Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XI.djvu/267

MASSACHUSETTS 255 send it to school at least 20 weeks annually, under penalty of a fine not exceeding $50. Cities and' towns must provide truant schools and appoint truant officers, who shall cause the confinement for instruction of habitual truants between the ages of 7 and 15 years. Moreover, there are laws prohibiting the employment of children in manufactories to the neglect of their education. Two agents are employed in visit- ing the schools of the state for inspection and improvement. In many of the cities and towns text books are furnished free to the pupils in the public schools. The schools are supported by local taxation. The board of education, consisting of 10 members, including the gov- ernor and lieutenant governor, has no direct control over the common schools, but exercises an important influence indirectly. It appoints a secretary, who acts as state superintendent, receiving an annual salary of $3,400, which in- cludes expenses. Most of the cities and towns elect superintendents. The most important information concerning the public schools of the commonwealth for 1873-'4 is given in the following statement : Number of public schools. . . . 5,435 Persons between 5 and 15, May 1, 1873 292,481 Pupils of all ages in public schools 297,025 Pupils under 5 years of age 2,522 Pupils over 15 years 24,687 Average attendance 210,248 Eatio of average attendance to whole number be tween 5 and 15 72 Number of male teachers 1,078 " of female teachers 7,637 Number of teachers who have attended normal schools 1,674 Average length of public schools 8 mos. and 8 days. Average monthly wages of male teachers, including high school teachers $94 83 Average monthly wages of female teachers $84 34 liaised by taxation for public schools $4,253,211 Income of funds appropriated for public schools at option of towns $47,316 Voluntary contributions for school purposes $11,162 Income of local school funds $98,960 " of state school fund $88,032 Salaries of school superintendents $58,322 Ordinary expenditures $4,533,553 Expended for school houses, building and repair- ing $1,646,670 Number of high schools 208 Number attending evening schools 10,194 Number attending state charitable and reformatory schools 1,219 Number of incorporated academies 69 Average number of pupils 4,668 Amount paid for tuition $234,149 Number of private schools and academies 402 Estimated average attendance 13,144 Estimated amount of tuition paid $479,395 Total amount paid to maintain public schools, and for instruction of children in reformatory insti- tutions and almshouses $6,180,848 For each person in the state between 5 and 15 years of age $21 13 Including the attendance upon academies and private schools (17,800), evening schools (10,- 194), and charitable and reform schools (1,219), the entire attendance, exclusive of higher insti- tutions of learning, was 326,245 ; and the entire amount paid for popular education is stated at $7,080,000. Evening schools were supported in 33 cities and towns, at a cost of $52,238. According to the census of 1870, Massa- chusetts contained 5,726 schools, with 1,428 538 VOL. XL 17 male and 6,133 female teachers, and 169,337 pupils. The total income of all educational institutions was $4,817,939, of which $383,146 was from endowment, $3,183,794 from taxa- tion and public funds, and $1,250,999 from tuition and other sources. The income of the colleges was $408,126 ; academies, $285,325 ; private schools, $533,690. While the number of illiterates over 10 years of age is very large in proportion to the entire population, being 067 per cent., exceeding that of any other New England state except Ehode Island, and that of New York, Pennsylvania, or Ohio, the ratio of native illiterates is smaller than in any of these states except New Hampshire. The statistics of illiteracy previously given show that of 97,742 illiterates 89,830 were of for- eign birth, and 85,676 were over 21 years of age. The greatest percentage of illiteracy is found in the manufacturing districts. An im- portant feature has been introduced into the system of education, in accordance with the act of the legislature passed in 1870, which makes industrial drawing a part of the instruc- tion to be given in all public schools, while every city and town of not less than 10,000 inhabitants (23 in number) is required to sup- port free evening drawing schools. The plan of the state director of art education com- prehends a 13 years' course of instruction in drawing in the public schools, viz. : three in the primary, six in the grammar, and four in the high schools. Specimens of the drawings made by the pupils are shown in annual pub- lic exhibitions. For training teachers of draw- ing, a state normal art school was opened in Boston in 1873, the legislature having appro- priated for this purpose $7,500. The pupils, Jan. 1, 1875, included 58 males and 130 females, and came from 43 cities and towns. Instruc- tion is given by lectures and recitations, with practice; the course, when fully organized, will comprise elementary drawing, painting, sculpture, and architectural and engineering drawing. This is the first institution of the kind established in the United States, and is free to those intending to become teachers of drawing in the Massachusetts schools. The most liberal provision is made by Massachu- setts for training teachers. Besides the nor- mal school of art there are five state normal schools under the direction of the board of education. No charge for tuition is made to those who become teachers in the public schools of the commonwealth ; others are required to pay $30 a year ; and $1,000 is annually appro- priated by the state to each school to aid indi- gent pupils of the former class. The regular course of study occupies two years. One of these institutions is the oldest normal school in the United States, having been established at Lexington in 1839, removed to "West New- ton in 1844, and to Framingham in 1853. It is exclusively for females, as is also the nor- mal school in Salem. The school in Worcester was opened in September, 1874. The follow-