Teachers are paid at the close of every term, and are appointed at the beginning of every term. We endeavor to do away with the idea of rank; and Senior Assistants receive no higher pay than teachers of Primary Classes. A further move in the right direction would be to pay the Primary grade teachers $50 a year more than is paid in the higher grades. SCHOOL CENSUS. The school Census of 1866, taken between the first day of September, and the 10th day of October, shows an enrollment of 20,353 children between the ages of four and eighteen; the enumeration of those between five and twenty years of age, shows 20,542 names. The increase over the census of 1865, is 1,643. INCOME. A per capita tax of three dollars, based upon the school census enrollment, is annually levied upon the property of the city for the support of the public schools. This, together with the State primary school money, comprises our school fund. The Common Council of the city may annually grant a sum not to exceed $25,000, for the purpose of building school houses. Our income for the year 1867 will be as follows: Per Capita tax at $3 upon 20,353, (Census Enroll Whatever is granted for building purposes will be in addition to the above sum. SCHOOL ENROLLMENT. There are recorded upon our school registers for the year to date, 11,370 names. Of this number 2,435 have been enrolled twice, on account of promotion or transfer, giving us the total number of different names enrolled, 8,935, or nearly 44 per cent. of the census enrollment. The average number belonging to the schools for the year to date is 6,194; the average daily attendance 5,890, or 900 greater than last year. The per cent. of attendance on the average number belonging has been 94, and the per cent. of tardiness on the average attendance has been one per cent.-a marked improvement over the year 1865. Our attendance statistics are collected on what are known as the Chicago Rules, which we beg leave to subjoin, with the suggestion that it will be well to adopt these rules in every system of graded schools in the State. CHICAGO RULES. "1. Whenever a teacher has satisfactory evidence that a pupil has left school without the intention of returning, such pupil's name shall forthwith be stricken from the roll; but any absence recorded against the name of the pupil before the teacher receives this notice, shall be allowed to remain, and in making up the attendance averages, such absences shall be regarded the same as any other absences. "2. When a pupil is suspended from school by any of the rules of the School Board, whether for absence or for any other cause, his name shall be stricken from the roll. "3. When a pupil is absent from school more than five consecutive school days, for sickness or for any other cause, his name shall be stricken from the roll at the end of the five days, and the absences shall in all cases be recorded while the name remains on the roll; but this rule shall not operate to prevent the suspension of a pupil, under rule 2, for a less number of absences, in which case his name will, of course, bo dropped from the roll. "4. For the purposes contemplated in the foregoing rules, any pupil shall be considered as absent whose attendance at school shall not continue for at least one-half of the regular school session of the half day." THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. The Board of Education consists of twenty members: two from each ward. Ten members are elected annually, and hold office two years. The Board annually elect their own officers. The various committees are appointed by the President-Members serve without pay, or, in the language of Hon. C. I. Walker, President of the Board during the year 1865, "The office of School Inspector confers neither honor nor profit. It simply imposes a duty." SCHOOL PROPERTY. The school property of the city is valued at about $225,000. We have not sufficient school accommodations for the numbers who apply for admission. We can accommodate but forty-five per cent. of the census enrollment. If sixty per cent. of the census enrollment could be provided with seats, we. should not experience any difficulty on account of demands for school room. I am confident we could now fill at least 2,500 more seats with pupils. The board are doing everything in their power to furnish school room. They have built two fine buildings during the present year, and contemplate erecting others next year. Trusting that these items may serve to convey a pretty correct idea of our public schools, I am respectfully, DUANE DOTY. Superintendent of the Detroit Public Schools. Detroit, Mich., Nov. 12, 1866. DISCO ACADEMY. DISCO, MICH., Nov. 29th, 1866. REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES. Hon. O. HOSFORD, Superintendent of Public Instruction: Disco Academy at present is very little in advance of a graded or primary school, except that a portion of the time some of the higher branches are taught. But in regard to REPORT OF SUNDAY-SCHOOL AGENT. 169 health, beauty and location it is not surpassed by any institution in the eastern portion of the State, and of late some efforts are being made to convert it into a graded or Union School. The names of the Trustees are: Chauncey Church, John Keeler, Alonzo M. Keeler, Alson Haines, Calvin Pierce, Ira S. Pearsall, Jeremiah Curtis, Isaac Monfore, and Philander Ewell. The officers are: John Keeler, Treasurer; Isaac Monfore, Clerk: Alonzo M. Keeler, Principal, and Chauncey Church, Chairman of the Board of Trustees. The property is one acre of land, school building and outbuildings, valued at fifteen hundred dollars. The amount of stock subscribed is five thousand dollars, and the amount actually paid in is one thousand dollars. The winter term was taught by F. W. Dunlap, and the summer term by Millicent Conner. The school at present is under the supervision of Miss Mary A. Montfort, and classes are formed in Latin, the higher mathematics, book-keeping, &c., and the school appears to be in a very prosperous condition. The number in attendance the last year was 81, and the books used are in general the same as are used in the State Normal School, and the method of teaching is intended to be of a normal character. By the Clerk, ISAAC MONFORE. CHAUNCEY CHURCH, REPORT OF SUNDAY-SCHOOL AGENT. HON. ORAMEL HOSFORD, Supt. Public Instruction : DEAR SIR--It is with great pleasure that I accept the invitation to bring more fully to the notice of the public, through your Report, the Sunday-School Missionary work which the American Sunday School Union is earnestly prose cuting in our State, especially in the newer counties. This work is not sectarian in its character, but is designed simply to plant the Union Sunday-School by the side of the common school in all our districts, where it is not otherwise done, with a view to imparting that moral and religious instruction which all good and virtuous citizens, of whatever class or demomination, equally regard as indispensable to the welfare of the Commonwealth. For all adopt the maxim that "Whatever is to be worked out in a nation's character or history, should be started in the schools of that nation." We join hands with you to accomplish this great object, by adding the Sundayschool to the week-day school, the New Testament and the maxims of heavenly wisdom to the rudiments of secular knowledge. We hope thus to aid effectually in educating aright the public conscience, and laying a moral foundation of character and good citizenship that cannot be moved, and that will give us strength and honor in the sight of all people. We are happy to say to you that our work has made commendable progress during the past year, ending March 1. Two hundred and four Sunday-schools, of the character indicated above, were crganized in neglected places or new settlements, and probably not less than six thousand children were gathered and taught in these schools. One thousand and eighty-five teachers were found on the ground who gladly rendered their voluntary services. It would not be difficult to prove that the Sunday-school, universally planted with the common school, would be a saving in money, as well as morals, to the State. We might take our own Reform School as an illustration. This school has had, we will say, for the past two years, an average of two hundred and fifty inmates, and though a noble and necessary charity, it taxes the treasury of the State $22,000 per annum, or nearly $100 per boy, to meet its current expenses. One argument held forth to reconcile the public to this expenditure, is the general estimate that these boys, if left to run at large, would annually steal about $20,000 worth of property from the citizens of the State. When it is considered |