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vocabulary by going over as wide a range of classic authors as his time will allow, especially Juvenal, Catullus, and Horace. Indeed we think a good deal more of Catullus could be read with profit, in the form of judicious selections, than is generally gone over, and that parts of some of his incomparably beautiful poems might be read by scholars who are advanced far enough to take up Virgil.

At first, as may be expected, the beginner's verses will be rather stiff and mechanical, but practice in this branch of study, as everywhere else, leads to improvement. Ease and elegance can be attained only by a thorough and careful study of the best classic poets; and in gaining these qualities, the student will insensibly acquire a large vocabulary, and a stock not merely of poetical words and phrases, but of poetic ideas and turns of thought.

We may say in passing, that whenever a scholar shows any aptitude for writing English verse, exercises in translating from Latin into English rhymed stanzas will be found very judicious. Dr. Arnold used to advocate, if we remember rightly, the practice of writing poetry, on account, to use his own words, of the humanizing tendencies of such exercises; and where the taste for such English translations exists, combined with ability to produce anything tolerable, it should be encouraged. Among modern translations, Theodore Martin's, of Horace and Catullus, may be recommended to the student as excellent models to follow.

We do not think that selections for translation should be confined to a very narrow range of authors. Shakspeare, Milton, and Wordsworth have furnished passages for translation again and again to successive generations of scholars, and now, for some years past, in the examination papers set at Cambridge a greater variety of authors is employed, including, it is pleasant to see, some American poets.

Exercises in prose translation, too, are none the worse for being taken from recent authors. Robinson Crusoe has lately been published in Paris, in a Latin form, and it is a good plan to task the ingenuity of the student a little in finding classical equivalents for modern words and phrases.

We do not expect to see a race of scholars spring up at once,

who shall rival those wonderful versifiers and prize-takers at Oxford and Cambridge, because time in this country is too precious to allow us to carry a mere refinement of scholarship so far. Nor do we expect to outdo Vincent Bourne, or the Kennedys; but we do believe that with much less labor than is commonly thought necessary, many of our scholars can gain a tolerable proficiency in what Dr. Anthon calls the truest and most enduring ornament of a classical education.

NEW BEDFORD.

J. M. M., JR.

Editor's Department.

MEETING AT THE EDUCATIONAL ROOM.

SATURDAY, April 14th.

Mr. Wood, of Boston (Quincy School), in the chair.
The subject for discussion was School Supervision.

The debate was opened by the Chairman, who began by reading extracts from several school reports from towns in Massachusetts. In one of them it was stated that the teacher had been faithful, and the instruction very thorough. The conduct of the scholars, also, is spoken of as very exemplary. The report closed, however, by saying that if the school were managed more by encouragement, and less by fear, it would be far better. The results are heartily approved, while the method by which they were attained is severely criticised. Now, what is the legitimate object of such criticism? Is it not to benefit, in some way, both teacher and scholars? But can it possibly do any good to either, thus publicly to accuse the teacher, while admitting the excellence of his work, of harshness and severity? Will it be likely to render more harmonious the relation between him and his pupils? Will it not, rather, be sure to do serious injury? The scholars will be certain to receive the impression that, however much the Committee may praise the teacher, they do not consider him fully competent. Such defects, if they exist, should be spoken of to the teacher himself privately. Mr. W. then read several other extracts in illustration of the fact that teachers were often subjected to severe and unjust criticism, through the mere caprice or want of judgment of the member of the Committee whose turn it chanced to be to write the report.

Mr. WHEELER, of Cambridge, said that the writing of such reports as those just quoted from, might perhaps be accounted for by the fact that men who were

not qualified to write at all, were obliged to write something, and could think of nothing else to say. They do not wish always to write the same words, therefore they are often sadly puzzled.. The result is, that they say some very strange things. He would not, however, be understood as speaking against school supervision. Supervision of some kind we must have.

Mr. Wood said that the true remedy for these evils was, to have upon the Committee, men not only of culture, but of practical experience as teachers. Teachers were often criticised in their grammar for instance, by men whose own use of language showed that they had themselves little or no knowledge of the subject. In a town in Eastern Massachusetts recently, the Chairman of the High School Committee, when examining candidates for admission, gave specimens of faulty grammar for correction. He then stated, publicly, that they were all expressions which he had heard used by the Grammar School teachers of the town. The same gentleman, used subsequently, in his report, the following expression "The former master of this school has resigned his position during the last year"- Also, in spelling the words "scholar," and "several," they were divided thus: scho-lar," seve-ral." At another time, in the same town, the scholars of one of the Grammar Schools were corrected by the Committee, in their pronunciation. The teacher at once said that the blame, if any there was, belonged to him, as he had taught them so. The Committee still demurred, when the teacher gave as authority, Prof. MARK BAILEY, of whom he had just been taking lessons. This, however, made not the slightest impression upon the gentleman, who still adhered to his original opinion. He also found fault because the scholars were not taught always to keep the voice up at a semicolon. In his report he spoke of the scholars, in this school, as deficient in reading. This is a specimen of one of the evils resulting from the present system of school supervision. Teachers were censured when the whole difficulty lies in the ignorance of the examiner.

Mr. HALE, of Boston, (Lawrence School), began by replying to some reflections upon the school system of New Hampshire, made by a previous speaker. He thought that some supervision was, in all cases, necessary. It holds the teachers in check, and also stimulates them to do their best. They look anxiously to the coming examination. He thought, also, that in general the best men were selected, and that they performed their duty conscientiously. There were but few places where a salaried superintendent could be employed. The rest must take such men as were willing to perform the labor gratuitously. Where a superintendent could not be employed, he saw no way of bettering the present system. We must either accept it as it is, or do away with all supervision.

Mr. PAYSON, of Chelsea, said that he had been for twenty-six years in the employ of different School Committees, and could say that, with very few exceptions, he had found them to consist of men well qualified for the position, and disposed to treat teachers with fairness. He thought it was very generally so throughout the country. The mere fact that now and then one member decided from ignorance or want of reflection, proves nothing against School Committees

in general, any more than the fact that a few lawyers were dishonest proved that lawyers as a class are so. He thought that our present system of supervision was as good as any other.

Mr. KIMBALL, of Boston (Boylston School), said that no one, he presumed, would argue against all systems of supervision. The main error of the prevailing system was, in the kind of men who were often chosen as supervisors. There was not, he thought, a teacher present, who, if he was to tell his experience, would not have to relate instances of gross ignorance on the part of men who were placed over him as members of the School Committee. He had known more than one man in such a position, who would not be able to tell whether in the sentence, "John lost his hat" there was a verb. Another evil was, that the committees were constantly changing.

Mr. JONES, of Roxbury, spoke of the last-mentioned evil as one of the most serious of the present system. The teacher had not more than time to become acquainted with the views of one committee man, before another was substituted, whose ideas were, perhaps, quite different. As it not unfrequently happens that each insisted upon his own notions being fully carried out, it placed the teacher in a somewhat uncomfortable position, and checked the improvement of the school. Another great defect had been already referred to, namely, that teachers were often censured by those who never taught school, and who, consequently, were ignorant of the real merit of the work which they attempted to criticise. He thought also, that teachers were often interfered with, and cramped in their efforts by the officious ignorance of the committee. It often took longer to educate them, than the scholars.

Mr. RICHARDSON, of North Chelsea, said that he had never been dictated to, or interfered with by the committee, nor did he think the practice a common one. He had been himself, a member of a School Committee, and had always endeavored to work for the good of the teachers. If a teacher was generally efficient, although he had some faults, he was always careful to say as little as possible about the latter. He took good care to let it be publicly known that he considered him a good teacher. He did not approve the custom of publicly calling attention to a teacher's faults in a school report.

Mr. BROWN, of Boston (Bowdoin School), thought the present system excellent. It was perhaps, susceptible of some improvement, but was in the main, as good as could, under existing circumstances, be devised. He considered it one of the most striking manifestations of democracy; of the power of the people to take care of themselves. It is very true that as the labor must be performed gratuitously, it was often hard to find capable men to undertake it. He thought, however, that the men selected, were, as a general thing, well qualified and faithful. He thought the difficulty in Boston was, that we did not have supervision enough.

He would restore the Primary School Committee. The want of it was very severely felt by the teachers. The Superintendent cannot be everywhere, and it is very essential that the schools should be visited often, and the teacher encouraged. We may talk of a superintendence that shall be paid for, but this

can never become practicable except in the cities and larger towns. Much of the work must continue to be done without reward, and he knew no better method of accomplishing this object, than that now employed. Mr. Brown then spoke very highly of a mode of superintendence which, as he had understood, was practised in Cambridge. The Committee was elected as usual. The members then proceeded to choose one of their number, who beside acting as chairman was styled Superintendent of Schools, and received a salary as such. He was obliged, however, to report often to the full Committee. He holds no exclusive authority, and can only draw attention to whatever he considers amiss in the schools.

GEO. K. DANIELL, Jr.

Secretary.

THE STATE NORMAL SCHOOLS.

Among all the excellent public institutions of Massachusetts, none do her more credit, and none give larger returns in benefit to the community that support them, than her four excellent Normal Schools. She is the only State in the Union that can count so many, and yet such is the demand for the education they give, that already their spacious buildings are too small to accommodate the applicants for admission. From the recently published Report of the Board of Education, we glean the following facts and statistics relating to them.

In the Framingham School, which, during the absence in Europe of Mr. Bigelow, the principal, has been most successfully conducted by the lady assistants, there have been, during the year, 170 different pupils, and there are 128 now in the school. The average age of the young ladies is 18. The visitors report that "the school building is now too small to accommodate the number of pupils we have, and we can make no provision for the increased number of future applicants; unless some change is made in the building or the school, many young ladies must be rejected for want of accommodations.

The visitors of this school, D. H. MASON, Esq., and Hon. EMORY WASHBURN express themselves as follows on two most important subjects:

"We are entirely satisfied that females should be generally employed to instruct both in our Public and Normal Schools; not so much from motives of economy, as because of their peculiar fitness for this service. When fully qualified, they carry equal ability, and a more ready tact and sympathy into the great work of instructing youth, and we sincerely hope that this Board will urge this truth more earnestly upon the people of the Commonwealth. Almost all the schools throughout the State can then be continued throughout the year, affording to children largely increased opportunities for education, and to our enterprising young women an honorable and remunerative occupation. We desire, however, to say that the great difference in the compensation of our male and female teachers is now unreasonable and unjust.

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