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 REPORT 
 
 PUBLIC SCHOOLS, 
 
 SYSTEMS OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, 
 
 IN THE CITIES OF 
 
 NEW YORK, PHILADELPHIA, BALTIMORE 
 AND WASHINGTON. 
 
 BOSTON: 
 ALFRED MUDGE & SON, CITY PRINTERS, 34 SCHOOL STREET. 
 
 '^ \ 186 7. 
 
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 CITY OF BOSTON 
 
 -^^ In School Committee, March 13, 1866. 
 
 Ordered : That a Committee, consisting of five members of this 
 Board, with the addition of the President of the Board, and the 
 Superintendent of Public Schools, be appointed and authorized to 
 proceed to New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore, and examine 
 the Schools and the whole system of Public Instruction in those 
 cities, and make themselves thoroughly acquainted with the condi- 
 tion of those schools, and with the practical working of their sys- 
 tems, with a view to ascertain whether there be anything in their 
 principles, modes of instruction, discipline, or anything of'^any kind, 
 that may be satisfactorily introduced into our own schools in this 
 city ; and that said Committee make a full Report of their doings, 
 at the quarterly meeting of this Board in June next. 
 
 Passed : and the Chair appointed as the Committee Messrs. S. 
 K. Lothrop, N. B. Shurtleff, Henry Burroughs, Jr., J. Baxter 
 Upham, and Thos. M. Brewer. 
 
 Attest, 
 
 BARNARD CAPEN, Secretary. 
 
CITY OF BOSTON 
 
 In Board of Aldermen, April 9, 1866. 
 
 Ordered : That His Honor the Mayor, the Superintendent of 
 Public Schools, a Sub-Committee of the School Committee, and 
 such members of the Joint Standing Committee on Public Instruc- 
 tion as choose to accompany them, be authorized to make an 
 official visit to New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore, for the 
 purpose of examining the Schools and the systems of Public 
 Instruction in those cities ; and that the expense attending the 
 same, to an amount not exceeding fifteen hundred dollars, be 
 charged to the appropriation for Incidental Expenses. 
 
 Passed. Sent down for concurrence. 
 
 G. W. MES SINGER, Chairman. 
 
 In Common Council, April 12, 1866. 
 
 Concurred. 
 
 JOSEPH STORY, President. 
 
 Approved, April 14, 1866. 
 
 F. W. LINCOLN, Jr., Mayor. 
 
CITY OF BOSTON. 
 
 May 15, 1866. 
 
 At a meeting' of the Committee of the City Council and the 
 
 School Board on Visiting Schools in other Cities, it was voted, 
 
 that S. K. Lothrop, J. Baxter Upham, and John D. Philbrick be a 
 
 Sub-Committee to report to the School Board the proceedings and 
 
 conclusions of this Committee. 
 
 Attest 
 
 JOHN D. PHILBRICK, 
 
 Secretary of the Committee. 
 
 In School Committee^ June 19, 1866, 
 On motion of Dr. Lothrop, after a brief oral report, it was 
 Voted : That the Committee appointed under the Order passed 
 
 March 13, to visit the schools of other cities, be allowed further 
 
 time, and permission to report in print. 
 
 Attest 
 
 BARNARD CAPEN, 
 
 Secretary, 
 
 1* 
 
REPORT 
 
 " Be not wise in your own conceits " is often good, but not 
 always palatable advice. Useful to all, it is sometimes espe- 
 cially useful, both as a caution and a stimulus, to those individuals 
 or communities who have been pioneers in any great or good 
 work. These pioneers sometimes become indolent and self- 
 satisfied; they relax their energies and slacken their efforts; 
 they are thus outstripped by their followers, surpassed by 
 their imitators, and left to fall from the front to the rear. 
 
 In the great cause of popular education, Massachusetts has 
 been a pioneer State. She was the first to appoint a State 
 Board of Education for the wise supervision and energetic 
 advancement of this great department of the public interests; 
 and, under its influence, her common schools, first in the order 
 of time, became prominent in character; and, for the last thirty 
 years, persons from distant and different parts of our country 
 have visited Massachusetts, especially this city, to examine our 
 schools, to learn our system, to get ideas, principles, methods, 
 that they might adopt, apply, and, if possible, improve upon 
 them at home. 
 
 Under these circumstances, it seemed the part of wisdom, to 
 inquire whether such improvement had been made, and to 
 ascertain by personal examination, whether, in the better organ- 
 ization or larger powers of their School Boards, in their 
 generous and unstinted appropriations, in the ease and freedom 
 with which they had adopted new methods and better principles, 
 
8 
 
 and in the energy and enterprise with which they had made the 
 changes which those methods and principles required, some of 
 the cities and States, outside of New England, were not carrying 
 forward the great work of popular education with an earnest- 
 ness and fidelity, that had placed, or would soon place, their 
 schools in advance of ours. 
 
 It was the consciousness of our danger and duty, as thus 
 indicated, that led to the action of the School Committee whose 
 results are now to he reported. That action may be regarded 
 as an epoch in our educational history, as it was the first dis- 
 tinct, official recognition of the importance of looking abroad 
 for light and knowledge, to aid in the improvement and more 
 perfect administration of our system of popular education. At 
 the quarterly meeting of the School Committee, held on the 
 13th of March last, the following order was adopted: 
 
 " Ordered: That a Committee of five members of this Board, 
 with the addition of the President of the Board, and the Superin- 
 tendent of Public Schools, be appointed and authorized to proceed 
 to New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore, and examine the schools 
 and the whole system of Public Instruction in those cities, and 
 make themselves thoroughly acquainted with their condition, and 
 with the practical working of their systems, with a view to ascer- 
 tain whether there be anything in their principles, modes of 
 instruction, discipline, or anything of any kind, that maj' be satisfac- 
 torily and beneficially introduced into our own schools in this city ; 
 said Committee to make full report of their doings at the quar- 
 terly meeting of this Board in June next." 
 
 At the first meeting of the Committee thus raised, it was de- 
 termined to communicate the fact of their appointment and 
 purpose to the Committee on Public Instruction of the City 
 Government, and suggest that througli some action of the Boards 
 of Aldermen and Common Council, the Committee on Public 
 Instruction should be authorized to join us in the contemplated 
 
vidit ; that thus all the informatioa acquired might come directly 
 before all persons in any way officially intrusted with the inter- 
 ests of public education in our city. This measure, wise and 
 appropriate in itself, was followed by the good result anticipated : 
 and by the action of both branches of the City Government, 
 the Committee on Public Instruction was authorized to unite 
 with the Committee of the School Board in the proposed exam- 
 inations, and a generous provision made to meet the expense of 
 the enterprise. 
 
 Under the arrangement thus approved by the City Govern- 
 ment, tlie whole Committee was constituted as follows : 
 
 Hon. F. W. Lincoln, Mayor, and President of School Committee ; 
 Aldermen, Gaffield, Slack, Mayo ; Councilmen, Haynes, Caverly, and 
 Rich,, of the Committee on Public Instruction ; Messrs. S. K. 
 Lothrop, Shurtleff', Burroughs, Upham and Brewer, of the School 
 Committee ; and John D. Philbrick, Superintendent of Public 
 Schools, who was chosen Secretary of the Committee. 
 
 Having had the necessary correspondence with the School Com- 
 mittees, in the different cities, apprising them of our proposed visit, 
 the Committee left Boston on Monday, the sixteenth of April, and 
 under the direction of a Committee, appointed by the New York 
 Board of Education, of which Hon. Richard Warren was Chair- 
 man, commenced their work in that city, a quarter before nine 
 o'clock on Tuesday morning, the seventeenth. The Committee 
 spent Tuesday and Wednesday in New York, and visited the 
 Grammar and Primary departments of six schools, and the Free 
 Academy. The schools selected were three on the west side of 
 Broadway, viz ; School No. 35, in Thirteenth Street ; School No. 
 47, in Twelfth Street, and School No. 3, in Grove Street; and 
 three on east side of Broadway, viz ; School No. 15, in Fifth 
 Street ; School No. 40, in Twenty-third Street ; and School No. 50, 
 in Twentieth Street. In the structure of the edifices, and in gen- 
 eral organization these schools resemble each other, and repro- 
 
10 
 
 sent the prevalent plan of the New York schools, both as re- 
 spects school-houses and internal arrangement and classification. 
 The Primary and Grammar departments are in the same building ; 
 the former in the lower or basement story, the latter in the upper 
 stories, in one of which there is a large, spacious hall, in which 
 the whole school can be assembled. These halls are com- 
 monly ornamented with busts, and pictures, and present a 
 very attractive and agreeable appearance. In the hall of the 
 first school we visited, — No. 35, — there were as many as 
 twenty busts, in appropriate positions. This school has 1,000 
 pupils, twenty-four teachers, nineteen regular — six male, thir- 
 teen female — and five special, two drawing, one music, one 
 French, and one penmanship. There are sixteen class-rooms in 
 the building, which do not compare favorably with the hall, as 
 they are most of them small and crowded. There is a ward- 
 robe built inside of each class-room. 
 
 The pupils assemble in their class-rooms a few moments be- 
 fore 9, A.M., the hour for the school to open ; and, caps, bonnets, 
 and outer garments being laid aside in the wardrobes, they 
 march to the music of a piano, in the order of their classes, each 
 class under the charge of its teacher, to their several positions 
 in the hall, when a chapter of the Bible is read, a hymn sung, 
 and the Lord's Prayer repeated by the Principal and the pupils ; 
 after which they retire in the same order, to the sound of music, 
 to their several class-rooms, where the work and instruction of 
 the school begin. Evidently great attention is paid to this 
 morning gathering of the whole school in the hall. The Com- 
 mittee witnessed it in several of the schools visited, and always 
 it was done with the utmost precision and regularity in the gen- 
 eral movement, and with the most careful attention to position, 
 bearing and manners in the individual pupils, and its good eflFect 
 upon the order and discipline of the school, and in begetting 
 habits of regularity and attention was quite observable. In one 
 school, No. 50, in Twentieth Street, where the school was sum- 
 
11 
 
 moned to the hall after the morning exercises, merely that the 
 Committee might see them all assemble, the pupils — girls — 
 came in to a quickstep, in fact dancing into the hall, with as 
 much regularity, however, and with as much grace and precision 
 of movement, as when they mai-ched in with measured tread ; 
 and immediately as each class got to its position in the hall, it 
 began gymnastic exercises with hands and arms, the movements 
 lively and spirited, and the whole effect interesting and exciting. 
 Indeed the calisthenic or gymnastic exercises at this school, in 
 their variety, the spirit, force and precision with which they were 
 performed, could hardly be surpassed. 
 
 In the school No. 35, which the Committee visited first, many 
 of the pupils were over twelve years of age when they entered 
 the Grammar Department. This school sent to the Free Acad- 
 emy last year one hundred and thirty-three, and has in prepara- 
 tion as candidates for admission next year one hundred and 
 sixty-five. The Primary Department numbers four hundred 
 and sixty pupils, ten teachers, six class-rooms. At the close of 
 the visit to this school, addresses were made by Hon. Richard 
 Warren, Mayor Lincoln and Dr. Lothrop. 
 
 School No. 47, in Twelfth Street, is for Girls. It is called a 
 Grammar School, but the senior department is virtually a High 
 School, the age of the pupils apparently and the course of 
 studies corresponding to those of our Girls' High and Normal 
 School. In this department there are nine regular teachers, 
 with special teachers in drawing, music, French, and penmanship. 
 There are three hundred pupils, who assembled in the hall to 
 the sound of music, in graceful and dignified movement, were 
 examined in English literature, and subsequently addressed by 
 Mr. Philbrick. 
 
 The junior department of this school corresponds to the two 
 or three upper classes in one of our Grammar Schools, has five 
 hundred pupils, nine teachers, six class-rooms. Here we heard 
 very good singing, and after a brief examination, some remarks 
 
12 
 
 were made by Alderman Gaffield in behalf of our Committee. 
 The Primary Department numbers seven hundred and eight 
 pupils, ten teachers, and eight classes. Here we heard some 
 good reading from seven pupils, selected as specimens of the 
 school, and a lesson in object teaching was given by Mr. Moore, 
 special teacher in that mode of instruction. The calisthenic 
 exercises in this school were very good. The two upper classes 
 in this school were from twelve to fourteen years of age, corre- 
 sponding to the third class in our Grammar Schools, and about 
 one hundred write with pen and ink. Here, as in many of the 
 school-houses in New York, the janitor lives in the basement of 
 the building and has a salary of $750. 
 
 School No. 3, Grove Street, has a Grammar Department for 
 boys, a Grammar Department for girls and a Primary Depart- 
 ment. In this school the boys are not encouraged, as in School 
 35, in Twelfth Street, to prepare for the Free Academy, but for 
 some mechanical or commercial employment ; and a tablet hangs 
 on the wall showing the names, and destination or employment 
 of graduates of the school ; and this tablet shows that a large 
 majority had passed directly from this school into some active 
 business pursuit, and were regarded as honoring the school by 
 so doing. In the Girls' Grammar Department good drawings 
 and pictures, executed by the pupils, were exhibited. The Pri- 
 mary Department is for both sexes, though they are separated in 
 the class-rooms and in the halls, — the lower part of the hall in 
 the Primary Department being constructed with rows of seats 
 ascending so as to form a sort of gallery, and accommodating 
 four hundred and fifty, or about one half, of the pupils. At the 
 close of our brief examination of the school, remarks were made 
 by Alderman Slack in the Boys', by Rev. Dr. Burroughs in the 
 Girls', and by the Mayor in the Primary Department. 
 
 On Wednesday morning the Committee visited School No. 15, 
 East Fifth Street, arriving in season to witness the usual gather- 
 ing of the pupils in the hall, and the opening exercises of the 
 
13 
 
 school. The building is new, and like most of the school-houses 
 recently erected, it has in the rear an extra stair-case, fire-proof. 
 In some of the rooms there was a simple and ingenious contriv- 
 ance in the construction of the seats, by which the back of one 
 could be turned up, so as to become a writing desk for the next 
 behind it. This school has eleven teachers, three hundred and 
 fifty pupils, mostly from the less wealthy classes. Order, neat- 
 ness, tidiness and appropriateness in dress, and healthy and in- 
 telligent countenances marked the school ; and the drill and cal- 
 isthenic exercises were equal to anything we had seen. It has a 
 supplementary class above the Grammar grade, and at the re- 
 quest of our Committee, Mr. Randall, Superintendent of Public 
 Schools in New York, examined the first division of this class 
 quite thoroughly in Arithmetic, Grammar, Grecian and Roman 
 History, Geometry and Natural Philosophy, and in all these 
 branches the pupils acquitted themselves so as to reflect credit 
 upon themselves and their teachers. Your Committee were 
 the more interested in this examination, on learning that it 
 was from such classes, that most of the female teachers in the 
 city are drawn. Brief addresses were made at this school by 
 Mr. Warren, of New York, and by Dr. Lothrop. 
 
 Most of the Primary Schools in New York are in the base- 
 ment story of the Grammar School buildings ; but recently some 
 specially Primary school-houses have been erected. The Com- 
 mittee visited one of these, School No. 26, Bast Twelfth Street. 
 Here we found seventeen teachers, sixteen class-rooms, and a 
 hall large enough to accommodate the one thousand pupils who 
 attend, most of whom are of German or Irish parentage. They 
 were summoned from their class-rooms into the hall, on our 
 arrival ; and in the order, neatness and discipline exhibited, in the 
 perfect quiet and freedom from all restlessness with which they 
 kept their positions, every eye turned with attention to the plat- 
 form, they made a most favorable impression upon the Committee. 
 2 
 
14 
 
 After singing and other exercises, remarks were addressed to 
 them by Mayor Lincoln. 
 
 School No. 40, East Twenty-third Street. — Here the pupils 
 were summoned from their class-rooms, sixteen in number, to the 
 liall ; and in five minutes' time, eight hundred boys, with admira- 
 ble order and quietness filed to their places. The energy, 
 promptness and precision indicated in this, seemed to characterize 
 the school in all other respects. The hall was bright, cheer- 
 ful, and ornamented with busts, and at the conclusion of our visit, 
 a brief address was made by Mr. Philbrick. The Primary 
 department in this school seemed marked by the same energy, 
 earnestness, and proficiency; and in the four ground rules of 
 arithmetic, which is as far as the pupils are carried, the answers 
 were especially prompt and correct; and in School No. 50, East 
 Twentieth Street, whose admirable calisthenic exercises have 
 already been noticed, we heard some excellent reading by pupils 
 in the first class. 
 
 The Committee visited the Free Academy, but as the lectures 
 and exercises for the day were nearly over, there was little 
 opportunity for any examination of pupils. The Committee 
 met the Vice President and some of the Professors in the excel- 
 lent Library of the Academy, and received from the Vice-Pres- 
 ident a statement of the origin and character of the institution. 
 The Free Academy of the City of New York was established 
 by an act of the Legislature of the Steite in 1849. It is under 
 the charge of the Board of Education, who conduct it through 
 an " Executive Committee for the Care, Government and Man- 
 agement of the Free Academy." It has a good situation, 
 a large and commodious edifice, with the requisite hall, library, 
 class-rooms and lecture-rooms, on the corner of East Twenty- 
 second Street and Lexington Avenue, the whole cost of which, 
 including purchase of lot, erection of building, furniture, and 
 repairs up to 1865, was about $97,000: present value, 
 
15 
 
 $124,000. It has a library of valuable classical, scientific and 
 historical works, — in number nearly 12,000 volumes, exclusive 
 of text-books and books of reference, which are furnished by 
 the city, and number about 12,000 more. It has a very good 
 philosophical apparatus, a valuable cabinet of natural history, 
 and a large number of casts, models and various works of 
 art. In short it is thoroughly furnished and appointed as a col- 
 legiate institution, and is sustained and conducted at a cost of 
 about $90,000 a year. It has fourteen professors, and as many 
 tutors as may from time to time be required. The present num- 
 ber of teachers in the Free Academy is twenty-five, making with 
 the registrar, librarian, assistants in laboratory and janitor 
 etc., thirty persons, whose salaries, varying from $4,750 to $500, 
 amount in all to over $73,000. The regular course of study 
 covers five years, and the students are divided into the Intro- 
 ductory, Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior Classes. 
 The annual examination for admission is in July, and the 
 conditions are residence in the city, fourteen years of age, 
 previous attendance upon some Grammar School in the city for 
 at least one year, and a satisfactory examination in Spelling, 
 Reading, Writing, English Grammar, Arithmetic, Algebra, as 
 far as and including quadratic equations. Geography, History of 
 the United States, and Elementary Book-keeping. If a larger 
 number are found qualified for admission than can be received 
 and accommodated, preference is given to those who have 
 attended longest some Grammar School in the city. There are 
 two examinations for advancement in the course of the year, — 
 in February and July. These are public; are conducted by 
 oral and written questions in each study, and no student is 
 allowed to advance to the next class, unless the examination shows 
 him qualified for the advancement. At either of these examin- 
 ations, candidates may be examined and admitted to advanced 
 standing upon the conditions already mentioned, and a satisfac- 
 tory examination in the previous studies of the class which they 
 
16 
 
 wish to enter. The pupil, on entering, may pursue the full 
 course of studies with ancient languages, the full course with 
 modern languages, or a partial course, embracing any studies 
 less than either of the full courses ; but the election must be 
 made on entrance, registered and filed at the Academy, with the 
 approval of the parent or guardian of the pupil. The Library, 
 under stringent but wise regulations, is free for the use of the 
 teachers and pupils. By law, the Board of Education is au- 
 thorized to confer degrees on the recommendation of the Faculty, 
 which is composed of all the professors. The degrees con- 
 ferred are Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Sciences, and Master 
 of Arts and Master of Sciences. For the Bachelor's degree, 
 the Faculty recommend no one whose average standing in any 
 study of the Senior year has fallen below seven-tenths of the 
 maximum ; and a Bachelor of three years' standing may receive 
 a Master's degree provided he show, to the satisfaction of the 
 Faculty, that in the interval he has been engaged in some lit- 
 erary or scientific pursuit, and has sustained a good moral char- 
 acter. There are also Frizes, Gold and Silver Medals, and 
 other testimonials, for eminence and success in particular de- 
 partments, established through the liberality of individuals, like 
 our Franklin Medals and the Lawrence Prizes in our High 
 Schools. And the Trustees of the New York Medical College 
 gratuitously admit to its course of instruction a number of young 
 men, of good moral character, not exceeding five at any one 
 time, who have distinguished themselves at the Free Academy, 
 and are recommended by its Faculty. At the last examination 
 for admission, four hundred and thirty candidates were examined, 
 three hundred and ninety adpiitted, one hundred and fifty- 
 four of whom chose the full course with the ancient, and two 
 hundred and thirty-six with the modern languages. The whole 
 number of candidates examined for admission to the Free Acad- 
 emy since its institution, is 6,185, — admitted, 4,926, — rejected, 
 1,259, — chose ancient languages, 2,734, — chose modern Ian- 
 
17 
 
 guages, 2,192, — average age of whole number, fourteen years, 
 six monthS; twenty-five days, — average time of attendance in 
 public Grammar Schools, three years, one month, sixteen days. 
 
 The above account of the New York Free Academy shows it 
 to be a noble institution. 
 
 Leaving New York on Wednesday evening, the Committee 
 were prepared to begin their work in Philadelphia early on 
 Thursday morning ; and, under the direction of the President and 
 other members of the Board of Control, went first to the Wash- 
 ington Street School, in Fifth Street. This is a new building, 
 two stories, with eleven class-rooms and three departments; 
 viz., Grammar, Secondary, and Primary, on either floor. The 
 school is for both sexes, but they are separated, the boys on one 
 and the girls on another floor. Here are in fact six independent 
 schools, three on either floor ; and the rooms of a department, 
 Grammar or Primary, for instance, are separated by glass par- 
 titions, the sashes of which can be thrown up and the whole de- 
 partment made a unit, when necessary, but there is no hall for the 
 general assembling of the whole school ; only four of the school ed- 
 ifices in the city have such halls. After a brief examination of this 
 school, and hearing some reading and singing, we were conducted 
 to the Locust Street Grammar School, for girls, two hundred 
 and forty pupils, five teachers, four class-rooms. Here we found 
 the pupils quite advanced in studies, and somewhat older than 
 the average ago at Grammar Schools, and learned in explanation 
 that the purpose and ambition of the teachers, with the approval 
 of the Comptrollers, was to graduate pupils from this school 
 competent and qualified to become teachers. The general 
 aspect of the school and an examination of the first division in 
 the Constitution of the United States, and of the third division 
 in geography, bore testimony to the faithful and assiduous 
 labors both of teachers and pupils. In none of the Phila- 
 delphia schools did there seem to be so much attention paid to 
 drill and calisthenic exercises, as in those of New York. The 
 
 2* 
 
18 
 
 pupils assembled, however, witli quiet precision In the hall with 
 which the Locust Street School is provided ; and, after singing 
 and other exercises, some remarks were addressed to them by 
 Dr. Lothrop. 
 
 Zane Street Grammar School, for girls, has a large hall, of 
 good proportions, and ornamented with busts, pictures, and en- 
 gravings, in which, on our arrival, we found the pupils — two 
 hundred and ninety, — and six teachers assembled. Here, as 
 in the Locust Street School, the exercises and all our inquiries 
 and examinations indicated earnestness and fidelity. Both these 
 schools are under the exclusive charge of female teachers. There 
 seemed to be little studying done in school. Lessons were 
 learned at home, and the time in school chiefly spent in recita- 
 tions and oral instruction. In Philadelphia, as in New York, 
 the School Committees do not make any regular examinations 
 corresponding to our quarterly examinations ; and, in general, 
 the only test of the condition and progress of a Grammar School is 
 the examination of its pupils for admission to the High Schools ; 
 but Miss Webb, the Principal of this school, showed us a book 
 in which she had recorded the results of the examinations, four 
 times a year, of all her pupils, for fifteen consecutive years, 
 which our Superintendent regarded as the best thing of the 
 kind he had ever seen in any Grammar School. At the con- 
 clusion of the visit to the Zane Street School, the pupils were 
 addressed by Mayor Lincoln. 
 
 After these visits to three Grammar Schools, we were con- 
 ducted to the Girls' High and Normal School, in Sergeant Street, 
 which has three hundred and fifty pupils, and eleven teachers. 
 New classes are admitted from the Grammar Schools every six 
 months, and as the course of instruction covers three years, there 
 are of necessity six classes or divisions in the school. Candi- 
 dates for admission must be fourteen years of age, and have at- 
 tended the public schools of the city for at least one year, and 
 be residents of the city. The literary qualifications for admis- 
 
19 
 
 sion are similar to those for admission to our Girls' High and 
 Normal School. The Girls' High School in Philadelphia is con- 
 ducted wholly upon the departmental system of instruction, each 
 teacher having a particular branch, — History, Grammar, or 
 Algebra, etc., and receiving in turn all the classes in this branch. 
 No teacher is permitted to have any text-book at the recitation, 
 but must be so thoroughly acquainted with the subject, as to be 
 able to conduct the exercises of the class without the text-book. 
 This tends to produce a very pronounced, animated and prompt 
 manner of question and answer, and discussion in the class-room, 
 which was very noticeable in the five or six rooms, which the 
 Committee visited, and where the exercise went on as usual, un- 
 interrupted by their presence. In one of these rooms, we 
 found a pupil of the graduating class conducting the recitation 
 or lesson in geography of one of the lower classes, the regular 
 teacher present, inspecting the manner in which the work was 
 done, and giving credits to the pupil-teacher according to her esti- 
 mate of her merit. The pupils intending to prepare themselves 
 to be teachers are, in all the departments, summoned in turn to 
 this service, and thus get practical training for their future office. 
 Most of the studying is done out of school, and requires a con- 
 siderable portion of the hours of the afternoon and evening. 
 After visiting the various departments of this school, and finding 
 everywhere earnestness and thorough instruction, the Committee 
 ascended to the Hall, where the whole school assembled and we 
 heard singing, and an examination in the elements of music, con- 
 ducted by the special teacher in that branch, which were strongly 
 commended by the competent authority of one of our colleagues. 
 Dr. Upham. 
 
 Addresses were then made by Mr. Shippen, President of 
 the Philadelphia Board of Control, by Dr. Lothrop, Mr. Bur- 
 roughs, Mr. Philbrick and by His Honor Morton McMichael, 
 Mayor of Philadelphia. The daily session of this school is five 
 hours ; the number of recitations for each pupil, five j the average 
 
20 
 
 attendance ninety- seven per cent, which is very large, when we 
 consider that some of the pupils come three or four, and some 
 five miles to attend. 
 
 From the Girls' High and Normal, we were conducted to the 
 Central High School for boys. This is a noble institution, corre- 
 sponding to the New York Free Academy rather than to anything 
 we have in our own city. It is, in fact, a collegiate institution, 
 conferring the degree of A. M. on the graduates of the four 
 years' course of not less than five years standing; of A. B. 
 on those who complete the four years' course ; and giving a cer- 
 tificate of " Distinguished " to those who do not complete the 
 course, but have obtained term averages for scholarship over 
 ninety- five ; and of " Meritorious " to those, who, leaving 
 before completing the course, have attained term averages for 
 scholarship between eighty-five and ninety-five. The institution 
 was organized in 1838, and since then has received in all 
 about six thousand pupils, one-half of whom left before or at 
 the expiration of two years, and only about one thousand re- 
 mained to complete the course. The school edifice in Broad 
 Street is large, commodious, and well appointed, having a large 
 hall, large class-rooms, and valuable philosophical and astronom- 
 ical apparatus. It has a principal and fourteen professors, and 
 over five hundred pupils. The institution is organized upon 
 the departmental system, — each teacher or professor having his 
 specialty. We went through most of the departments, and 
 found everywhere tokens of earnestness and thorough and broad 
 culture, and the most ample provision made for the thorough 
 and progressive conduct of the school. At the conclusion of 
 our visit, the pupils were assembled in the large hall, which is 
 here on the lower floor, and were addressed by Alderman Slack. 
 On Friday, April 20, the Committee visited, first the Mifflin 
 Secondary School for both sexes, — boys on one story, girls on 
 another. Here we heard some very good concert reading of pas- 
 sages of Scripture, and concert spelling very correct, very prompt, 
 
21 
 
 — sometimes so rapid as to be rather indistinct. Each word 
 was pronounced and spelled twice. The pupils in these Secon- 
 dary Schools, in age and studies, correspond to the lower class 
 in our grammar, and the upper class in our Primary Schools ; and 
 transfers are made to the Grammar Schools every quarter. In 
 the boys' school remarks were made by Mr. Rich, and in the 
 girls' by Mr. Slack. 
 
 From the Mifflin, the Committee were conducted to the 
 Twentieth Ward School, a fine new building, three stories, 
 with accommodations for a Grammar and Primary School for 
 boys, and the same for girls, — four schools. We heard here 
 some good singing, and met the teacher of music, who is paid fif- 
 teen cents a quarter by each pupil, and who, remunerated in this 
 way, teaches in fifteen schools. With the exception of the 
 Girls' High and Normal School, scientific instruction in the 
 elements of music by a competent teacher, appointed by the school 
 authorities and paid from the school appropriations, is not given 
 in the Philadelphia Public Schools. A brief examination, in the . 
 History of the United States, gave us some opportunity to judge 
 of the methods and thoroughness of the instruction at this school, 
 to the pupils of which some remarks were made by Dr. Brewer. 
 
 From the Twentieth Ward Schools we were conducted to the 
 Lincoln Grammar School. This is the finest school edifice in 
 Philadelphia, recently erected of free-stone, at a cost, including 
 its furnishing, of $22,000. The internal arrangement is good; 
 the stairways, hall and class-rooms are spacious, but the clothes- 
 rooms rather small ; the seats in the hall are constructed some- 
 what after the pattern of those in New York, in which the back 
 of one seat turns up and serves as , a writing-desk to the seat 
 behind it. Here, after a brief examination, and reading, singing 
 and other exercises, bouquets of flowers were presented to 
 Mayor Lincoln in the girls' department, and to Mr. Philbrick in 
 the boys'; and remarks were made by both these gentlemen 
 and by Dr. Lothrop, who had to speak without the inspiration 
 of a bouquet. 
 
22 
 
 Leaving Philadelphia on Saturday, for Baltimore and Wash- 
 ington, the Committee occupied Monday morning, the 23d of 
 April, in a brief examination of the schools of Washington, and 
 went first to the New York Freedman's School, kept in a large, 
 old, wooden building fitted up for the purpose. This school is 
 organized with five grades, viz : Infant, Primary, Intermediate, 
 Junior and Senior department. It holds one session a day from 
 nine, a.m., to two, p.m. It has ten teachers, five hundred and 
 seventy scholars, apparently of all ages from six to sixty, and 
 an average attendance of eighty-four per cent. Most of the 
 teachers are from New York and New England, and persons of 
 experience in the work. Their statements as to the general 
 good conduct of the pupils, and their eagerness and aptness to 
 learn were confirmed by all that the Committee observed. 
 Cleanliness, order and attention prevailed everywhere. In many 
 cases very rapid progress had been made, and in the Senior 
 department, among pupils who had been longest and most regu- 
 lar in attendance, a good knowledge of arithmetic and geography 
 was exhibited. Here we heard some good reading and singing, 
 and the physical or gymnastic exercises were well performed. 
 
 The Committee then visited the Wallack Grammar School, 
 named in honor of the present Mayor of the city, whose father 
 was a Boston boy. In architectural effect this is an imposing 
 building, and is the best and largest school edifice in the city, 
 though the foundations of a much larger one have already 
 been laid. It is built of brick, with iron stair-frames, window- 
 sills and door-lintels. It has a large hall and ten class-rooms, 
 twenty-five by thirty and a half feet, — the ceilings fifteen feet 
 in the clear, — furnished with double desks, and accommodations 
 for sixty pupils in each. The cost was $27,000, exclusive of 
 the land. It is well situated in the eastern part of the city, with 
 large yards and play-grounds. There are two schools in the 
 building, one for boys and the other for girls ; and the brief 
 examination which the Committee were able to make, both of the 
 
23 
 
 edifice and of the organization, instruction and discipline of the 
 school, gave the most gratifying and satisfactory evidence that in 
 this great work of popular education, upon which the conserva- 
 tion of the country and its institutions depends, Washington 
 means to place herself in the front rank, on a line with the 
 Northern cities. 
 
 The Committee on leaving the Wallack School made brief 
 visits to the Boston Freedman's School, and to the New England 
 Freedman's School. The former is so called, because the teach- 
 ers in the several rooms are supported by one or another of the 
 churches or religious societies in Boston. One of the teachers 
 here, and evidently, judging from the condition of her school, not 
 the least efficient one, is of African descent, born in Canada, of 
 refugee slave parents, educated in Canada and at the Oberlin 
 Institute. At the New England Freedman's School we heard 
 some recitations in mental arithmetic, which, with a few excep- 
 tions, were excellent, the girls commonly more prompt than the 
 boys. The whole number of pupils in the Freedman's Schools 
 in Washington is about four thousand, about the same as the num- 
 ber in the other schools, public and private, of the city. Leav- 
 ing Washington on Monday evening, the Committee were ready 
 to begin their work in Baltimore at an early hour on Tuesday 
 morning, the 24th of April, and went first to the Freedman's 
 School, which is organized and conducted on the Boston plan ; 
 seven out of the eight teachers being from Massachusetts, and 
 one or two of them persons formerly engaged in teaching in our 
 own schools, and in the cards, slates, text-books and other 
 instrumentalities, we found much to remind us of home. The 
 pupils appeared bright, cleanly, orderly and eager to learn, and 
 the teachers as excellent and competent, as they were faithful and 
 devoted. "■ Barbara Fritchie " was sung with spirit and expres- 
 sion, and in the highest class we heard a recitation in Decimal 
 Fractions that was in every way creditable. 
 
 Prom the Freedman's School we were conducted to the office of 
 
24 
 
 the Commissioners of Public Schools, which we foimd decorated 
 with flags and mottoes, — " Boston/' " Baltimore," " Education," 
 " Union," — and passed on from that to High School for boys. 
 In all its appointments but the building, which is old and ill-con- 
 trived, this is a noble institution. It is conducted wholly on the 
 departmental plan, has nine professors, each instructing in his 
 specialty, a regular course of four years, though attendance for 
 the fifth year is permitted. There is no election of studies al- 
 lowed and no separate English course, but the studies are so 
 arranged that the branches of each year are mostly complete. 
 It has about two hundred and thirty pupils, and each pupil has 
 twenty-five recitations a week. The studies for first year 
 are Latin, German, Algebra, Geometry, Natural Philosophy, 
 History, English Language, Elocution and Writing, and to this last 
 one hour is given every day, in a writing-room, where the pupils 
 stand at their work. In the second year French takes the place 
 of German, Mensuration of Algebra, Physiology of Natural Phi- 
 losophy, and Book-keeping of Writing. In the third year, Latin, 
 Greek, German, French, Surveying ,Navigation, Astronomy, Natu- 
 ral Philosophy, Book-keeping, History, Rhetoric and Elocution. 
 In the fourth year, Languages, Astronomy, Rhetoric and Elocu- 
 tion, as ill third ; and Analytical Geometry and Calculus, Chem- 
 istry, Mental and Moral Philosophy, and Constitution of United 
 States. After listening to some of the recitations, which the 
 professors were conducting in their class-rooms, we ascended to 
 the hall, where the whole school soon assembled, the boys coming 
 in by classes, but with little of that regular military-drill move- 
 ment, which marked the schools in New York and to some extent 
 those of Philadelphia. Here we listened to declamations, reading 
 and translating from French and German, and other languages. 
 Some remarks were then addressed to pupils by Dr. Lothrop. 
 
 From the High School for Boys, our next visit was to the 
 Western Female High School, in a new and excellent school- 
 house, two stories, with an adequate number of well-arranged 
 
25 
 
 and appointed class-rooms on the lower floor, and the whole of 
 the second devoted to a large spacious hall, with a platform at 
 either end, and double desks. After spending some time in the 
 class-rooms on the lower floor, we ascended to the hall, which we 
 found beautifully decorated with flags and mottoes ; and soon the 
 pupils filed in to the music of the piano, two sections at a time, 
 from opposite sides, taking their position, and sitting simultane- 
 ously. There are three hundred and twenty-seven pupils, a 
 Principal, and eight regular teachers, and three special ; viz, 
 French, Drawing, and Music. When all were assembled and 
 quiet, one of the pupils ascended the platform on which we were 
 seated, with the Baltimore Committee, and, with a fine, graceful 
 pose of body, clear and distinct utterance, excellent emphasis 
 and intonation, read '•' A Welcome to the Boston Delegation." 
 This was followed by the reading, on the part of eight or ten 
 difierent pupils, of various passages in prose and poetry, pas- 
 sages from Everett and Webster, and recent patriotic poems, 
 such as "Maryland, the Heart of the Union;" "Barbara 
 Fritchie ;" " Sheridan's Ride," etc. All the reading was good, 
 but the Committee were very much struck with the reading of 
 Edgar Foe's "Bells," by Miss Scott. She stood on the platform 
 at the opposite end of the hall, at least ninety feet from us, and 
 yet every syllable was distinctly articulated and heard. With 
 a voice of great compass, power and flexibility, a delicate musical 
 ear, and a thoroughly dramatic conception of the piece, she 
 read it with singular force and expression, and in the varying 
 refrain of the " Bells, bells, bells," she took such musical note as 
 was appropriate, and so modulated her voice, now cheerful, 
 merry, joyous, now solemn, sad, plaintive, that one might 
 almost believe that he heard "the jingling, tinkling," " the twang 
 and clang," the "throbbing," "sobbing," "rolling," "tolling," 
 " moaning," " groaning " of each bell, as the sounds of her voice 
 vibrated round the hall, and died away into silence. As a speci- 
 men of dramatic reading, it was marvellous, and would have 
 3 
 
26 
 
 excited admiration in any assembly capable of appreciating it. 
 When asked subsequently who taught her to read that piece so, 
 her answer was, " I don't know, sir ; I suppose I taught myself ! " 
 another testimony to the truth of the old adage that " reading 
 and writing come by nature." We found that the studying was 
 chiefly done out of school, but not under too high pressure. The 
 pupils looked healthy and cheerful, not overworked, yet thor- 
 oughly interested; and all that we heard in the examination 
 indicated thorough instruction and pleasant relations between the 
 pupils and the teachers. At the close of the visit an address 
 was made by Dr. Burroughs. 
 
 From the West, the Committee visited the East Female High 
 School, in an old and inferior building, three stories, the hall in 
 the upper story, with a platform the whole length of one 
 side, on the centre of which was the master's desk. Here we 
 found the hall decorated, the pupils assembled in it, and an ad- 
 dress of welcome was made by the Principal, a Latin School 
 boy, and a graduate of Amherst College. Then we listened to 
 various exercises, examinations, the reading of original essays 
 or compositions, some by recent graduates of the school, music 
 etc. Addresses were made by the Mayor, Mr. Philbrick and Mr. 
 Slack. After this pretty thorough examination of the three High 
 Schools, the Committee closed their work in Baltimore by a visit 
 to a Grammar School, three hundred and fifty pupils, seven teach- 
 ers, — about fifty pupils in a room, — the rooms on the same 
 floor, like those in Philadelphia, separated by glass partitions. 
 Here the reading was good, and the answers to questions prompt 
 and correct. Having accomplished the object of their visit, the 
 Committee returned to Boston on the 27th of April, and the next 
 week, while the impression of what they had seen abroad was 
 fresh upon their minds, they spent two or three days in visiting 
 the three High and some of the Grammar and Primary Schools 
 in our own city, that with a fresh knowledge of these, their 
 judgment and comparison of all that they had seen might be 
 wise, broad and unprejudiced. 
 
27 
 
 Having presented this narrative of their work, the Committee 
 propose to oiFer a brief analysis of the systems in the four cities 
 visited, as regards the organization and authority of the School 
 Boards, the school edifices and accommodations, and the organ 
 izations and grades of schools in their mutual relations and 
 influences, course of study, methods of instruction, discipline, 
 etc., etc. They take that of New York first, as the oldest, 
 largest, most mature, and, presenting a sketch of that, will briefly 
 point out wherein the other cities differ from New York. 
 
 ORGANIZATION AND POWERS OF THE SCHOOL AUTHORITIES. 
 
 For educational purposes, the city of New York is divided 
 into seven districts, and at the Charter Election, each of these 
 districts elects one Commissioner of Common Schools, to hold 
 ofi&ce for three years, so that each district has three Commission- 
 ers, and these District Commissioners, twenty-one in all, consti- 
 tute a Board of Education for the city and county of New York. 
 To this Board, invested by law with powers amply adequate to 
 the purpose, the general charge, management, and progressive 
 improvement of the whole system of common schools and public 
 education in the city of New York are intrusted. There is in 
 each ward a local board, called the Board of Trustees, consist- 
 ing of five members, holding ofiice for five years, one chosen at 
 each Charter Election. There is also a Board of Inspectors of 
 Common Schools, one for each School District, nominated by 
 the Mayor of the city to the Board of Education, whose vote on the 
 confirmation must be taken by yeas and nays ; and all these School 
 Ofiicers, Commissioners, Trustees, Inspectors, must, within fifteen 
 days after their term of office begins, take and subscribe before the 
 Clerk of the Board of Education, the oath of office prescribed 
 by the Constitution of the State, and in case any one neglects to 
 do so, the office is declared vacant. To these three Boards thus 
 constituted everything connected with the interests and manage- 
 ment of common schools, and the great interests of public 
 
28 
 
 instruction and popular education in the city and county of 
 New York is committed. The essential power is in the hands 
 of the twenty-one Commissioners who constitute the Board of 
 Education. The title to all school property, real and personal, 
 is vested in the Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty of the City 
 of New York ; but the care and control of this property rest 
 with the Board of Education ; all suits in relation to it must be 
 brought in the name of the Board; the purchase of any new 
 site by the school officers of any ward must first have their 
 consent ; and all contracts for the erection, fitting up, or repair- 
 ing any building, with specifications, etc., must be submitted for 
 their inspection and approval, and the requisite appropriation is 
 determined by their vote. Through an Executive Committee of 
 five of their own body, they have the exclusive supervision, man- 
 agement and control of the Free Academy. They appoint the 
 City Superintendent of Common Schools, and his Assistants, and 
 the Superintendent of School Buildings, and determine their 
 respective powers, duties, salaries, etc. They may remove from 
 office any school officer guilty of immoral or disgraceful conduct 
 in his official duties, and bringing discredit upon his office or the 
 school system, and upon a written charge made by one or more 
 tax-payers against any school officer for violation or neglect of 
 the legal provisions of his office, they must investigate the 
 charge, and have power through the Court of Common Pleas 
 to compel the attendance of witnesses and take testimony 
 under oath. The power to establish new, and discontinue old 
 schools, rests with them. They may do this by a majority vote, 
 with the consent of the Trustees of the Ward ; and, by a two- 
 thirds vote of their own body, they may do this without such 
 consent ; and, upon their neglect or refusal to establish a new 
 school, when requested to do so, by a written application of the 
 Trustees of any ward, an appeal lies to State Superintendent 
 .of Public Instruction, and his decision is binding upon all the 
 parties concerned. They have power to establish Normal 
 
29 
 
 Schools, and Evening Schools for those whose ages or avocations 
 prevent their attending the day schools. They estimate and 
 report to the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of New 
 York, in November of each year, the amount of money that will 
 be needed for all the purposes of Public Instruction, and appor- 
 tion and disburse the same, and in January, make an annual 
 report to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and to 
 the Common Council of the City of New York. In general it is 
 the duty, and is in the power of the Board of Education, by 
 general rules and regulations, to provide a proper classification 
 of studies, scholars, and salaries ; and through the other Boards, 
 and the Superintendent of Public Schools, promote sound edu- 
 cation, elevate the character and qualifications of teachers, 
 improve the means and methods of instruction, and advance the 
 interests of the schools committed to their charge. 
 
 The Board of Trustees have the safe keeping of all the 
 premises and other property belonging to the Ward Schools, 
 furnishing supplies, etc., and under such rules and regulations, 
 and subject to such limitations as the Board of Education may 
 prescribe, they conduct and manage said schools, and at least 
 five days before the 1st of January, in each year, make to the 
 Board of Education, a full statistical Report in regard to each 
 school. The Board of Inspectors act first as an Auditing Com- 
 mittee, on the accounts or expenditures of the Trustees of the wards. 
 It is their duty, also, to examine at least once every quarter, all 
 the schools, each in his district, in respect to punctual and regular 
 attendance, number, fidelity, competency of teachers, the studies, 
 progress, order and discipline of the pupils, cleanliness, safety, 
 warming, ventilation, etc., of the school premises, and call the 
 attention of the Trustees and of the Board of Education to 
 anything in respect to the condition, efficiency, and wants of the 
 schools that they may deem important. 
 
 Some of the more general duties of the Superintendent of 
 Public Schools, in the city of New York, are defined by State 
 3* 
 
30 
 
 law, but under rules and regulations established by the Board 
 of Education, he examines into all matters relating to the govern- 
 ment, course of instruction, books, discipline, and conduct of the 
 schools, condition of school-houses ; advises with the Trustees in 
 relation to their duties, and, in conjunction with at least two 
 Inspectors examines and gives certificates or licenses, stating 
 the grade, to persons found qualified to be teachers ; and in the 
 same way, he can revoke these licenses for any cause affecting the 
 morality or competency of the teachers, in which case, as from 
 all his acts and decisions, an appeal lies to the State Superinten- 
 .dent of Public Instruction. 
 
 Such is a general outline of the organization of the School 
 Authorities of the city and county of New York. If it seem 
 .at first somewhat complicated, it will be found on inspection to 
 be only a wise division of labor and responsibility, with the essen- 
 tial and controlling power, that is to be the inspiration and guide 
 of the whole system, and give it all needed unity, residing in the 
 twenty-one Commissioners who constitute the Board of Education. 
 The system abounds indeed with checks and balances, whose 
 necessity was indicated by experience, and in all important par- 
 ticulars is the result of special State legislation for the city and 
 county of New York. 
 
 Under the administration of the system, as carried out by the 
 Board of Education, a degree of order, precision and energy of 
 action has been attained, which lias carried, and, if persevered 
 in, must continue to carry forward the great work of popular 
 education in the city of New York, with a steady and strong 
 progress, both in the broadness of its diffusion, and the excel- 
 lence of its character. In the administration of the system, 
 while it is important that all its officers should be competent 
 and faithful, yet its practical efficiency is largely dependent upon 
 the capacity and fidelity of two of these officers : first, the Clerk 
 of the Board of Education, who has under him a Deputy Clerk, 
 and as many Assistant Clerks as the Board may direct, all of 
 
31 
 
 whom are under the direction of the Clerk. We cannot under- 
 take to enumerate all his powers and duties, but can only say 
 generally that his office is the centre around which the whole 
 work revolves, the point from which essentially everything ema- 
 nates, and to which it returns ; and the returns are required to 
 be made so full and precise, and the record of them kept so 
 perfect, and so arranged, that it is possible to obtain at the 
 Clerk's office, at any time, all the essential facts in relation to 
 every, school; viz, the names, number, salaries, grades of its 
 teachers, the number of its pupils, the average attendance, and 
 the amount of supplies of all kinds, books, stationery, fuel, etc., 
 with the cost of the same ; also the cost of repairs, cleaning, 
 rents, gas, printing, advertising, etc. ; and this for each distinct 
 scliool, from the Free Academy down to the smallest ward 
 school. Second, the Superintendent of Public Schools 
 and his assistants, who visit and examine the schools, as to their 
 condition and progress, and the fidelity and efficiency of the 
 teachers. As the clerk's office is the centre of the material 
 administration of the New York system, so the Superintendent's 
 office is the centre of its intellectual and moral efficiency, of the 
 character of the schools as instrumentalities of education, and of 
 the character of the teachers as competent and efficient instruct- 
 ors, exemplars and guides to the young. The Trustees of the 
 ward have the power to appoint the teachers of all grades in the 
 schools of the ward, but the Superintendent virtually determines 
 from among whom the appointments shall be made, and the 
 tenure of office depends mainly upon him ; because no person 
 can be appointed as teacher by the Trustees unless holding a 
 license or certificate, signed by the Superintendent, stating the 
 grade of teacher for which the holder is qualified ; and if subse- 
 quently, experience, reached through the visits and examinations 
 of the Superintendent or his assistants, shows that the holder is not 
 qualified, wants tact, energy, efficiency, or is in any way incom- 
 petent or unfit for the work, the license or certificate is revoked 
 
32 
 
 and the teacher removed. This plan of intrusting the visitations 
 and examinations of the schools, the power to judge of the prac- 
 tical efficiency, competency and fidelity of teachers, etc., — 
 mainly and specially to experts, to persons appointed to the work 
 because their culture, mental habits and experience specially fit 
 them for it, must tend to make the schools progressive, to secure 
 the services of the best teachers and the adoption of the best 
 methods. 
 
 Of course there are other officers, such as the Superintendent 
 of School Buildings, the Engineer, the Inspector of Fuel, and the 
 various sub-committees of the Board of Education, whose fidelity 
 in the special work assigned them, contributes largely to the suc- 
 cessful working of the whole organization. Yet it seems to be 
 mainly through these two channels, — the Clerk of the Board of 
 Education with his assistants, and the Superintendent of Public 
 Schools with his assistants, that the New York system has reached 
 its thorough and exact external, its spirited and progressive inter- 
 nal administration. 
 
 There are, too, precautionary enactments worthy of notice. 
 ''No teacher shall be appointed in any school, to whom any 
 school officer, entitled to act upon the question of the appoint- 
 ment or payment of such teacher, is related by blood or marriage, 
 as father, son, brother, uncle, nephew, or first cousin." This 
 provision, however, does not apply to the employment, promotion, 
 or transfer of such teachers as Avere already in the schools, pre- 
 vious to the election of the school officer who may be thus related 
 to them. Any school officer who shall have been directly or 
 indirectly interested in the furnishing of any supplies or materi- 
 als, or in the doing of any work or labor, or in the sale or leasing 
 of any real estate, or in any proposal, agreement or contract for any 
 of these purposes, in any case in which the price or consideration 
 is to be paid in whole or in part, or directly or indirectly out of 
 any school moneys, or who shall have received from any source 
 whatever, any commission or other compensation in connection 
 
33 
 
 with any of the matters aforesaid," may be immediately removed 
 from office by the Board of Education, and upon the conviction of 
 the misdemeanor " may be punished by a fine not exceeding one 
 thousand dollars, and imprisonment in the city prison not exceed- 
 ing one year," and becomes ineligible to any school office. All 
 contracts for books, stationery, fuel and supplies of all kinds for 
 the public schools, are made on advertisements of the Clerk of 
 the Board of Education inviting proposals, and stating the 
 quantity and quality of the article, time of delivery, etc., and 
 are given to the lowest bidder. 
 
 ORGANIZATION OP SCHOOLS AND STRUCTURE OP SCHOOL-HOUSES 
 IN THEIR MUTUAL RELATION TO EACH OTHER. 
 
 The New York system of free public instruction for all her 
 children embraces, like ours in Boston, three grades of schools : 
 first, the Free Academy, already specially noticed, which corre- 
 sponds to what our Latin and English High Schools would be 
 united in one institution, and is, in some particulars, in advance 
 of what these two schools would be, if united with their present 
 course of studies and methods of instruction; second, Gram- 
 mar ; third. Primary Schools. There are some exceptions, but 
 generally the Primary Schools are mixed schools, the boys and 
 girls not separated. In all the Grammar Schools the sexes are 
 separated. One peculiarity in the organization and arrange- 
 ments for the accommodation of these schools is that the three, 
 the Primary, the Grammar School for boys and that for girls 
 are all in the same building, under the same roof Hitherto the 
 general and all but universal plan in New York has been one 
 large school-house, three stories high, — the lower floor for the 
 Primary, the second floor for the Boys' Grammar, and the third 
 for the Girls' Grammar, the basement occupied by the janitor 
 who has charge of the building, fuel, fires, cleaning, keeping in 
 order, etc. On each of these floors there is one large room or 
 hall for the assembling of the whole school, with the requisite 
 
34 
 
 number of cloak and class rooms for the accommodation of the 
 different classes or grades in the school. For the purposes of 
 supervision, and the care of the Primary scholars by their older 
 brothers and sisters in going to and from school, there is an ad- 
 vantage in this compactness, this concentration at one spot of 
 the children of all ages. Apparently it is felt that some evils 
 are connected with it, as recently the school authorities in New 
 York have, in several instances, adopted the plan which gener- 
 ally prevails with us, and erected some edifices, specially for 
 Primary, or for Boys' Grammar or for Girls' Grammar Schools. 
 Internally all these schools are arranged and conducted upon 
 the same plan. In each there is a Principal, a Vice-Principal 
 and the requisite number of assistant teachers, thirty pupils to 
 each teacher in the Grammar, and forty-five to each teacher in 
 the Primary Schools, exclusive of the Principal and teachers of 
 special subjects, being the ratio. The boys' schools have a male 
 Principal and Vice-Principal, with female assistants in the 
 lower grades, but in all the girls' schools the Principal and all 
 the subordinate teachers are females ; and in all the schools. Pri- 
 mary and Grammar, the pupils are divided or distinguished, not 
 by classes but by grades, and the grades designated, not by the 
 text-book used, as in our programme, but by the studies pursued. 
 In the Primary there are five grades, and in the Grammar 
 Schools six. 
 
 METHODS OP INSTRUCTION, COURSE OP STUDIES, PROMOTIONS, DIS- 
 CIPLINE, ETC. 
 
 In all the schools of all grades in New York, the Principal of 
 a school has no class-room, and no particular class or grade 
 which he instructs, and for whose progress and proficiency he is 
 specially responsible. He has the general supervision and 
 superintendence of the whole school, keeps up a perpetual round 
 of inspection, and by his frequent visits to the different class- 
 rooms, examinations of the pupils, suggestions and directions to 
 
35 
 
 the teachers, he becomes the inspiration and guide of all, mould- 
 ing the instruction, the discipline, and the whole condition and 
 influence of the school to such character, as his genius and apti- 
 tude for his office, his experience and fidelity, may determine. 
 This position of the Principal is one of the marked and peculiar 
 features in the New York schools. Of course, in a position 
 whose duties are so undefined, in which so much is intrusted to 
 individual judgment and fidelity, and where, through the assiduity 
 of the subordinate teachers, indolence and negligence in the 
 Principal may exist for some time before they are discovered, it 
 is of the utmost importance to have the right sort of man. The 
 Principal, in a school thus organized, should not only be intellect- 
 ually competent through culture, training and experience, but his 
 heart should be in his work ; lie should feel the glory and re- 
 sponsibility of his office, and under the noblest aspirations and 
 the honorable ambition of usefulness, he should give himself to 
 his work with a wisdom that is constantly enlarging, and a devo- 
 tion that knows no limits to its efforts. With a Principal of this 
 character, a school thus organized cannot but have a spirit of 
 unity, power and progress pervading the whole of it, far beyond 
 what would be found in a school where the Master or Principal 
 gives all or nearly all his time to the instruction of the first class, 
 for whose condition he is specially responsible, and exercises 
 and can exercise, only the most general supervision of the whole 
 school. As a general statement the New York schools bear 
 such testimony to the efficacy of their system in this particular, 
 that it is matter of congratulation that, in accordance with the 
 suggestion of our ever wise and thoughtful Superintendent, the 
 School Board of the City of Boston have been led to adopt this 
 system so far as to allow the District Committees, if they shall 
 see fit, to release the Master of the Grammar School of the Dis- 
 trict from the special charge of the First Division of the First 
 Class, and devote himself more fully to the constant and thorough 
 supervision of the whole of the Grammar, and of all the Primary 
 
36 
 
 Schools in the District. The compact form ot the schools and 
 the school buildings in New York, to which allusion has already 
 been made, and through which the Principal of any Department, 
 Primary, or Boys' Grammar, or Girls' Grammar School, has all 
 the classes and teachers over whom he is to exercise supervision, 
 and to whom he is to be a quickening incentive and a wise 
 guide, immediately around him, and has no occasion to go out of 
 the building or be at any great distance from any one room dur- 
 ing the school session, may perhaps tend to give greater prac- 
 tical efiiciency to this particular feature in their system, than it 
 will be likely to attain with us, where the district covers a con- 
 siderable extent of territory, and the Primary Schools are scat-, 
 tered over it, many of them at considerable distance from the 
 Grammar School of which the Master is specially the head ; and 
 some have thought that if we propose to fully adopt and apply 
 this feature in the New York system, it would be necessary, or 
 at least wise and beneficial for us to compact our Primary 
 Schools in one building in each District, that thus the Master or 
 Principal of the District would have but two points at which to 
 have his supervisory and inspiring influence felt, viz, the Gram- 
 mar School and the Primary School building. The probability 
 is, however, that experience would reveal neither the necessity 
 nor wisdom of such concentration of all the Primary Schools of 
 a District. Our plan of a number of Primary Schools scattered' 
 about at different points in a District has been too long estab- 
 lished, and is too judicious in itself to be lightly changed. It 
 affords easy and convenient school accommodations in different 
 neighborhoods of the District to the young, small children who 
 attend the Primary Schools, and it allows to the isolated teachers 
 a good degree of independence, and throws them more largely 
 upon their own responsibility than would be the case, if they 
 were all brought into one concentrated and compact school- 
 building. To adopt the New York idea, — that of a Principal, 
 whose duty is not the instruction of a particular class, but that 
 
37 
 
 of supervision, inspection, suggestion, incentive to all classes, 
 and all teachers, — and apply it to our schools, as at present 
 organized and situated, is one thing ; to change their organization 
 and situation, in order to apply the idea, is another and quite a 
 different thing. Such a change does not seem to be demanded, 
 nor would it be expedient, under the present organization and 
 relations of our Grammar and Primary Schools. In each Dis- 
 trict, the New^ York idea or principle can be easily applied, and, 
 as the power to apply it has been already intrusted by the Board 
 to the several district Committees, the probability is, that in pro- 
 portion as this power is exercised in some of the districts, the 
 beneficial results observed and experienced will lead to its uni- 
 versal application. 
 
 Another feature in the New York Schools, is that they have 
 no High School for girls. Through the Free Academy they 
 have for nearly twenty years offered to boys the most thorough, 
 enlarged and advanced culture, but the girls have had to content 
 themselves with a supplementary grade in the Grammar Schools. 
 Whenever, in any Grammar School for girls, there are fifteen 
 pupils who have gone through the regular grades, and wish to 
 remain, they may remain for two years — constituting a supple- 
 mentary grade, and pursuing a supplementary course, and are 
 entitled to a special teacher. This is and has been felt to be 
 a defect, and the Board of Education, having the power, con- 
 template the early establishment of a Girls' High School. Should 
 it correspond at all in its appointments to the Free Academy, 
 and offer to girls the same thorough and enlarged culture which 
 that offers to boys, it will be a noble institution. 
 
 But the most important feature in the New York Schools is 
 that the course of instruction is indicated by the subjects of 
 study, and not by text-books. There is no uniformity of 
 text-books. The local Committees, the Trustees in each 
 ward, order the use of such as they may select from the list per- 
 mitted by the Board of Education; and they are sometimes 
 4 
 
38 ' 
 
 similar and sometimes different in different schools. But the 
 Board of Education determine the subjects that shall be pursued 
 by the different grades, and these are uniform in all the grades, 
 and in all the schools ; and as the programme of instruction and 
 study is thus indicated by subjects, the examination is by subjects, 
 and not by text-books, and is conducted by experts — by the 
 Superintendent and his assistants — that is, by persons who are 
 masters of the subjects, and care nothing about particular text-books. 
 In Boston, we indicate the studies by the text-books which we 
 adopt and order to be used, and they are the same in all the 
 schools of the same grade ; and the quarterly examinations, made 
 by members of a committee, chosen from the different walks of 
 life, daily engaged in their individual occupations, and seldom 
 experts or masters in any particular study, are conducted by text- 
 books, because commonly the Committee can only thus examine. 
 One effect of this is that the Master, the teacher, knowing that 
 the examination of his or her pupils will be in and by the par- 
 ticular text-book ordered, is necessarily tempted to a very 
 thorough memoriter drill in the text-book, and aims first to make 
 the scholars masters of what the text-book teaches, and in the 
 form in which it is there taught ; and thus much time is wasted 
 in learning some things that are not important, or in learning 
 others in a particular form and to express them in that form, 
 and thus there is little opportunity for broad, general instruction, • 
 that shall tend to lead the pupil to a clear comprehension and 
 understanding of the whole subject taught, with power to 
 express what he knows about in his own way, in forms indepen- 
 dent of any particular text-book. The New York teacher, on 
 the other hand, knowing that his pupils are to be examined, not 
 by or in the particular text-book which he uses, but in the general 
 subject of that text-book, and that they will be expected to know 
 all about it, up to the point which the pupils of that grade should 
 reach at the time of the examination, has no inducement to con- 
 fine himself too closely to the text-book, or to make its particular 
 
39 
 
 forms the mode and limits of his instruction. On the contrary, 
 the text-book becomes only a help, hardly a guide, and nothing of 
 a restraint or boundary, but through that and a large amount of 
 oral instruction and conversation, the teachers aim to give the 
 pupils a broad, general comprehension of the subject, so that they 
 may understand and be able to answer questions on that subject, 
 in whatever form they are put. Indeed the New York system 
 seems to offer the opportunity and to require a large amount of 
 oral, conversational instruction, so much so that it is somewhat 
 difficult to perceive when the lessons are learned, save as they are 
 learned at and through the recitation, and in conversation with 
 the teachers. No teacher is permitted to assign any lesson to be 
 learned out of school, until it shall have been sufficiently explained 
 and illustrated by the teacher to the class. The school session in 
 New York is from 9, a. m., to 2, p. m. : from 2, p. m., to 9, a. m., 
 the next day is out of school time, yet lessons requiring two 
 hours' study, ir a pupil of ordinary capacity, is the utmost 
 limit to which lessons to be learned out of school can be 
 assigned ; and out-of-school lessons, requiring much individual 
 judgment and thought, such as exercises in grammatical analysis 
 and parsing, and in written or mental arithmetic, can be 
 assigned only to pupils of the first and the supplementary grades ; 
 and as every teacher in a New York school teaches one section 
 of a grade, all of whom are studying the same subject at the 
 same time, it follows that his great work is to teach, and not to 
 give tasks, and hear recitations in lessons assigned. In our 
 schools perhaps there is too much task-work upon lessons 
 assigned ; in the New York schools, perhaps there is not enough : 
 yet the two features which have just been considered, the pro- 
 gramme of instruction indicated by subjects and not by text- 
 books, and the consequent examinations by the Superintendents 
 in subjects and not in text-books, seem to be giving to the New 
 York schools a remarkable degree of uniformity and a steady 
 progress in each school. It is a question worthy of considera- 
 
40 
 
 tion whether it would not be well for us to adopt the first of 
 these features, by arranging, under the authority of the whole 
 Board, a programme of subjects or studies for our Grammar as 
 we have already done for our Primary Schools. This point and 
 everything connected with it seems so important, that we cannot 
 better close our imperfect account of the New York system than 
 by the programme of subjects or studies as at present ordered 
 by the Board of Education : 
 
 COURSE OF STUDIES OF THE GRAMMAR AND 
 PRIMARY SCHOOLS. 
 
 COUESE OF STUDIES IN PEIMAEY SCHOOLS. 
 FIFTH GRADE. 
 
 Alphabet Class. — Beading alphabet and familiar words from 
 blackboard or chart ; exercises in enunciating simple elementary 
 sounds of letters. 
 
 Numeral Frame. — Counting and adding on numeral frame by 
 ones and by twos. 
 
 Arabic Figures. — Reading at sight any number from 1 to 99. 
 
 Object Lessons. — Teaching the children, by means of common 
 objects, to observe simple forms, colors, positions, and parts of 
 objects, of the human body and of familiar animals ; each lesson 
 to be conducted with a view to cultivate habits of attention and 
 observation. 
 
 Primer Class. — Reading and Spelling from charts, blackboard 
 and primer, with illustrations of the meaning of the words used ; 
 exercises in enunciating elementary sounds of letters. 
 
 Numeral Frame. — Adding on numeral frame by twos, threes, 
 fours, and fives ; also, taking away ones, twos, and thi-ees from 
 greater numbers. 
 
 Arabic Figures. — Reading at sight numbers through three fig- 
 ures (999), and writing numbers on slates as far as 100. 
 
 Roman Numbers. — I, V and X, with their combinations. 
 
 Object Lessons. — The subjects of the Alphabet Class continued, 
 with new objects and illustrations. 
 
41 
 
 Use of Slates. — Printing easy words, and copying simple figures 
 from the blackboard. 
 
 Lessons in Morals and Manners — inculcated with appropriate 
 illustrations by means of incidents, anecdotes, etc. Similar les- 
 sons to be given in the Alphabet Class. 
 
 ]Sr. B. — No exercise in the fifth grade should exceed twenty 
 minutes in length at one time. 
 
 FOURTH GRADE. 
 
 Reading — in a First Keader. 
 
 Spelling — with the meaning of the words explained to the 
 pupils ; also, spelling short words by their elementary sounds. 
 
 Punctuation — the names and general uses of the common marks. 
 
 Roman Numbers — through I, V, X, L and C, and their combi- 
 nations. 
 
 Numeration — through six figures (100,000); writing numbers 
 on slates. 
 
 Tables. — Adding with and without the numeral frame, by fours, 
 fives, sixes, sevens, eights, nines and tens ; also, taking threes, 
 fours and fives from greater numbers. 
 
 Mental Arithmetic. — Simple questions in addition, chiefly with 
 concrete numbers. 
 
 Object Lessons — on form, color, place, size, and parts of objects, 
 for leading the pupils to make observations on common things 
 not in the school-room. Let the teacher give simple descriptions 
 of familiar objects, and the pupils give their names from the 
 descriptions. 
 
 Lessons in Morals and Manners — continued by means of school 
 incidents, reading lessons, etc. 
 
 THIRD GRADE. 
 
 Reading— in the last half of a First, or the first half of a Second 
 Reader. 
 
 Spelling— with simple definitions; also, spelling by the elemen- 
 tary sounds, as far as necessary to correct faults in pronunciation. 
 
 Punctuation — with the uses of the common marks in the sen- 
 tences read. 
 
 Roman Numbers — through C, D and M. 
 4.* 
 
42 
 
 Written Arithmetic. — Numeration through 100,000,000 ; addition 
 through examples of six or seven short columns. 
 
 Mental Arithmetic. — Simple questions in addition and subtraction. 
 
 Multiplication Table — through 6 times 12. 
 
 Object Lessons — continued on form, color, place, size, and human 
 body, with lessons on animals, plants, common minerals, and qual- 
 ities and uses of objects, directing the children's attention to such 
 qualities only as may be readily perceived. Place forms, familiar 
 objects, and pictures before the pupils, and request them to give 
 simple descriptions. 
 
 Lessons in Morals and Manners — continued. 
 
 SECOND GRADE. 
 
 Reading — in a Second Reader. 
 
 Spelling and Definitions — the meaning of words illustrated by 
 their use in short oral sentences ; also, exercises in elementary 
 sounds, continued as above. 
 
 Punctuation — continued with applications. 
 
 Roman Numbers — reviewed. 
 
 Written Arithmetic — through subtraction, and in multiplication 
 by one figure. 
 
 Mental Arithmetic — in subtraction and multiplication. 
 
 Multiplication Table- — through 12 times 12. 
 
 Drawing and Writing on Slates — from copies on blackboard or 
 charts. 
 
 Object Lessons. — Extend the subjects of the preceding Grade. 
 
 Lessons in Morals and Manners — continued. 
 
 FIRST GRADE. 
 
 Reading. — Lessons of the grade of those in the last half of 
 a Second Reader. 
 
 Spelling and Definitions — the pupils to illustrate the meaning of 
 words by using them in short sentences, oral or written. 
 
 Written Arithmetic — through multiplication, and division by two 
 figures, with simple practical applications. 
 
 Mental Arithmetic — in multiplication and division. 
 
 Tables — division, time, weights, measures, and federal money, 
 taught by illustrations, as far as practicable. 
 
43 
 
 Geography — from outline maps: the Hemispheres, and North 
 and South America ; also, the definition and description of con- 
 tinents, mountains, islands, bays, rivers, etc. 
 
 Writing and Drawing on Slates — from copies, also writing from 
 dictation words and short sentences. 
 
 Object Lessons — select objects that require descriptions which 
 will embrace form, color, size, parts, uses, materials, etc. Extend 
 place so as to include the chief objects in the local geography of 
 the city, and the prominent localities in its vicinity; adding 
 descriptions necessary to prepare the pupil for an intelligent use of 
 text-books on Geography. 
 
 Lessons in Morals and Manners — continued. 
 
 Vocal Music — practised throughout the school. 
 
 IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS, NO LESSONS TO 'BE STUDIED AFTER 
 SCHOOL HOURS. 
 
 In the Primary Schools, no lessons shall be given to be studied 
 after school hours, nor shall any text-book be taken from the 
 schools except by the pupils in the two higher classes. 
 
 PROMOTIONS FROM PRIMARY SCHOOLS, HOW AND WHEN 
 
 MADE. 
 
 No pupil shall be promoted from any Primary School unless ex- 
 amined in the highest grade of studies provided for Primary 
 Schools, and found to be qualified by the Principal of the Gram- 
 mar School to which the promotion is to be made, or by the City 
 Superintendent, or such of his Assistants as he may designate for 
 that purpose, and when so found qualified such promotion shall be 
 immediately made by the Principal of the Primary School. Pro- 
 motion from a lower to a higher class shall in all cases be made 
 when, on examination, the City Superintendent or his Assistant 
 shall find the whole or any portion of such lower class qualified for 
 such promotion. 
 
 COURSE OF INSTRUCTION IN GRAMMAR SCHOOLS. 
 
 GRADE VI. 
 
 Reading, of the grade of a Third Reader, with a review of punc- 
 tuation and Roman numbers, and exercises on the subject-matter 
 
44 
 
 of the lessons ; Spelling and Definitions from the reading lessons, 
 with exercises on the formation, spelling and definition of compound 
 and derivative words ; the meaning of words also to be illustrated 
 by requiring the pupils to use them in sentences ; Written Arith- 
 metic, through the simple rules and federal money, with practical 
 applications ; Mental Arithmetic, as far as in "Written Arithmetic, 
 to include exercises in the analysis of operations and examples, 
 and in rapid calculation without analysis ; Tables of weights, 
 measures, etc., reviewed, with practical illustrations ; Geography — 
 Primary Geography reviewed, and Outlines of North America, in- 
 cluding the United States, with definitions, and illustrations by 
 means of the globe, of the form, magnitude and motions of the 
 earth, latitude and longitude, etc. 
 
 GRADE V. 
 
 Reading, of the grade of a Third Reader (latter half), with ex- 
 ercises as in the Sixth Grade ; Spelling and Definitions, from the 
 reading lessons, with the exercises of the preceding grade, con- 
 tinued ; Written Arithmetic, through common fractions, with their 
 simple practical applications ; Mental Arithmetic to the same ex- 
 tent as in Written Arithmetic, with exercises in analysis and cal- 
 culation ; Geography, to include a full knowledge of the United 
 States and the other divisions of North America, including De- 
 scriptive Geography. 
 
 GRADE iv. 
 
 Reading, of the grade of a Fourth Reader, with exercises as in the 
 preceding grades ; Spelling and Definitions as in the preceding 
 grades, with instruction in the meaning of the prefixes of derivative 
 words ; Written Arithmetic, through decimal fractions, and their 
 practical applications, with a review of common fractions ; Mental 
 Arithmetic — analysis of common and decimal fractions, with ex- 
 ercises in calculation^; Geography, local and descriptive, through 
 South America, with a review of North America ; English Grammar 
 commenced, — the analysis and parsing of sentences containing 
 principal parts and simple word adjuncts, with definitions of the 
 terms used. 
 
45 
 
 GRADE m. 
 
 • 
 
 Reading, of the grade of a Fourth Reader (latter half), with 
 particular attention to emphasis, intonations, and variety of ex- 
 pression, and with exercises on the subject-matter continued ; 
 Spelling and Definitions, from the reading lessons, with exercises 
 in writing miscellaneous words from dictation, and instruction in 
 the prefixes and suffixes of derivatives ; Written Arithmetic, 
 through the compound rules and reduction, with denominate frac- 
 tions both common and decimal ; Mental Arithmetic, — a review 
 of preceding grades, with exercises in calculation and analysis 
 applied to compound numbers and denominate fractions ; Geo- 
 graphy, both local and descriptive, through Europe and its 
 divisions ; English Grrammar, — the analysis and parsing of sen- 
 tences, with simple phrase or clause adjuncts ; History of the 
 United States, — early discoveries, and the outlines of Colonial 
 History. 
 
 GRADE II. 
 
 Reading, of the grade of a Fifth Reader, with exercises as in the 
 Third Grade ; Spelling, from the reading lessons, with exercises in 
 writing miscellaneous words, and in the analysis and construc- 
 tion of words according to the rules for spelling ; Definitions, from 
 the reading lessons, with instructions in Etymology, including the 
 prefixes and suffixes, and easy Latin roots ; Written and Mental 
 Arithmetic, through percentage and its applications to commission, 
 insurance, stocks and interest, both simple and compound ; Geo- 
 graphy, both local and descriptive, through Asia, Africa and 
 Oceanica ; English Grammar, — the analysis and parsing of easy 
 complex and compound sentences, with exercises in the correction 
 of false syntax, and in composition ; History of the United States, 
 through the War of the Revolution; Algebra (for boys only), 
 through fractions. 
 
 GRADE I. 
 
 Reading, Spelling and Definitions, as in the Second Grade ; 
 Etymology continued, with the analysis of words and their forma- 
 tion from given roots ; Written and Mental Arithmetic, for girls, 
 
46 
 
 through the problems of interest, discount, profit and loss, and 
 proportion ; for boys, through evolution, — exercises as in preced- 
 ing grades ; GeograjDhy, local and descriptive, reviewed, with 
 outlines of Physical Geography, and exercises in map-drawing ; 
 English Grammar, — the analysis and parsing of sentences of or- 
 dinary construction, with the correction of false syntax, and exer- 
 cises in composition; History of the United States, — outlines 
 completed and reviewed ; Astronomy, — the solar system, with a 
 description of the sun and planets, and definitions of terms ; Con- 
 stitution of the United States and Book-keeping (for boys exclu- 
 sively) ; Algebra (for boys), through simple equations. 
 
 Penmanship shall be taught in each grade of the above course. 
 Instruction in sewing may be given in the Female Schools. 
 
 Every pupil passing a thorough examination in the studies pre- 
 scribed for the Grammar School Course, shall receive a certificate 
 of graduation for that course, which shall entitle to promotion to 
 the Supplementary Course. 
 
 SUPPLEMENTARY COURSE OF STUDIES FOR FEMALE GRAMMAR 
 
 SCHOOLS. 
 
 In addition to the regular course of studies above prescribed, the 
 following Supplementary Course may be pursued in the Female 
 Grammar Schools. 
 
 SECOND GRADE, 
 
 For a period not less than one year : Arithmetic and English 
 Grammar reviewed ; Physiology, Astronomy ; Algebra, through 
 simple equations ; Natural Philosophy, including mechanics, hydro- 
 statics, and pneumatics ; Ancient History ; Geometry, through the 
 first book of Legendre, or an equivalent ; Composition ; Elocution. 
 
 FIRST GRADE. 
 
 For a period not less than one year : Review of English Gram- 
 mar and Arithmetic ; Algebra, through quadratic equations ; 
 Higher Asti'onomy ; Natural Philosophy, completed ; Rhetoric and 
 Composition ; Modern History ; Geometry through the fourth 
 book of Legendre, or an equivalent ; Elocution. 
 
47 
 
 SUPPLEMENTARY COURSE FOR MALE GRAMMAR SCHOOLS. 
 
 The followiBg course of studies may be pursued in the Male 
 Grammar Schools, to occupy one year or more, as may be neces- 
 sary : 
 
 Arithmetic, and English Grammar, continued and reviewed; 
 Algebra through quadratic equations ; Geometry, — first four books 
 of Legendre, or an equivalent ; Mensuration ; Elements of Natu- 
 ral Philosophy, Chemistry and Astronomy ; Science of Govern- 
 ment, including a knowledge of the Government of the United 
 States, and the general provisions of the State Constitutions, with 
 a brief outline of municipal and international law ; Book-keeping ; 
 Mechanical and Architectural Drawing ; Declamation and Compo- 
 sition. 
 
 STUDENTS FOR SUPPLEMENTARY COURSE, HOW SELECTED. 
 
 The City Superintendent of Schools, or one of the Assistant Su- 
 perintendents shall select, at every examination of a Grammar 
 School, such of the pupils as may be found qualified to pursue the 
 Supplementary Course, and additional pupils, who have not at- 
 tended any Grammar School during the year next previous, may 
 also be admitted to the Supplementary Course by the principal of 
 the school ; but no class shall be formed in the Supplementary 
 Course with less than fifteen pupils, nor shall any such class be 
 continued if the actual average attendance of pupils, for a period 
 of three months, be less than fifteen. 
 
 MUSIC, DRAWING, LATIN, GERMAN, Etc. 
 Exercises in vocal music shall be given in each Primary and 
 Grammar School ; and instruction in musical notation and reading 
 shall be given to the pupils of the First, Second, and Third Grades, 
 and of the Supplementary Course in Grammar Schools ; Drawing, 
 with exercises in perspective, and the delineation of objects, shall 
 be taught in the same grades. The Board of Trustees may also 
 authorize the Latin Language to be taught in any Grammar bchool 
 in the Ward in which the Supplementary' Course is pursued ; but 
 the same shall be taught only by teachers employed in the schools 
 
48 
 
 to give instruction in other branches of study. The French or 
 German language may be pursued in connection with the studies 
 of the flbrst and second grades, and the Supplementary Course of 
 studies. 
 
 A WEEKLY REVIEW IN EACH CLASS. 
 
 Once in each week there shall be in every class of each course, 
 a review of the studies of the previous week, at which review all 
 text-books shall be laid aside by teachers and pupils." 
 
 Our plan in this report was to present a somewhat detailed 
 account of the New York system, as the largest, strongest, most 
 clearly defined and matured, and then to point out briefly, 
 wherein the systems in the other cities visited differ from that 
 of New York. 
 
 The first great difference is in the powers of the School Boards. 
 The school authorities in Philadelphia are similar to those in 
 New York in tliat there are general and local Boards. For 
 school purposes, Philadelphia is divided into twenty-six sections. 
 The general, the Board of Controllers of Public Schools, con- 
 sists of twenty-six members, one for every section, chosen annu- 
 ally. The local Boards consist of twelve for each section, chosen 
 annually, and called Directors ; thus making in all three hundred 
 and thirty-eight persons connected with the direct administration 
 of public instruction in the city of Philadelphia. The relations 
 of these Boards to each other are similar to those of the Boards 
 of Commissioners and of Trustees in New York. The general 
 authority, direction and supervision is with the smaller, the Board 
 of twenty-six Controllers ; the particular management and care, 
 selection of teachers, etc., is with the larger, the Boards of 
 Directors ; their action subject in all important particulars to the 
 confirmation of the Controllers. The Directors of each section 
 have their own separate organization, time and place of meeting, 
 etc., and each organization has th3 special charge of the 
 schools of its section. There is this very important difference, 
 
49 
 
 however, which is telling, and probably will tell more and more 
 in favor of the New York schools as compared with any in the 
 country. So far as the schools and public instruction is con- 
 cerned, the New York Board of Education has a much more 
 independent hold of the purse-strings, and can demand, or 
 raise, in addition to what is received from the School Fund in 
 the State Treasury, whatever amount of money may be needed ; 
 the only limitation to this power seems to be that the amount raised 
 shall not exceed a given sum for each pupil attending the public 
 schools. But as fast as the pupils increase, the amount of 
 money can increase, and thus the provisions in the way of 
 school-houses, teachers, etc., for public education, can always, at 
 the judgment and discretion of those specially intrusted with it, 
 keep pace with the demand and the necessity for these pro- 
 visions. In Philadelphia neither the Board of Controllers, nor 
 the local Boards of Directors, can raise any money. In this 
 respect they are entirely dependent upon the appropriations 
 made by the City Councils. Theoe appropriations are some- 
 times generous, yet sometimes clogged by provisions or restric- 
 tion, which interfere with their application, — as for instance, the 
 appropriation a few years ago, of one million of dollars for the 
 erection of school edifices, which in their last published Report 
 the Controllers say, " remains a dead letter upon the Statute 
 Book, until such time as the loan may be negotiated at par." It 
 is observable, therefore, that the action of the school authori- 
 ties, in Philadelphia, is much less free and independent, and 
 their schools, in some respects, less progressive than those of 
 New York. They have several admirable school edifices, some" 
 of which have been noticed in the narrative portion of this 
 report, but that these edifices may all correspond to the amount 
 of her wealth and population, and to the grand and. paramount 
 importance of the public interest to which they are consecrated, 
 Philadelphia needs to expend a very considerable portion of the, 
 million of dollars now unavailable to the Controllers, because it 
 5 
 
50 
 
 must be realized through " a loan negotiated at par." In inter- 
 nal structure and management, the schools of Philadelphia com- 
 piise four grades, — the High Schools, the Grammar, the Second- 
 ary, the Primary, with a number of schools designated as 
 " unclassified." The excellent High Schools have already been 
 described. In the administration of the three lower grades, Phila- 
 delphia differs from New York and many other cities, in that it 
 has no Superintendent of Public Schools, and hence no inspec- 
 tion and examination of the schools by any persons able to give 
 their whole time, and through training and experience, thor- 
 oughly competent to the work. The Master or Principal of 
 each school makes a quarterly report to the Controllers, which 
 must be approved by one of the Directors of his Section, but 
 neither the Directors nor Controllers make thorough quarterly 
 examinations of each school, and there is no Superintendent to 
 do it, hence the instruction in the grades so intimately related to 
 each other as the Grammar, Secondary, and Primary, did not 
 seem so uniform, so well organized and administered as it 
 would be under the supervision of a competent and faithful 
 Superintendent. 
 
 Within a few years the Board of Controllers have secured a 
 higher standard of character and qualifications in the teachers 
 of their public schools, through the adoption of a plan which 
 was formerly proposed in the Boston School Board, but unfor- 
 tunately failed to receive its approval. They have a Committee 
 on Qualifications of Teachers, who hold two examinations each 
 year, in May and November, and award four classes of cer- 
 tificates to those who are found qualified. The holder of a first 
 class certificate is eligible to the position of Principal of a. 
 Grammar School ; of a second class, to that of First Assistant 
 or any lower position in Grammar School, or to that of Princi- 
 pal of a Secondary or Unclassified School; of the third class, 
 to the position of Second Assistant, or any lower post in a 
 Grammar School, and of Principal of a Primary School ; and of 
 
51 
 
 the fourth class, to that of Third or Fourth Assistant in a Gram- 
 mar School, or any lower position; and no person can be 
 elected a teacher in these schools unless holding one of these 
 certificates. This Committee, in conducting their examinations, 
 may ask the assistance of such of the Principals of the Boys' 
 Grammar Schools, or of the Faculty of the Boys' High School, 
 (and no others) as they may deem proper, and shall make and 
 observe such rules as will at all times insure the utmost fair- 
 ness and impartiality. No matter what the system of organiza- 
 tion and instruction, the securing of competent teachers, thor- 
 oughly qualified, intellectually and morally, is the great requisite 
 for the success of any system, and Philadelphia, through the 
 plan of which a synopsis is given above, is rapidly securing the 
 benefit of this great requisite. Philadelphia differs from New 
 York, in holding two sessions a day, in all but the High Schools ; 
 and requires, that so far as practicable, the afternoon session 
 shall be employed in explaining the lessons to be recited the 
 next day. Here, as in New York, the text-books are not uni- 
 form, the local Boards being permitted to select from the 
 list adopted by the Controllers. In Philadelphia, as in New 
 York, text-books and stationery are furnished at the public ex- 
 pense. The statistics upon this point, in New York, were not 
 ascertained ; but in Philadelphia the average cost is less than a 
 dollar to each pupil. The last published Report of the Board 
 of Controllers, for the year 1865, states the number in attend- 
 ance in all the Public Schools in the city for that year, to be 
 75,893. The expenditure for books and stationery that year, 
 was $65,382,68. 
 
 The Public Schools of the city of Baltimore were established 
 by an act of the Legislature of Maryland in 1826 ; and a more 
 recent act of the Legislature, passed in 1865, establishing a 
 uniform system of free schools, throughout the State, is not con- 
 sidered as intended to interfere with the progress of the Balti- 
 more city schools, nor to effect any change in their government 
 
52 
 
 or method of management, though there has been no legal 
 decision on this point, other than a recommendation to this effect 
 bj a committee of the Legislature. This recent act is not very 
 popular with the citizens of Baltimore, as a very considerable 
 portion of the State Educational Fund, raised by an annual tax, 
 for the support of the free schools, comes from the tax-payers in 
 the city of Baltimore, while the pro rata distribution of this fund 
 is much more favorable to the counties than to the city of Balti- 
 more ; and if the act were interpreted as applicable to the Bal- 
 timore schools, and placed them under the same methods and 
 managements as the county schools throughout the State, it would 
 be a serious injury to them. The organization of the school 
 authorities in Baltimore differs from that of New York or Phil- 
 adelphia. In Baltimore, the public schools are under the charge 
 of twenty persons, one for each ward, constituting the Board of 
 Commissioners, and appointed annually by the City Council. 
 This Board is organized by the choice of a President, Treasurer 
 and Secretary, and the appointment of various committees, and 
 has the sole charge of the administration of Public Instruction 
 in the city ; expending such sums as may be appropriated by the 
 City Councils. Hitherto the Treasurer seems to have been the 
 active administrative agent, and his office the centre of direction 
 and influence. Recently Baltimore has instituted the office of 
 Superintendent of Public Schools, and appointed, as its first in- 
 cumbent, the late Treasurer of the Board of Commissioners. 
 Released from his financial duties, and enabled to give his whole 
 time to their wise, earnest, faithful supervision, it may reasonably 
 be expected that through his suggestions and influence, the public 
 schools of Baltimore, which have been steadily progressing every 
 year, will receive fresh impetus. There would be an advantage, 
 perhaps, in having the Commissioners of Public Schools chosen 
 directly by the people, instead of being the appointees of the City 
 Council. Their tenure of office Avould seem to be a little more 
 independent, and their election by the people would tend to bring 
 
53 
 
 the public schools, and everything connected with them, more 
 directly within the cognizance, sympathy and interests of the 
 citizens generally. There is already, however, a strong interest 
 felt in them ; they are gaining more and more of the public con- 
 fidence and sympathy; the number of pupils and teachers 
 increases every year, and all through the recent national strug- 
 gle, the progres.s of Public Instruction in Baltimore suffered no 
 abatement. The public schools of Baltimore are organized with 
 three grades. Primary, Grammar and High Schools. Test-books 
 and stationery are furnished at the expense of the city, and the 
 text-books are uniform in all schools of the same grade. The 
 cost of text-books and stationery seems to be somewhat larger, 
 in proportion to the pupils than in Philadelphia. In Baltimore 
 the number of pupils in the public schools in 1865, was 16,523, 
 and the expenditure for text-books and stationery was $33,494.38. 
 In Philadelphia the expense per pupil for the same year was a 
 little less than one dollar ; in Baltimore it was a little over two 
 dollars. 
 
 The public schools of Baltimore are free, and there are sev- 
 eral Evening Schools for those not able to attend during the day ; 
 but, it would seem, that either voluntarily on the part of some, 
 or. on some ratio to which all are subject, a small sum is paid for 
 tuition, as the Treasurer's Report for every school acknowledges 
 the receipt of a certain amount, varying with each school, for tui- 
 tion. The amount thus received, however, is not large com- 
 pared with the whole expense. The whole cost of Public 
 Instruction in the city of Baltimore for 1865 was, $281,503 60; 
 the amount received for tuition was, $29,789.65, leaving $251,- 
 713.95 to be provided for by the appropriation made by the 
 City Council. The principle of emulation, whose influence we 
 are seeking to discourage in Boston, is recognized in Baltimore, 
 as in New York, and the Peabody Prizes correspond to the 
 Lawrence Prizes in our High Schools. The organization of the 
 Baltimore schools into three grades, Primary, Grammar and 
 
 5* 
 
54 
 
 High, and the arrangements for semi annual examinations and 
 transfers from grade to grade are excellent. As in New York 
 the Girls' Grammar Schools are exclusively under the charge of 
 female teachers. The chief argument in favor of this seems to be 
 that female teachers, competent to be at the head of a Grammar 
 School, can be procured at a smaller salary than male teachers. 
 In the Boys' Grammar Schools in all our cities, many of the assist- 
 ant teachers are females ; it is thought to be an advantage, and 
 unquestionably is so, to bring boys in contact with and under 
 the influence of teachers of both sexes; the reasoning would 
 hold good for girls, and there is undoubtedly a benefit in having 
 the girls of the first class in a Grammar School, many of whom 
 complete their education there and do not pass on to the High 
 Schools, brought in contact and under the influence of a male 
 teacher. The Grammar Schools in Baltimore are small in 
 the number of pupils attending any one school — 322 being the 
 largest number at any boys' school, and 415 the largest at any 
 girls' school ; the salary of the Principal of the former being 
 $1,300, and of the latter $700. Fewer schools, with a larger 
 number of pupils gathered in each, would authorize larger sala- 
 ries to the Masters, and would thus draw into the service the 
 best educational talent and experience, and the result would be 
 a general elevation and advancement to the public schools, which 
 in their condition and progress are justly regarded as an honor 
 to the Monument City. 
 
 The city of Washington was early empowered to establish 
 and superintend public schools through a Board of Trustees. 
 The present organization of school authorities dates back 
 only about twenty years; at least their last printed Report 
 is styled the Twenty-First Annual Report. For educational 
 purposes the city of Washington is divided into four districts, 
 and the Mayor annually appoints, by and with the advice and 
 consent of the Board of Aldermen, three persons from each 
 district, to constitute a Board of Trustees of Public Schools, 
 
55 
 
 and is himself ex officio, a member and President of the Board. 
 At the same time, and in the same manner, he appoints a Secre- 
 tary and a Treasurer of the Board, — the one to keep tlie 
 records, and the other to keep the accounts and disburse the 
 moneys, but neither having any vote or voice in the acts or pro- 
 ceedings of the Board. The powers of these Trustees seem to 
 be rather limited, and to relate almost exclusively to internal 
 arrangements and administration. They have power to appoint 
 all teachers of every grade, and change them at pleasure ; but 
 the maximum of salary that may be given them is determined 
 by the City Government: the Trustees have power only to 
 employ teachers at less than the maximum salary allowed, if 
 they can procure those whom they deem competent. The Trus- 
 tees may make and execute such by-laws, rules and regulations, 
 for the management of the schools, as they may deem proper, 
 prescribe the course of studies, and determine the text-books, 
 only by enactment of the City Government ; the text-books must 
 be uniform in all schools of the same grade, and cannot be 
 changed except by a two-thirds vote of the whole Board ; but 
 they cannot increase the number of the schools, nor alter their 
 grades. These are determined by enactment of the City Gov- 
 ernment, and since 1862 have consisted of one male and one 
 female Grammar School for each district, one male and one 
 female Intermediate School for each district, with Secondary and 
 Primary Schools — the number of each definitely determined, but 
 varying with the size of the district ; and for four months from 
 the middle of October annually there is one evening school in 
 each district for the benefit of those unable to attend the day 
 schools. In the erection of school-houses, selection of site, plan 
 and arrangement, the trustees have some participation. The 
 erection of a new school-house having been resolved by the City 
 Government the execution of the resolve is intrusted to a com- 
 mittee of two from the Aldermen, two from the Council, and 
 four from the Trustees, the Mayor being ex officio Chairman of 
 
56 
 
 the Committee, — ■ a mode of proceeding in the erection of school- 
 houses which it would not be unwise to adopt in our own city. 
 Although the powers of the Board Trustees are somewhat 
 limited as compared with those of the school authorities in some 
 other cities ; yet, through a hearty and earnest co-operation with 
 them on the part of the City Government, the schools in the city 
 of Washington are full of life and progress. 
 
 We have made, in the previous portion of this Report, occa- 
 sional reference to music, as taught and heard by the Committee, 
 in the schools of the different cities visited, but as this important 
 department of public instruction is peculiarly a thing by itself, 
 of which only the initiated can judge, and as the accomplished 
 Chairman of our Committee on Music, Dr. J. Baxter Upham, 
 paid special attention to this subject, we requested him to pre- 
 sent the results of his observations and inquiries upon this point, 
 and respectfully submit the following from his pen : 
 
 INSTRUCTION IN VOCAL MUSIC. 
 
 B}' the General Rules and Regulations of the Board of Educa- 
 tion of the city and county of New York exercises in vocal 
 music are required to be given in each Primary and Grammar 
 School ; and instruction in musical notation and reading to the 
 pupils of the First, Second and Third Grades, and of the Supple- 
 mentary Course, in the Grammar Schools. These requirements, if 
 rigidly carried into effect, would insure a considerable degree of 
 proficiency in this branch of instruction among the pupils in the 
 higher classes in the schools. No provision, however, is made for 
 the proper elementary teaching of music in the Primary Depart- 
 ment and the lower grades of the Grammar ; and the result is nat- 
 urally, that at the period when " musical notation and reading" is 
 required to be taken up, it is found to be practically impossible 
 without a much larger provision for instruction than is allowed. 
 Essentially, therefore, the system resolves itself into a rote-system 
 throughout. And, so far as the observations of this Committee 
 extended, they failed to find any systematic and progressive plan 
 
57 
 
 of musical instruction in the schools. Pianos were found in the 
 Girls' High and in such of the Grammar Schools as were visited ; 
 but they were not of the best, and only approximately in tune. 
 Competent and accomplished teachers are for the most part em- 
 ployed. There is no uniformity in the books required, each 
 teacher using such text-books and to such extent as he pleases. 
 One hour each week is devoted to this instruction. It is all given 
 in the large hall of the building to, of course, by far too large a 
 number of pupils at once ; but the effect of the musical perform- 
 ances produced by such large numbers of unison voices was, in 
 the main, good, oftentimes impressive, the j)ose of the pupils ad- 
 mirable, and their discipline and attention the best possible. 
 
 In Philadelphia less attention is given to music in the schools 
 than in New York, or, indeed, in any of the other cities visited by 
 the Committee — no public provision being made for its instruction. 
 When taught at all in the schools, the expense of such tuition is 
 defrayed by a private subscription among the pupils. And the 
 pianos are either procured in a similar manner, or are purchased 
 from the proceeds of public concei'ts given by the pupils for this 
 express purpose ; and thus it is by sufferance only that any musical 
 education is acquired. Under all these difHculties, however, the 
 Committee found a good deal to admire and commend. In one or 
 two of the Grammar Schools the music lesson was in progress at 
 the time of their visit. The class, which was a large one, occupied 
 three rooms, contiguous and communicating each with the other by 
 means of sliding doors or windows, an arrangement not without 
 its serious disadvantages. Both the piano and violin, in one 
 instance, were used in accompaniment. The pupils sung with spirit, 
 and in good voice and tune, but without that interest and appre- 
 ciation of their work which comes only from some knowledge of 
 the principles of the art — for here, as in New York, rote-teaching 
 was principally employed ; this was from no fault on the part of 
 the teachers who would willingly have given to their classes the 
 benefit of elementary instruction, if time and opportunity had been 
 permitted them. Under the existing condition of things anything 
 like progress, beyond a very limited extent, in this department of 
 instruction, was not to be expected. In the case of the Girls' High 
 
58 
 
 and Normal School, however, an exception to this general state- 
 ment must be made. Here a portion of each day is devoted by a 
 faithful and accomplished teacher to instruction in music, and both 
 the elementarj^ study and practice of it is enjoined upon the pupils ; 
 and the result, as might be anticipated, was seen in their superior 
 performances. In this school the pupils were submitted to a brief 
 examination, before the Committee, in the elementary principles of 
 music, with very creditable results. The Committee feel bound to 
 saj^, in justification of the appreciation of this subject on the part 
 of the Board of Controllers of the Public Schools of the city of 
 Philadelphia, that the}'-, last j^ear, unanimously passed an order, 
 requestihg the appropriation of six thousand dollars by the City 
 Councils toward the establishment of a regular and general plan of 
 instruction in music as a branch of common school education. The 
 plan was however defeated in the Councils. 
 
 In Baltimore the Committee found that a well-devised and sj^s- 
 tematic plan of instruction in music had been in operation for 
 about a year and a half, the fruits of which were already apparent. 
 
 The schools of Baltimore, as has been already stated, are 
 grouped in two grand divisions, called respectively the Eastern and 
 Western Districts. Each District has its special teacher of music, 
 who is held responsible for the musical instruction of all the schools 
 within the limits of his charge. A Standing Committee on Music 
 is chosen from the Board of Commissioners to whom is intrusted 
 the general care and supervision of this department of instruction 
 in all the schools. Under this excellent organization, music is 
 beginning to be taught through all the grades of the Primai-y, 
 Grammar and High Departments of the Public Schools. It should 
 be added that the recognized head of the musical department of 
 the District selects, with the co-operation of the principals, in 
 each of the schools under his care, the teacher most suitable to 
 take charge of the musical instruction of the various classes of 
 that school. In this Avay an interested and efficient corps of assist- 
 .ants ought to be acquired. The music teacher of the District is 
 thus at liberty to inspect each school and the several classes of 
 each school, and to give his personal attention and tuition where 
 it is found to be most required. 
 
59 
 
 There lias also been formed in each District what is called the 
 "Teachers' Musical Association," — a kind of Normal School in 
 music, — under the charge of the District teacher, which cannot 
 but prove an important element in the development of this plan 
 of musical instruction. 
 
 ." Under this system of instruction," says the Report of the Dis- 
 trict teachers to the Commissioners of Public Schools, "all the 
 classes, from the lowest in the Primary Schools to the highest in the 
 Grammar Schools, receive a short lesson in music each day, and the 
 classes in the High Schools two in each wfeek." In the lower classes 
 of the Primary Schools are taught the characters of music, the use 
 of the syllables and numbers in connection with singing the scale. 
 The next higher classes are taught the rests and notes on the staff, 
 etc., each class being graded from the lowest to the highest. The 
 lowest classes in the Grammar Schools receive the promotions of 
 the Primary. Here they are taught to sing exercises in time, — 
 in simple forms. In the next higher classes solfeggios and more 
 difficult exercises are put in practice. And thus the tuition is beino- 
 carried forward progressively through all the classes in the Gram- 
 mar and High Schools. 
 
 In Washington, instruction in vocal music is now given in all 
 the Grammar, Intermediate and Secondary Schools but not in 
 the Primaries. Here, as in Baltimore, a standing committee on 
 music forms a part of the organization of the Board of Trustees 
 of the Public Schools. One teacher only, who is styled a Professor 
 of vocal music, is at present employed in this department of study. 
 He receives from the Board of Trustees of the Public Schools, a sal- 
 ary of one thousand dollars per annum for his services. His time is 
 divided among the various classes of the forty-three schools which 
 constitute his charge ; and — as is justly stated by the Committee 
 on Music in one of their recent rejDorts — in the peculiarly scattered 
 condition of their schools, " a considerable disadvantage is experi- 
 enced by the teacher of music, both in loss of time required to go 
 from one school to another, and the want of opportunity to make a 
 judicious classification." Pianos are now being placed in the 
 Washington schools. These instruments, in like manner as in 
 Philadelphia and Baltimore, are purchased from the proceeds of 
 
60 
 
 concerts given by the pupils of the Public Schools for that 
 purpose. 
 
 Having tliua presented a narrative of their proceedings, and 
 a synopsis of what tlioy observed and ascertained in the differ- 
 ent cities visited, the Committee would embody some of the 
 conclusions to wliich they have been brought, in the following 
 suggestions or propositions : 
 
 I. The importance of full and adequate powers in the body 
 that has authority and chai-ge, and is responsible for the public 
 schools, and the condition and progress of public instruction 
 in a large city, whether that body be entitled a School Committee, 
 or a Board of Education, or of Controllers, or of Commis- 
 sioners. The city of New York affords striking evidence and 
 illustration of this, where, if the Board of Education retain 
 their present powers, and act with the wisdom and energy they 
 have manifested, there will, in a few years, be a system of pub- 
 lic education and' a condition of the public schools altogether in 
 advance probably of anything to be found in this country. The 
 general laws defining the powers, and regulating the action of 
 the School Committees in the towns and rural districts of a 
 State, are not applicable, do not give adequate authority, to the 
 body having charge of the schools, and of public instruction, 
 in a large and growing city. In Boston, we have suffered little 
 from some very decided limitations, in one or two important 
 directions, of the powers, of the School Committee, because 
 there has always been a very cordial harmony between that 
 Committee and the City Government; and the latter body has 
 commonly been ready, in a generous and courteous manner, to 
 make whatever appropriations might be necessary to meet the 
 suggestions or sustain the action of the former. Still the tes- 
 timony and example even of Boston are not such as to subvert 
 the result of all human experience, that a divided responsibility 
 diminishes the sense of responsibleness, and impedes efficient 
 
61 
 
 and progressive action; and tlie condition of public instruction 
 in the city of New Yovk indicates that there is little evil and a 
 large balance of good, in favor of intrusting the public schools 
 exclusively to one body with full and adequate powers, espe- 
 cially with the provision, very stringent in the New York organi- 
 zation, that no member of this body, no school officer of any 
 kind shall be in any way, directly or indirectly, pecuniarily con- 
 nected with or interested in any kind of contract, touching the 
 public schools. 
 
 II. The importance and advantage of regular and systematic 
 examinations of the public schools by professional educators, 
 thoroughly competent to the work. This has been alluded to as 
 one of the most excellent features in the New York system. 
 We have the means of accomplishing this in Boston. If the 
 new arrangement, partially adopted recently, be fully carried out, 
 and the Masters of the Grammar Schools, released from the imme- 
 diate care of the first Class in these schools, be left at liberty to 
 inspect and examine, and for an hour or two teach in all the 
 schools in the District, and be made more responsible for their 
 character and condition, we should have an admirable system, 
 a three-fold oversight and examination ; and negligence, incom- 
 petency, want of wisdom and tact would be early detected and 
 remedied. There would be, first, the examination of the Master 
 of the District, fresh from the direct work of teaching and con- 
 ducting a school; second, that of the Superintendent, fresh from 
 his constant study of theories and principles, inspecting, from 
 his professional standpoint, the work of the Masters and all the 
 teachers; and, third, that of the District Committees, fresh from 
 the walks of daily life, where knowledge is used and applied, 
 examining and looking into everything from their practical 
 standpoint, as more directly engaged in various pursuits and 
 occupations of society. 
 
 III. The importance of arranging the programme of studies 
 by designating the subjects to be learned, rather than by naming 
 
 6 
 
62 
 
 the text-books to be used. We have already done this for our 
 Primary Schools. It should also be done for the Grammar 
 Schools. The effect would be to secure the teaching of the sub- 
 ject rather than the book, ideas, rather than words. 
 
 IV. There would be an advantage in combining the hall and 
 its influences, as in New York, with our larger and more com- 
 modious class-rooms. The assembling in the hall, at the open- 
 ing of the morning session, of the whole school, teachers and 
 pupils, to unite in a common service, has a good effect upon the 
 order, discipline and moral esj)rit de corps of the school. It 
 makes it a unit once every day, and there is in every way an 
 immense benefit in that. 
 
 V. There is an advantage in our plan of scattering the Pri- 
 mary Schools in various parts of the Grammar School Districts. 
 It is better than the plan of centralizing them, which has pre- 
 vailed in New York, but which they are beginning to modify, 
 and will probably ultimately abandon. In Boston there is a 
 larger proportion of the children of the best classes of the pop- 
 ulation at the public schools than in most other cities, and this 
 attendance has undoubtedly been much promoted by multiplying 
 and widely scattering of our Primary Schools all over the city. 
 This operates ; favorably in two ways. First, the Primary 
 Schools being neighborhood schools, the pupils are more homo- 
 geneous as regards the social position of their families ; and sec- 
 ondly, a small good Primary School in the immediate neighbor- 
 hood has induced many a parent to send a child there, whom he 
 would have sent to a private school, had there been no public 
 Primary School short of half a mile or more from his residence. 
 Finding that his child goes to school with his neighbor's chil- 
 dren, is well cared for, thoroughly instructed, and constantly 
 improving, the parent is well pleased to let it continue and go 
 through the whole course of instruction in the Grammar and 
 High School, wherein it can obtain as thorough and complete an 
 education as it can obtain at any of the private schools of the city. 
 
63 
 
 ' VI. The importance of having able and experienced teach- 
 ers in the Primary Schools cannot be overestimated. The man 
 who lays the foundations for a structure, needs to be as thor- 
 oughly accomplished for the work he undertakes to do, as the 
 artist who designs and carves the capitals of its columns or 
 adorns its walls with beautiful frescoes. There is wisdom 
 therefore in the plan we have long pursued in Boston, of pay- 
 ing good salaries to Primary as well as Grammar School teach- 
 ers : experienced and competent teachers are thereby obtained 
 and kept in the public service. 
 
 VII. There is need of more teaching and less giving of 
 tasks, less hearing of memoriter recitations to find out what the 
 pupil knows, and more oral instruction, especially in arithmetic 
 and grammar, more simple and practical elucidation to impart 
 and make the pupil understand what he does not know. 
 
 VIII. The cost of text-books per scholar is apparently less 
 in cities where they are furnished at the public expense, as a 
 part of the school furniture, than where each pupil procures 
 them for himself. Our schools are admirably furnished with 
 maps, globes, booiss of reference, etc., for the common use : it 
 might be well to make the experiment of furnishing them with 
 text-books. 
 
 IX. Some plan for the more tliorough and systematic exam- 
 ination of teachers, by a thoroughly competent board of exami- 
 ners, who shall give the successful candidates certificates desig- 
 nating the grade of their qualifications, ought to be regarded as 
 a measure of great practical importance. An attempt at this 
 was formerly made in our Committee, but failed to be adopted. 
 The practical results of such a system, as exhibited in the 
 schools of some of the cities visited, especially those of New 
 York and Philadelphia, should commend it to the serious re- 
 consideration of the Boston School Committee. 
 
 In conclusion the Committee feel a grateful satisfaction and 
 pleasure in saying, that they were everywhere received by the 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 022 166 189 8 
 
 64 
 
 school and city authorities with the greatest courtesy and kind- 
 ness; unstinted hospitalities were showered upon them, and 
 every facility and opportunity, that could be desired, was ofiFered 
 to them to examine the schools and ascertain the principles and 
 methods of their organization and their practical working in 
 administration. Immediately on their return they passed ap- 
 propriate votes, etc., which were communicated through their 
 Secretary, making hearty and suitable acknowledgments to all the 
 authorities and persons from whom they received kind and con- 
 siderate attentions ; but they feel it to be due to themselves and to 
 this Board, to make this public acknowledgment in their Report; 
 and imperfect and inadequate as they feel their Report to be, 
 they hope it will confirm the wisdom of the measure which 
 they were intrusted to execute. 
 
 Respectfully submitted. 
 
 S. K. LOTHROP, 
 
 For the Committee. 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 022 166 189 8 
 
 Hollinger Corp.