exceeding six, on such committee.

SECT. 13. The school committee shall require full and satisfactory evidence of the good moral character of all instructors, who may be employed in the Public Schools in their town, and shall ascertain, by personal examination, their literary qualifications and capacity for the government of schools.

SECT. 14. Every instructor of a town or district school shall obtain, of the school committee of such town, a certificate in duplicate of his qualifications, before he opens such school, one of which shall be filed with the town treasurer, before any payment is made to such instructor on account of his

services.

SECT. 15. The school committee shall determine the number and qualifications of the scholars, to be admitted into the school, kept for the use of the whole town as aforesaid, and visit such school, at least quarter yearly, for the purpose of making a careful examination thereof, and of ascertaining that the scholars are properly supplied with books; and they shall, at such examination, inquire into the regulation and discipline of the school, and the habits and proficiency of the scholars therein.

SECT. 16. The school committee, or some one or more of them, shall, for the purposes aforesaid, visit each of the district. schools in their town, on some day during the first or second week after the opening of such schools, respectively, and also on some day during the two weeks preceding the closing of the same; and shall also, for the same purposes, visit all the schools kept by the town, once a month, without giving previous notice thereof to the instructors.

SECT. 17. The school committee of each town shall direct what books shall be used in the several schools kept by the town; and may direct what books shall be used in the respective classes.

SECT. 18. The scholars at the town schools shall be supplied by their parents, masters, or guardians, with the books prescribed for their classes.

SECT. 19. The school committee of each town may procure, at the expense of the town, or otherwise, a sufficient supply of such class books, for all the schools aforesaid, and shall give notice of the place, where such books may be obtained; and the books shall be supplied to the scholars, at such prices, as merely to reimburse the expense of the same.

SECT. 20. In case any scholar shall not be furnished by his parent, master, or guardian, with the requisite books, he shall

be supplied therewith by the school committee, at the expense of the town.

SECT. 21. The school committee shall give notice, in writing, to the assessors of the town, of the names of the scholars so supplied by them with books, and of the books so furnished, the prices thereof, and the names of the parents, masters, or guardians, who ought to have supplied the same; and said assessors shall add the price of the books so supplied, to the next annual tax of such parents, masters, or guardians; and the amount so added shall be levied, collected, and paid into the town treasury, in the same manner as the town taxes.

SECT. 22. In case the assessors shall be of opinion, that any such parent, master, or guardian, is unable to pay the whole expense of the books so supplied on his account, they shall omit to add the price of such books, or shall add only a part thereof, to the annual tax of such parent, master, or guardian, according to their opinion of his ability to pay.

SECT. 23. The school committee shall never direct to be purchased or used, in any of the town schools, any school books which are calculated to favor the tenets of any particular sect of Christians.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

SECT. 24. The inhabitants of every town may, at any town meeting to be called for that purpose, divide their town into school districts, and determine the limits of such districts, [this power of towns limited in a certain case. St. 1849, ch. 206,] or they may, if they think it expedient, carry into effect the provisions of this chapter, without forming such districts.

SECT. 25. Every town, which is or may be divided into school districts, shall, at their annual meeting, in addition to the school committee for the town, choose one person, [or three, in a certain class of cases. St. 1839, ch. 137,] resident in each school district, to be a committee for that district, and to be called the prudential committee; who shall keep the schoolhouse of such district in good order, at the expense of the district; and, in case there be no schoolhouse, provide a suitable place for the school of the district, at the expense thereof; provide fuel, and all things necessary for the comfort of the scholars therein; select and contract with a schoolmaster for the district; [if the town shall expressly so vote. St. 1838, ch. 105, § 2, and give such information and assistance to the school committee of the town, as may be necessary to aid them in the discharge of the duties required of them.

SECT. 26. In any town, which shall so determine, the said prudential committee may be chosen by the inhabitants of the several school districts, to which they respectively belong, in such manner as the district may direct.