charge of the best teachers in the Territory. (4) The school funds have been more judiciously expended than formerly. (5) Public opinion has been growing toward a more intelligent appreciation of the schools and their wants. DAKOTA. For the year ending June 30, 1886, the educational department makes an excellent showing of work done, notwithstanding the disadvantages which have opposed. A school law which provides for a multiplicity of systems in the same State is to be deplored; yet, while thus fettered, the people fully realize that they cannot sit down and give up the fight. They have worked vigorously, and have surmounted obstacles which were very great, in order to arrive at practical success, which has crowned their efforts. Eighty-three counties of the Territory are included in this report, sixty-eight of which are under the "township" system and fifteen are under the "district" system. In those counties working under the township law there are 865 organized school townships, and in those working under the district law there are 1,150 organized school districts. By reason of the imperfect and unsatisfactory condition of each of these systems, many independent districts have been created, and quite a number of the cities, towns, and villages are organized under special laws, all of which tend to carry confusion into the general school system, and present difficulties in the way of its satisfactory administration.1 There are some very earnest supporters of the township system in the Territory. The feeling in favor of the district system, however, has grown most rapidly and is to-day the strongest in counties where the township system has been tried.2 That the present township system requires radical improvement in order to become of permanent value, cannot be disputed. Much good work has been accomplished in some of the counties under this system; but it is largely due to the ability, energy, and superior tact of the county superintendents, under whose supervision the work is performed, rather than the excellencies of the law.3 The county institute is not yet very effective, except in the more wealthy and populous counties. The reason for this is a lack of funds with which to carry on the work. The teachers' institute is a great power for good in the Territory, and should be made effective.5 There was a gain in 1885-'86 of 910 teachers, making a total of 5,055 in the Territory. There was also an increase in the average pay of teachers." MONTANA. A cursory examination of the statistics reveals an improved condition of the schools as compared with that of the preceding year. These statistics indicate, generally, zealous and wise efforts on the part of all concerned in public-school work to lift these nurseries of intelligent citizenship to larger effectiveness. There has been progress in the quality of teachers employed. Many of the teachers in the Territory, both in graded and rural schools, are as thoroughly qualified and as well trained as those found in the best Eastern schools. The percentage of this class is becoming larger each year. There is a very earnest desire manifest among those who cannot yet be classed among the best to become better fitted for their work. This is shown by the interest they take in institute work, by their reading and studying the best educational journals published, and by the practice and development of original methods. What is known as industrial education, or manual-training departments, is a topic that is being discussed and studied with great interest by the leading educators of the Territory. It is predicted that Montana will keep "abreast with the times" and that very soon manual-training departments will be found in connection with the leading schools. 1 State Sch, Report, p. 71. Ibid., p. 37. Ibid., p. 15. Ibid., p. 16. EXTRACTS FROM STATE SCHOOL REPORTS. The experience of State superintendents or other chief officers of education, their practical knowledge of the operations of the systems under their charge, gives peculiar weight to their opinions and peculiar value to their discussions of the topics which from time to time assume great and general importance in respect to the progress of popular education. With the purpose of bringing the results of such expe rience to bear upon the readers of this report, the following citations are made from current reports relative to subjects of prevailing interest at the present time: SCHOOL ATTENDANCE. [From Report of Hon. C. D. Hine, secretary of the State board of education, Connecticut, for the year ending August 31, 1886.] The great desirability of a uniform, intelligible and just system of obtaining statistics of attendance cannot be overestimated. The present methods are not uniform, are not always clear and do not produce exact results. The matter of attendance involves the following points: 1. What law exists to enforce attendance. 2. For how long this law requires attendance. 3. How many days the school is open, or the possible number of attendances. 4. When a child can be allowed to work, how the laws relating to employment modify the required attendance. 5. Whether a right to labor is merely a question of age. 6. What penalties are prescribed and whether they are rigorously enforced. 7. What are proper excuses for non-attendance. 1. Law of attendance.-Every parent or other person having control of any child over eight and under sixteen years of age, whose physical or mental condition is not such as to render its instruction inexpedient or impracticable, shall cause such child to attend a public day school regularly and constantly while the public schools of the district in which the child resides are in session, or to receive elsewhere thorough instruction in the studies taught in the public schools during the hours and terms when the public schools are in session. 2. Required attendance.-The standard is "regular and constant attendance while the public schools of the district in which the child resides are in session." 3. Possible attendance.-The following section determines the length of time that the schools shall be open. Public schools shall be established and maintained for at least thirty weeks in each year in every school district in which the number of persons between four and sixteen years of age, at the last preceding enumeration, was 24 or more, and for at least 24 weeks in the other districts. Public schools shall be maintained for at least 36 weeks in each year in every school district in which the number of persons between four and sixteen years of age at the last preceding enumeration was 100 or more; and no town shall receive any money from the State treasury for any such district, unless the school therein has been kept during the time required by this act. But no school need be maintained in any district in which the average attendance of persons at the school in said district, during the preceding year, ending the 31st day of August, was less than 8. The average length of school year for the State is 178 days. In many districts school is not open longer than 120-150 days in the year. 4. Employment. The laws relating to attendance as modified by the laws relating to labor now require: (a) All children between fourteen and sixteen may be employed. If not employed, they must attend school regularly and constantly while the schools are in session. (b) All children between thirteen and fourteen may be employed, provided they have attended school sixty days of the twelve months next preceding any month in which they are employed, and six weeks of this attendance must have been cousecutive. (c) No child under thirteen can be employed in any mechanical, mercantile, or mannfacturing establishment. The law relating to attendance operates upon this class, and it follows that children who cannot obtain employment in other than the enumerated industries must attend regularly and constantly. If children are employed between eight and thirteen in any other than the enumerated industries, a certificate of sixty-days attendance must be secured. In fine, children under thirteen, not employed, must attend school. In all except manufacturing, mechanical and mercantile industries, children must attend sixty days before employment is legal. (d) Summary of required attendance as modified by legal employment: (1) Regular and constant for the unemployed from eight to fifteen inclusive. (2) Sixty days or twelve weeks, of which six weeks must be consecutive, for all from eight to twelve inclusive, who are employed in industries other than mercantile, manufacturing or mechanical. (3) Sixty days or twelve weeks, of which six weeks must be consecutive, for those between thirteen and fourteen who are employed in any industry. 5. How right to labor is determined.-From the above enactments, it will be seen that the right to labor depends upon age and not upon education. A child under thirteen cannot be employed in the enumerated industries, even if he has been well trained and has considerable acquirements. Over thirteen, he may be employed, even if he cannot read and write. 6. Penallies.—(a) Parents and persons having the control of children, may be fined $5 for failure to comply with the law. Each week's failure constitutes a distinct offense, but the aggregate fines shall not exceed $60 in one year. (b) Employers may be fined $60 for employing children who have not attended as the law requires. They are protected by teachers', school visitor's or committee's certificate of proper attendance. The penalties against parents are not rigorously enforced. Out of all that large number of parents and others having control of children, who have failed in their legal duty, only seven have been prosecuted in the past year. There is but one agent to enforce the penalties against both parents and employers, and his attention is given especially to violation of the law relating to employment. His work has been efficient, but one man cannot promptly investigate and correct every case of neglect, and prosecute every violation of the law in every town in the State. In very few towns are any steps taken by local authorities to enforce the law. Attendance is regulated by the convenience of parents, and no adequate provision exists for bringing children to school in the face of evasion and opposition at home. There is no penalty for, and the law does not prevent irregular attendance. 7. The recognized excuses for non-attendance.—(a) Education elsewhere in the studies and for the time prescribed for the public schools. This would permit1. Instruction at home. 2. Instruction in private schools. Instruction at home is sometimes made the cover for no instruction and for the worst kind of neglect. Instruction, in private schools practically is not regulated by law nor subject to State control. Whether given in the English language, in the prescribed studies, or for the required time, are matters really unknown to the State. A semi-recognition of these schools has been made by admitting their certificates as evidence of attendance, but the registers from which this record is taken are not open to any officer of the State, and no ground for penalties can, unless by favor, be obtained. The attendance in these schools is largely estimated. (b) Such physical or mental condition as renders attendance inexpedient or impracticable. (c) Destitution of clothing and inability of parents to provide the same. It is supremely important, when these schools have been provided at enormous expense, that the children be found in their places and receive the instruction which the schools afford. Unless a satisfactory number is found in attendance, the schools certainly fail in all cases which might or ought to have been reached. Schools are sustained on the assumption that children will attend, as the law directs, and if they do not attend, much unprofitable expenditure has been incurred. A wrong is inflicted on every child who grows up without a good education. Beyond this, irregular attendance works immeasurable injury to the regular scholars, because the natural and projected advance of the whole school is retarded if not entirely averted by the re-appearance at irregular intervals of those who stay away much of the time, forgetting at home and in the street what they have learned at school. It will be seen that we have long-standing and abundant legislation both upon the educational and industrial side of this matter. Duties of parents and duties of officers are set out with great particularity. There are penalties provided. The question vital to all the people and all the varied interests of this Commonwealth is, do we succeed in securing the largest possible attendance, and if we fail in any regard, what is the cause and what is the cure? In every town of this State there are children growing up in ignorance and vice who have failed to receive the minimum schooling which the law requires. There are very many more, as the statement with regard to attendance shows, who attend irregularly, and with little advantage to themselves and with positive injury to the school. There is, even where schools are attractive, continuous and efficient, the most astonishing indifference, developing into evasion, where gain can be made from the labor of children. These sixteen years of trial and work under a so-called compulsory law have not educated the people who need education to the necessity of every-day training in school. The principle has been lauded, but practice has been wanting. In the very quarter in which, through vigorous persuasion and action of the efficient State agent, a measure of success has been secured, a serious drawback has developed. Most of those who desire to work attend school three months in order to be able to secure employment, and for no other reason. The limit of three months has tended to diminish the average attendance by setting the limit about one-third the average school year. Children attend for three months and then are free to cast off the education and influences of school because the law has been satisfied. The high sanction of this Commonwealth, which has been famed far and wide for its educational zeal and progress, is given to three-months schooling for those who have most need-the children of the poor, the unfortunate, the lazy, the vicious, and the hard-hearted. Such a grave weakness in our educational machinery may well fill every mind with alarm, for it points to the unhappy conclusion that the children are losing their rights, and the tax-payers wasting their money. What are the causes of this failure? 1. A defense or excuse implied in some of the extracts above given and constantly reiterated has been rested upon the indifference and neglect of parents. This indifference is not the cause, but must itself be referred to division and interest in fractional and dislocated sections instead of in schools or children. This results in short, small and cheap schools, ill-equipped buildings, and poorly-paid teachers. Absence for a day or a week is not important, because nothing of value is lost. The terms are so short, the course so ill-arranged, and the breaks so long, that the school-going habit is never formed. There is, under changing teachers and management, no outcome commensurate with the steady effort at home which the regular attendance of children requires. 2. Enforcement of existing enactments is not rigorous and steady. (a) Towns are not compelled to push unwilling parents to performance of their duty, and the officers to whom the work is by law intrusted do little or nothing. Special officers have been appointed in a few towns. (b) There is one State agent only. His special business is to see that children who desire to work attend for sixty days; he cannot investigate one-tenth of the cases which ought to be investigated. In considering remedies we must recognize: 1. That parents should be responsible for the attendance of their children. 2. That no undue inducement or favor should be held out to any class to diminish the educational advantages of the children. 3. That truancy, that is, absence which parents cannot prevent, should be dealt with by the town or State. 4. That local means will always be inefficient. The remedies would seem to be: 1. That all schools be maintained at least 8 months, or 160 days, in the year. 2. That all children under 13 attend all the time when schools are in session, and that parents be responsible for regular attendance. 3. That agents, who shall visit every town and district and school, be appointed by the State to enforce this legislation. 4. That between 13 and 16 an educational test be applied, and all who cannot read be required to attend. 5. The State has already wisely recognized that there is another basis of payment than mere enumeration. In the case of evening schools the average attendance is made the ground of payment from the treasury. Such a principle applied in part to the whole State would be an encouragement and an incentive, and a new force added to the influences which impel to regular attendance. [From report of Hon. A. S. Draper, superintendent of public instruction, New York, for the year end. ing August 20, 1886.] From the data in our possession it seems that 59 per cent. of the school population attended the public schools at some time during the year; in 1880 it was 62 per cent., and in 1870 it was 69 per cent. The average attendance, taking the entire year together, was 36 per cent. of the children of school age; in 1880 it was 35 per cent., and in 1870 32 per cent. The average time each child attended school during the last year was 22.1 weeks; in 1880 it was 20.4 weeks, and in 1870 it was 17.6 weeks. From these figures it is apparent that while the children who do attend the schools come with greater regularity than formerly, still the whole number who attend the schools for some period of the year in proportion to the whole number of school age, has been growing smaller since 1870, notwithstanding the "Compulsory Education Act," enacted in 1874. # It is believed that these figures are reliable, with perhaps this exception. There has been no census since 1880, and the number of children of "school age" reported since that time has, undoubtedly, in some cases, been estimated. The estimates cannot, however, be far out of the way. Again, it would be strange if many of the private schools had not failed of being reported by local school officers. This suggests the propriety of a law requiring all such schools to report the facts in relation to their attendance to this Department, in order that the State may be in the possession of information essential to intelligent legislation in reference to popular education. The fact that the aggregate attendance upon the common schools has not increased in proportion to the advance in population, is a startling one and claims the attention of the Legislature. It may as well be said, not only that the "Compulsory Education Act" has not been effectual, but that it is altogether doubtful if, in its present shape, it is capable of being made so. School trustees elected to supervise the schools, and serving without any compensation, naturally object to being turned into constables and police officers for the purpose of apprehending delinquent children or the children of delinquent parents. More-over, the schools are full. In most of the cities the accommodations are taxed to the utmost. Any effectual execution of the law would at once create the necessity for additional buildings in every city of the State. But notwithstanding these considerations, the problem cannot be safely treated with indifference by the State. There are two classes of children whom it is difficult to bring into or keep in the schools; the first consists of truants, such as are sent to schools by parents, but will not stay there. The other, and much larger class, is comprised of children of parents who have no care about their education. If we are to believe the word of other States which have preceded us in grappling with the problem here presented, a State reform school, to which the most flagrant cases might be sent, would have a wholesome moral influence upon the greater number of the first class above spoken of, and a system of free text-books would materially lessen the number of absentees consequent upon the indifference of parents. The Legislature once passed a bill providing for a State reform school for truant children, which failed to become a law because of the objections of the Governor. There is apparently even more reason for the measure now than then. The experience of localities in our own State seems to show that the expense involved in a system of free text-books is not so great as would be supposed. There is reason to believe that it may be made an important agent for bringing into the schools a class of children whose only education is now obtained in the school of the street. [From report of Hon. John L. Buchanan, superintendent of public instruction, Virginia, for year ending July 31, 1886.] The difference between total enrolment and average daily attendance is 135,945. This is rather a startling figure. Divided by the number of schools, it gives an average absence of about twenty to each school. There are many unavoidable causes which operate to stop pupils from school. But there can be no satisfactory reason why the number of absentees should be so large. A vigorous effort ought to be made to reduce it. Again, the difference between the average monthly enrolment and average daily attendance is much larger than it should be. This is the exact measure of the irregularity of attendance, than which there is no greater source of damage to school work. It harasses the teacher, retards the progress of classes, and renders proficiency on the part of the irregular attendants themselves well-nigh hopeless. Earnest, intelligent teachers fully comprehend the magnitude of this evil. But it is exceedingly difficult even to suggest, much less to provide, an effectual remedy. The State has assumed the immense responsibility of educating its youth. It has assumed a heavy burden of taxation to provide means to that end. School advantages have been provided to the extent of the means at command. And of these advantages a majority of the people gladly avail themselves. But some indifference and negligence still exist, and of course are among the causes which hinder the attainment of the best educational results. SUPERVISION. [From report of Hon. J. W. Dickinson, secretary of State board of education, Massachusetts, 1885-'86.] From the nature and extent of the duties of school committees, it will at once appear that they should be skilled educators, able and willing to devote their time and study to school work. In some cases much time and study are freely given, and with good results. It is generally true, however, that school committee-men are quite fully employed with their individual concerns; that their school supervision is accidental, and not always performed with the skill which knowledge and experience alone can give. |