EDUCATIONAL CONVENTIONS.

CONNECTICUT STATE TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION.

The thirty-seventh annual meeting of this body was held in the hall of the New Haven High School, October 18-20, 1883, "a large number of principals and teachers being present from all parts of the State." The address of the first evening, after words of welcome from J. G. Lewis, of New Haven, was from Rev. Joseph T. Duryea, D D., of Boston, Mass., on "The motive forces to carnest study," and is said to have aroused much enthusiasm. The first discussion of the next morning was "The relation of the public library to the public school," Superintendent Harrington, of Bridgeport, giving the general report of the committee appointed to consider it and dwelling on the importance of influencing pupils to choose good books and read them thoughtfully. Other subjects presented were "The relation of the public library to the grammar school and high school," "The teachers' work in directing pupils to the use of the public library," and "The teachers' own use of such a library. Secretary Charles D. Hine, of the State board of education, then gave a review of the Connecticut school system from the beginning, some two hundred and fifty years ago, when standards were high and studies few and a generous taxation gave the schools a good support; sketched the decline that came from 1712 to 1796, when ecclesiastical societies took school matters in hand, when taxes declined, rate bills came in, and academies and lower private schools largely displaced the common school; and finally showed how, from 1796, the sale of western lands owned by the State threw the support of schools again on public funds, with lightened taxation and with still inferior results, till in 1846 fifty more years of unsatisfactory results made the State ready for a return to the spirit of the old system, since which there has been gradual improvement, till now the best schools of the State rank well with any in other States.

Several other important topics were discussed, among them one by Superintendent Seaver, of Boston, on the advantages of elementary manual training in connection with public schools, and one by President Porter, of Yale College, on the power of the personal element in teaching.

After adopting resolutions in favor of well ordered public libraries as aids to school work, of a system of graded schools for every town, and of appropriations from the General Government for the instruction of Indians in Alaska, the association chose new officers and adjourned to meet at Hartford in 1884.

The thirty-eighth annual meeting was held in the high school hall, Hartford, October 23-25, 1884, with an attendance said to have been the largest ever known and with proceedings of great interest. On the first evening Mr. Wm. A. Mowry,' of Boston, delivered the opening address. The next morning Principal George L. Fox, of New Haven, presented a paper on "Teaching politics in public schools," saying that there was need to prepare for the duties of citizenship by teaching patriotism. The right way of teaching The A B C of numbers" was next shown by Miss E. M. Reed, of the Welch Training School, New Haven, whose paper was so clear, practical, and useful that the association resolved to have it published for the use of teachers, and it will probably appear under State auspices in 1885. Prof. A. B. Morrill, of the State Nornal School, next presented "Science conversations in the lower schools," urging a drill in familiar objects of natural science, on the seashore, in the country round the school, and elsewhere, getting the children to gather specimens and become students of nature as well as of books. "Reading and how it should be taught" was then presented by Prof. E. H. Russell, of the Massachusetts State Normal School, Worcester. The relation of learning to teaching," by F. E. Bangs, of New Haven, closed the program of papers to be read, and the last hour was given to class exercises in arithinetic by Miss Helen F. Page, of the State Normal School, with a class of 20 pupils.

CONNECTICUT COUNCIL OF EDUCATION.

At a meeting of this council held in June, 1883, a committee, with the city superintendent of New Haven at its head, was appointed to take into consideration the condition of the country schools and to report what efforts on the part of the council might tend to the improvement of those schools. At another meeting, in December of that year, the report of this committee was presented, stating that circular letters of inquiry had been addressed to each member of the boards of school visitors and boards of education of the several towns throughout the State. The questions asked were: Would the country schools become better (1) if district lines were obliterated and the towns hired and paid the teachers, as well as examined and supervised them; (2) if the State board were to hold annual examinations supplementary to those in towns; (3) if superintendencies were to be established over counties or groups of towns; (4) if the country work could be classified and the pupils of maturer age and

This gentleman, who was at the head of the English and Classical School, Providence, R. I., is now managing editor of the Journal of Education.

higher grade be brought into a central school; and (5) if the best pupils were encouraged to take a course in the State Normal School before beginning to teach?

The answers to these several questions are not fully formulated, but from them and from their own observations the members of the committee seem to have come to at least these conclusions: (1) that district lines had better be obliterated and that a central committee in each rural town should have power, by consent of parents, to gather children of the same grade into the same school room under the charge of oue teacher; (2) that a State examination of teachers should supplement the town examinations; (3) that there should be some more skilful supervision than can be had under the present country system, in which "all sorts of men, engaged in all sorts of business, knowing often nothing of the practical work of teaching," are engaged at $2 a day for actual service to superintend the country schools; (4) that whatever may be done as to general training in the normal school, at least the best of the graduates of high schools should be induced to take a year of study at that school Before becoming teachers, and that candidates found by the faculty unfit for effective school work should be rejected, not advanced.

The meeting of the council in 1884 was held at Hartford in June and discussed mainly the question of national aid to education, Superintendent Dutton, of New Haven, favoring such aid, as the safety of the Republic demands that voters be better educated; Mr. Fox, of New Haven, holding that, where danger exists, sufficient authority to meet it also exists, and that the clause in the Constitution authorizing Congress to promote the general welfare carries the power to make educational appropriations. Mr. Charles D. Hine, secretary of the State board of education, taking the opposite ground, held that there was no constitutional authority for such aid, nor was it expedient to give it; that the proposal to distribute aid to poor States on the basis of general illiteracy was a mistake, as, if distributed at all, it should be on the basis of illiteracy in children of school age; that the money distributed would be almost surely misused and would not accomplish its purpose; that schools and school support must grow, and not be called into existence by money.

CHIEF STATE SCHOOL OFFICER.

Hon. CHARLES D. HINE, secretary of State board of education, Hartford.

Mr. Hine entered upon duty January 1, 1883, and serves during the pleasure of the board.

(From report of Hon. Thomas N. Williams, State superintendent of free schools, apparently for the calendar years 1882 and 1884 and reports of Henry C. Conrad, actuary of the Delaware Association for the Education of the Colored People, for the school years 1882-'83 and 1883-'84.)

STATE SCHOOL SYSTEM.

GENERAL CONDITION.

The State superintendent of free schools says that "considered as the growth of ten years the Delaware system of free schools is a most gratifying work. Never before has public sentiment been so strong in favor of the support of free public schools as to-day. The press of the State is a unit in their favor. The leading men of all parties and of all religious denominations acknowledge and defend the truth that the State has duties as well as rights, and that foremost among them is the duty of securing a good common school education for the children of all classes." He expresses a belief that in 1884 there was substantial progress, a belief which the statistics abun dantly confirm as respects the schools for whites at least, while those for colored youth seem to have fairly held their own, though there has not been in them the ad

vance that it was hoped might come from the considerable State appropriation made to them since 1881.

The examinations of teachers, which began with the institution of a State school system worthy of the name in 1875, have been gradually disposing of the indifferent school teachers and substituting for them others that endeavor to excel. And, though this process is necessarily a slow one, it is evident, from a variety of testimony, that there is, as the superintendent says, a marked improvement from year to year in the qualifications of the teachers and in the effectiveness of the school work done by them. The instruction given at teachers' institutes held annually in each county in the State, with assistance from distinguished educators, has aided much in this improvement of the teachers.

ADMINISTRATION.

The supervision of the free schools for both white and colored children is committed to a State superintendent of free schools, who is appointed annually by the governor and is required to visit every school once a year, to examine persons proposing to teach in them, to hold a yearly institute in each county for the improvement of teachers, and, with the aid of a State board of education, to select the text books for use in the State schools, which, when purchased, he is to distribute to each school district at cost. Since 1881 he has been allowed an assistant superintendent, who is also appointed annually by the governor.

The State board includes the secretary of state and the president of Delaware College with the State superintendent. Besides aiding him in the selection of text books and commissioning teachers whom he finds qualified, it acts as a court of appeal in matters of controversy between him and minor State school officers or teachers. In each school distret a school committee of 3 members, elected by the voters of the district, with annual change of 1, provides school buildings, furniture, and fuel, employs teachers holding certificates from the State superintendent, makes regulations for the government of the school, holds it open for all white children over 6 years old, and levies an annual tax for its support.

For colored children there is a special agency, sanctioned by the State, called the Delaware Association for the Education of Colored People, which (except in the city of Wilmington and in a small colored corporation elsewhere) provides, through its actuary, for schools of at least 3 months' duration yearly.

FINANCES.

The means for the support of free schools for whites come (1) from the income of a State school fund, the proceeds of marriage and tavern licenses, one-fourth of the receipts from other licenses, and also one-fourth of the money arising from fees on commissions issued to prothonotaries, clerks of the peace, registers of wills, recorders of deeds, clerks of the orphans' court, and sheriffs; (2) from an annual tax of $150 in each school district of New Castle County, of $120 in each school district of Kent County, and of $60 in each school district of Sussex County, these district taxes going to the schools of the districts in which they are levied.

For the support of schools in which colored youth are to be taught there is an annual tax of 30 cents on $100 of the property of colored persons, and also an allowance from the State, which from 1881 to 1883 was $2,400 annually, but in 1884 was made $5,000, all distributed through the Delaware Association for the Education of the Colored People.

NEW LEGISLATION.

The only legislative action as to schools for the years covered by this report appears to have been the above noted increase of the State allowance to schools for colored youth and an act of April 19, 1883, extending the supervision of the State school officer to the schools of this class in addition to his previous supervision of the schools for whites.

CITY SCHOOL SYSTEM OF WILMINGTON.

OFFICERS.

There is

Wilmington has a board of public education consisting of 2 members from each of its 11 wards, elected for 2 years, with annual change of from each ward. also a superintendent of schools, employed by the board.

STATISTICS.

1882-'83.

Population of the city by census of 1880, 42,585; children of school age (6-21), not given; school-houses in use, 20; school rooms, 131; sittings, 6,713; pupils enrolled, 7,675; average belonging, 5,823; average daily attendance, 5,197; per cent. of attendance on average belonging, 89.2; teachers employed, 132, 4 of them in training school on trial, without salary; pay of those employed in full service, $300 to $1,300 a year;

whole expenditure for city schools, $124,067.1 There was in the year an increase of 1 in school houses used, of 15 in rooms for day pupils, and of 793 in sittings for study in all the day schools; while in enrolment the increase was 552; in average belong. ing, 632; in average daily attendance, 597. The 1 additional school-house noted is not a full indication of the increased accommodation, for 3 new school-houses were occupied at the beginning of the year, 2 of them taking the place of old rented ones. A large addition was made also to another building, these several improvements giving 1,208 additional seats for city pupils. The estimated value of school property after these improvements, including grounds, buildings, and apparatus, was $314,749. Besides the day schools, there appears to have been a night school held in one of the city school buildings under the auspices of a Citizens' Night School Association, but no statistics of attendance in it are given.

1883-'84.

In this year the school-houses numbered 22; the school rooms, 149; the sittings for study, 7,020; the enrolled pupils in day schools, 8,259; the average belonging, 6,374; the average daily attendance, 5,718; the teachers in the city day schools, 155; showing an increase of 2 in school-houses, of 18 in school rooms, of 377 in sittings, of 584 in enrolment, of 551 in average belonging, of 521 in average daily attendance, and of 23 in teachers employed. Increase in school property, $13,912.

The schools for both white and colored pupils are included in these statistics. For the latter there were 4 schools, 10 rooms, 544 sittings, 11 teachers, with an enrolment of 817, an average belonging of 506, and an average daily attendance of 464, or 92 per cent. of the average belonging.

For the first time, apparently, 2 evening schools were maintained by the city board during the winter, beginning November 5 and closing in February, the session in one covering 80 evenings; in the other, 62. Enrolment, 120; average attendance, 73; teachers, 4 for the entire term and 1 for 50 evenings; sessions, from 7 to 9 o'clock.

KINDERGÄRTEN.

Statistics of two of this class of schools, both in Wilmington, may be found in Table V of the appendix; a summary of their statistics, in the report of the Commissioner preceding.

PREPARATION AND QUALIFICATIONS OF TEACHERS.

GENERAL STATE REQUIREMENTS.

Applicants for teacherships in the State free schools must prove to the State superintendent the possession of a good moral character in all cases. Such as can add to this a demonstration of capacity to teach the common English branches, with history of the United States, elements of rhetoric, algebra, geometry, and natural philosophy, are entitled to first grade certificates, good for 3 years. Those who fail of this, but in their examination answer 90 per cent. of the questions asked in spelling, reading, writing, mental and written arithmetic, geography, history of the United States, and English grammar, receive second grade certificates, good for 2 years. A third grade certificate, good for 1 year only, is allowed to such as reach 60 per cent. at their examination in these latter studies.

NORMAL TRAINING.

Since the apparent cessation of the normal course at the State college no report has reached this Office of any specific training in methods or science of teaching, except in Wilmington, where 4 divisions in a city training school are annually taught by pupil teachers who are on trial as to their capacity for paid employment in such work.

Something in this direction is probably done also at the teachers' institutes which the State superintendent is required by law to hold at least once a year in each of the 3 counties of the State, and which the teachers of the county are required to attend for such instruction as the superintendent may deem advisable and for a general interchange of views as to the means of improving both teaching and attendance.

SECONDARY INSTRUCTION.

PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS.

The State makes no specific provision for high schools, but the city of Wilmington has for many years maintained one for each sex. The courses in these are of 3 years, including higher English branches, with book-keeping, science of government, and history of France and Rome for boys and of Greece and Rome for girls. Both havo a fair intermixture of natural sciences, but no studies in ancient or foreign languages. Enrolment in 1882-83, 169.

This expenditure includes $11,946 for sites, buildings, and furniture and $31,085 for past indebtedness.