Aims and Methods. - John T. Prince.

Algebra.-J. W. MacDonald, James Jenkins.

Arithmetic. George I. Aldrich, G. T. Fletcher, Isaac F. Hall, E. C. Hewett, J. W. MacDonald, George A. Walton.

Astronomy.-J. W. MacDonald.

Chemistry.-A. C. Longden.

Correlation from a Kindergartner's Standpoint.-Miss Lucy Whee

lock.

Desk Work. - Miss Sarah L. Arnold.

Drawing. Henry T. Bailey, L. Walter Sargent.

Elementary Science.-J. B. Gifford.

English Language and Literature. - A. L. Bartlett, A. W. Edson, G. T. Fetcher, Andrew J. George, Miss Isabelle W. Gladwin, Miss Besse E. Howes, J. W. MacDonald, Miss Lizzie A. Mason, Emory L. Mead, Miss Mary E. Moore, J. T. Prince, J. G. Thompson. - Miss Mary Stone Bruce.

French.

Geography. George I. Aldrich, Elmer L. Curtiss, Alex. E. Frye, Isaac F. Hall, Will S. Monroe, Frank F. Murdock, Louis P. Nash, W. F. Nichols.

Geometry. James Jenkins, J. W. MacDonald.

History. Miss Mary A. Averill, Miss Caroline Close, A. W. Edson, Channing Folsom, George H. Martin, Miss Mary Ella Whipple. Language and Correlation of Studies. Miss Sarah L. Arnold. Latin.-E. R. Goodwin, J..W. MacDonald, Miss Alice M. Wing. Music. George F. Wilson.

Nature Study. Henry T. Bailey, Arthur C. Boyden, Miss Etta L. Chapman, Will S. Monroe, Louis P. Nash.

Number Work (with a class). - Miss Amy L. Boyden.

Physical Training (with a class). - Miss A. J. Gannett.

Physics. William D. Jackson, A. C. Longden, J. C. Packard. Physiology and Temperance. - Mrs. Ella B. Hallock.

Principles of Teaching.-J. T. Prince.

Reading. George I. Aldrich, Miss Augusta Barber (with a class), Miss Eunice M. Beebe, A. W. Edson, Miss Flora E. Kendall, Miss Nellie P. Nichols, Fletcher Osgood, Frank E. Parlin, J. T. Prince. Relations of Pupils and Teacher.-George A. Walton.

School Management.-A. W. Edson, G. T. Fletcher.

Training for Citizenship. Frank A. Hill.

Training for Vocational Service. J. T. Prince.

Vertical Writing. - Prof. Marshall L. Perrin.

Writing.-C. W. Haley.

Evening addresses were given by Miss Sarah L. Arnold, of the Boston supervisors, on the "Public schools of to-day;'

Dr. Merrill E. Gates, president of Amherst College, on "Patriotism in times of peace;" Messrs. J. W. MacDonald, J. T. Prince, Henry T. Bailey, A. C. Longden and A. W. Edson, in a "symposium" on "Some phases of modern education;" Rev. Dr. A. D. Mayo, on "What is education?" Rev. Dr. W. J. Tucker, president of Dartmouth College, on "Modern types of greatness;" Miss Lucy M. Wheelock, on "Beginnings of education" and "Need and uses of the kindergarten;" Mrs. Ella B. Hallock, on " Physiology and hygiene, with reference to instruction in temperance ;" Frank A. Hill, on "New England primer days," "Manual training" and The true aims of the normal school;" Messrs. G. A. Walton, G. T. Fletcher, J. T. Prince, A. W. Edson, J. W. MacDonald, H. T. Bailey and Louis P. Nash.

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THE WORK OF THE AGENTS.

The duty of the agents of the Board, as defined by law, is to "visit the several cities and towns for the purpose of inquiring into the condition of the schools, of conferring with teachers and committees, of lecturing upon subjects connected with education, and, in general, of giving and receiving information upon such subjects in the same manner as the secretary might do if he were present." Consequently, the agents have a range of duties not limited to districts, and are constantly responding to calls from all parts of the State. In addition to this, each agent has a special assignment of counties within which he is expected to know more fully the school conditions and to do the principal part of his work. This assignment is as follows:

Mr. Sargent resigned his position as assistant for the promotion of industrial drawing Sept. 1, 1895, for reasons of health. His service in the western counties was excellent, and his loss there will be keenly felt.

The agents have been busy men during the year. Their work is spread over so much territory, it has so many phases, it comes into touch with so many people, it is frequently so brief with any one person, that it is difficult to sum it up or to measure its full value in a single statement. A rough idea may be given of certain parts of their work that admit of numerical presentation, from the following table :

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Some of these figures are based on carefully kept records, and are exact; others are approximate only. But whether exact or approximate, it matters little. They are given, not as a measure of work done, because the quality element forever eludes such reckoning, but rather as a glimpse of the time and mechanics" involved in visiting so many towns and schools, in addressing so many audiences and in dealing with so many correspondents. The correspondence of the agents is no inconsiderable part of their work. It relates to all sorts of school matters, from the gravest questions of law that only the courts can settle down to the veriest trifles. If, however, a man sincerely regards his letter as worth writing, he is entitled to a courteous reply, whether it helps him or not. The personal interview is more satisfactory, and, in serious matters, more commonly sought. The number of such interviews during the year is not known; and, if it were, it would give no hint of their value, but only signify still further demands on the time of the agents.

Once the agents largely took the initiative in visiting schools, calling the teachers together for conferences, arranging for addresses, and so on. It was the work of men who felt it was their duty to arouse the teachers and the public to a keener sense of what they should do for the schools. To-day they are constantly besought to do what once they were seldom asked to do. The growth of supervision has had much to do with this change. The earnestness of superintendents to do well for their schools has led to increasing demands upon the agents for their co-operation and advice. The field for initiative work of a missionary kind is still an open one, for there are many towns not yet under supervision, but it keeps narrowing as new districts for superintendence are formed. This gradual change in public educational sentiment, from a self-satisfaction or apathy that courted attack to an interested and inquiring mood that invites aid, is gratifying to note; and whatever modifications the change involves in the character of the agents' work should be welcomed. The agents find it impossible, however, to respond to all the demands made upon them. They need time, moreover, for the special investigations to which they are not unfrequently assigned, as well as for that study of educational problems without which they cannot keep abreast of the times and properly serve the State.

Monthly meetings of the agents have been held throughout. the year. In addition to the usual work laid out for them, the following assignments of themes for special reports were made:

Mr. Walton's theme was subsequently enlarged, under a legislative order directing the Board of Education to investigate the truancy conditions of the State, and by the action of the Board assigning him to special service under that order. These special reports appear with the other reports of the

agents in this volume, and students of our school system are requested to read them.

In this connection it may be said that the Board of Education has a well-defined general policy with reference to the schools. The historical development of this policy is a matter of record. It has taken shape through innumerable investigations, discussions and votes. It has found expression in legislative action. It is a policy, however, whose ideals are yet far from attainment. It has paid much respect to local conditions. It has noted the intense individualism of our towns. It has not sought to force measures against public opinion, — not even against respectable minority views. It has relied largely on the growth of appreciation of tentative measures before seeking to make them permanent. Through fifty-eight reports of the Board the lines of this policy run. So far as the secretary and agents work in sympathy with this policy, they may be said to represent the Board. It is certainly their duty to work loyally for the execution of settled plans and purposes. So far, however, as policies are in their formative stage and the field is open for their frank discussion, they assume it is not only their privilege but their duty to hold themselves individually free for such consideration of them as their study and judgment warrant, in brief, to represent themselves.

SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND APPOINTMENTS.

The schoolhouses of fifty and sixty years ago were, in large numbers, unfit for their purpose. They were subjects for vigorous animadversions in the earlier reports of the Board. Improvement since that time has been great. Many of our school buildings to-day are in admirable condition, while the majority of them compare favorably with the best we had a half century ago. A few, however, remain that are discreditable to the towns that have them. Sanitary conditions that pay little respect to privacy, decency and cleanliness, shiftless conditions that invite scribbling, whittling and the endless forms of vandalism, any conditions that destroy respect for the schoolhouse and possibly for the authorities that have it in charge, all these work directly against the kind of spirit that should be fostered in the pupils. The community that