ANNUAL REPORT.

It is not necessary, nor does it seem expedient, to attempt to elaborate in this report the superintendent's views touching school legislation; especially, since the matter will receive the careful attention of the eminent scholar, and veteran educator, who succeeds to the administration of this department. In the main, our school laws are enlightened and liberal, and such as conserve the true interests, and comport with the dignity of a great and free commonwealth. However, school laws are only the mechanism, or mode, which we employ to diffuse learning. Simplicity of construction, so as to consume in their working the least possible friction, is an eminent desideratum.

COUNTY SUPERVISION.

As might be anticipated, experience demonstrates the efficiency and value of an enlightened supervision of any and every system of public instruction. Our cities wisely entrust this supervision to a single person. The advantages of this method of organization are quite obvious, and are well certified by prolonged experience. It secures unity, it inspires emulation, it promotes a nobler standard of merit, it commands more intelligent and competent teaching gifts. It seems rational to anticipate that a similar supervision of rural schools would tend to the accomplishment of similar results. Some system. of county superintendence, well remunerated, and, so far as possible, removed from the petty jealousies and intrigues of political partisanship, would be, undoubtedly, a measure of wise and needed legislation. Objections raised on the score of economy are scarcely pertinent. It may be doubted whether it would add a farthing's weight to the burden of school taxation. Yet, if so, is the objection really valid and worthy of serious consideration? Not in a free commonwealth whose very existence depends upon the intelligence and virtue of its people. Extravagance in government expenditure is pernicious, no doubt; but unstinted and generous provision for the maintenance of free

schools is not extravagance. The rather, it is well considered and thoughtful economy. As truly as "The life is in the blood" so free governments subsist by free schools. Whatever they cost, it is the price which we must inevitably pay for our immunity from the evils of anarchy, or despotism. Free schools supply the intelligence which creates wealth, and (what is more pertinent to the threatened exigencies of the present hour) they must furnish the power which defends wealth. The soldier goes cheerfully, and even eagerly, to the task of building the breast works which are to cover his own person in the impending battle. Such, in our time and country, should be the eagerness of property to be taxed for the rearing of the only bulwark which can effectively shield from actual destruction-the bulwark of free schools.

TEACHERS' INSTITUTES.

It is natural that there should be some difference of opinion amongst teachers concerning the practical value of institutes. Nor is it strange that questions relating to their scope, aim and management should invoke some earnest discussion. Possibly, on the part of some, too much has been expected of the institute; hence, their disappointment at its shortcomings, is only a new demonstration of the axiomatic truth, "There is no royal road to learning." Certainly, the institute cannot take the place of the academic and professional schools. As to length of term, or session, as to appointments and conveniences of place, as to opportunities for earnest study, the institute is a school under very narrow limitations. It is rather a series of lectures, or colloquial addresses, upon such topics as may be adapted to the circumstances and necessities of teachers in our common schools. Of necessity, the best possible institute instruction must be suggestive rather than exhaustive. It gives the inexperienced teacher, and the teacher whose own educational advantages have been limited, the privilege (nor is it a small privilege) of contact and intercourse, though for a brief period only, with educators who rank high in their calling. Moreover, it brings teachers into helpful acquaintance and sympathy with each other. Nor is it an advantage to be despised. Association inspires healthful emulation and enthusiasm. Yet, the foregoing benefits, i. e., that of a brief intercourse with able and experienced educators, and that of mutual intercourse, are imponderable, though far from unreal; and of a character not to be expressed by mere statistics. If, in these particulars which I have stated, the Teachers' Institute has not wholly failed, in my opinion, it needs no other vindication of its right to be continued. However imperfectly, it yet fulfills its aim. And the aim is worthy the effort, and worthy the cost. Its scope may be enlarged, and

its management improved. It is comparatively an easy task to find defects in any method ever yet submitted to trial. It is so with everything. The best methods must be the outgrowth of experience. Hence, healthy changes cannot be swift and radical-a Jonah's gourd. Besides, it is the conductor and his assistants, who will give vitality and effect to the method, whatever it may be. Otherwise, we have a mere machine-it may be as perfect as human ingenuity can make it a machine without a living and efficient motor. With the assistance of Prof. W. H. Payne, of Ann Arbor, Vice Principal Daniel Putnam, of Ypsilanti, and other eminent teachers, this department has published a new "Manual of Institute Work," which, it is believed, will be found a valuable aid in organizing and conducting institutes. It is gratifying to report that institutes the present year have rallied a large an enthusiastic attendance of teachers and school officers-that their work has been, in the main, satisfactory, and prolific of good. Such are the returns which come to this department from every quarter of the State.

TEMPERANCE TEACHING.

What is the exact status of temperance teaching in our public schools? The question is raised because it has been a matter of some inquiry, as well as controversy.

While the duty to provide for special instruction in physiology is made mandatory upon all district boards, there is no special penalty provided for failure to comply with the law. With a view to ascertain to what extent the law was complied with, special efforts were made during the past year to secure reliable information upon this point. The returns from the graded schools are quite complete, but the reports from the district schools are not as satisfactory. The blanks furnished the school directors of the State by this department included the following query: "Is physiology and hygiene taught in your school as provided in section 15, chapter 3, General School Laws of 1885 ?" Of the 6897 districts in the State 2313 answered "Yes," 1789 answered "No," and 2795 made no report. Among the latter are undoubtedly a number of districts in which the subject is taught, but it is, of course, impossible to form any reliable estimate of the number. The fact that more than 1700 districts report that the subject is not taught indicates a very general disposition on the part of district officers to either ignore the provisions of law, or to deliberately disregard them. The fact that they reply to the query at all is evidence that they are not ignorant of their duties in this regard. To secure a general compliance with this requirement it is evident that a specific penalty should be imposed for non-compliance.

The reports from the graded schools are much more complete and satisfactory. The blanks for special reports of graded schools included this question: "In what grades is physiology and hygiene taught with special reference to the effects of alcohol, etc.?" Reports were received from 248 schools, of which all but 25 included replies to the above question. Seventyeight report the subject taught in all the grades; 39 report it taught in the grammar and high school grades; 7 in the primary and grammar grades; 2 in the primary and high school departments; 12 in the grammar grade only; 82 in the high school only; 1 in the primary grade only, and one reported the subject not taught.

These statistics show that the subject is taught in over 33 per cent. of all the schools of the State. While this showing is far from meeting the expectations of the friends of the law some encouragement can be derived from the fact that the report for the school year ending September 3, 1883, the year before the statute above quoted went into effect, only 653 districts out of 6336 included physiology in their course of study. In four years this law has resulted in increasing the number of schools affording instruction in this important branch of study from 10 per cent. to 33 per cent.

In my opinion, it is the design of the law to give to this class of studies the same status it gives to other practical topics, such as reading, or grammar, i. e., that somewhere in his course, the pupil shall be taught the physiological and moral effects of narcotics and alcoholic stimulants upon the whole being of man. To my mind, this is quite enough. Less would be insufficient; more would be unnecessary, and possibly harmful. It is to be regretted that in any public school the full requirements of the law should suffer neglect; yet, it would be a mistake quite as serious, to give to these special studies a disproportionate, unequal place in the school curriculumto co-ordinate them, as some extremists insist upon doing, with every other subject from the low zones of a, b, c, up to the high regions of calculus. Over-teaching upon a subject which relates to moral conduct, especially, if it concerns the appetites, or passions, is really perilous. Too constant dwelling upon topics of this character has a tendency to invoke morbid conditions in the mind of the youth which either provokes, or fascinates him to attempt dangerous experiments. Were you to teach a boy the flagrant wickedness of burglary it would not be expedient, nor would it be neoessary, to induct him into the mysteries of picking a lock. The specialist finds a peculiar charm in the ugly spider-he sees a thousand beauties in the bright colors and sinister eyes of a loathsome snake. We may well fear the consequences of making our boys and girls too familiar with nauseating details of any evil wh we desire them to shun. The teacher or parent cannot be too earnest to

join correct principles, to give warning of penalties, and to himself exhibit a blameless example; which having done, he can effectively add nothing further, except to devoutly leave the result with God.

TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

During my brief connection with this department I have become convinced that there exist two radical defects in our present school system, i. e. imperfect supervision and too many school districts. These defects have been noted and discussed at length by several of my predecessors, and I am simply falling into line with their views in urging the necessity of some change in these particulars. The argument in favor of consolidating the common school districts in each township is exhaustively presented by Hon. H. R. Gass in the annual report of this department for 1883, and I shall only attempt to emphasize some of the facts presented in support of his advocacy of the proposed change.

The inequality of the cost per capita for instruction incident to the present system is shown in the reports of the township inspectors on file in this office. The following cases are taken at random from the different counties in the State and are not exceptional.

Three districts in Menominee county report a total enrollment of twenty pupils. The average number of months' school maintained in each district was seven and one-third, and the total cost for instruction was $854. The average expense for teaching each of these twenty children for seven and onethird months was $42.70. In the same townships in which these districts are situated are three other districts which reported a total enrollment last year of 670. The average duration of school was nine and two-thirds months and the total cost for instruction was $4,760, or an average per capita cost for instruction for nine and two-thirds months of only $7.10. In other words it cost six times as much to teach each pupil in the first three districts as it did in the last three mentioned. One district in this county reported six pupils enrolled and ten months' school. The amount paid for instruction was $450.00 or a per capita cost of $75.00. An adjoining district in the same township enrolled 456 pupils, maintained school ten months and expended $3250.00 for instruction, making the average cost per pupil only $7.12, or less than one-tenth the cost in the first mentioned district.

In Midland county there were three districts which reported a total enrollment of seventeen. The expense of instructing these seventeen children five months was $60. In the same townships were three other districts with a total attendance of 163, and the cost of instructing this number for eight and