ANNUAL REPORT. The Board of Education has the honor of respectfully submitting to the Legislature its fifty-ninth annual report. The Board of Education has the varied functions of entire control of the normal schools of the State, of authority to collect and arrange needed statistics and information concerning all the schools of the State, to assign State scholarships, to hold teachers' institutes, to apportion town aid to schools in accordance with the Public Statutes, to prepare registration blanks and courses for teaching, to examine and certify teachers when desired, to recommend wise school legislation, and, in general, to act as adviser, friend and helper in whatever affects the educational progress of Massachusetts. Surely the wide scope of such authority compensates for its partial indefiniteness. The history of legislation in this State is a series of steps taken in the direction of a kind of State control, the progress being slow, since each town and city rightfully guards its own prerogatives and naturally relucts at any loss of personal power. Yet the gradual willingness of the towns to accept the system of district superintendence, for which the late secretary, Hon. J. W. Dickinson, labored so effectively, shows that such slight State direction in education has decreased neither the financial nor the social interest of the towns in their schools. Rather has it led them to realize that skilled supervision is inevitable wherever the need of professional training is recognized, and that a noble spirit of citizenship is advanced by whatever tends to the best interests of our schools. SUPERVISION. As the town system is larger than the old district system, so is supervision through superintendents larger than the town system. The element now most lacking in this matter is that of universal compulsory supervision as part of the public school system. We would not withdraw from the towns or districts their right to the selection and appointment of superintendents, but we do recommend that such measures be adopted as shall secure entire supervision of the State by superintendents. There are still one hundred towns without supervision. Of these, thirty-six have voted in favor of it, but have not yet been able to secure it, through failures in concert of action. Supervision should be extended on geographical lines. In some cases the joining of small towns with large might be effected, the latter still paying their own expenses, while the smaller towns should be entitled to their proportional share of State aid in relation to the superintendent's salary and the salaries of teachers. Districts now are formed by the action of town meetings. They can be more speedily and wisely arranged by the school committees of the towns, which are much better fitted to have a clearer comprehension of the peculiar needs of their several towns and schools. Such a change in relation to supervision and its method of expression can only be effected by the authority of the Legislature, which might, however, give to the State Board of Education discretionary power to form districts in the occasional circumstances which might arise when they could not be formed in accordance with the usual provisions of the law. Wherever supervision is the rule, the State has (1) better school economy in regard to text-books, supplies, care of buildings, etc., thus saving part, if not all, of the extra expense of a superintendent's salary; (2) better teaching, greater progress on the part of the good pupils and less truancy among the indifferent scholars; (3) larger unity of action; and (4) increased interest on the part of the town's people; for the necessity of providing partially or wholly for the support of the superintendent would create public interest, which in turn would manifest itself in public meetings, institutes and lectures on behalf of education. POWER OF THE BOARD IN RELATION TO DISTRICT SUPERIN TENDENTS. As a logical sequence from the establishment of the system of district superintendence, it is worthy of consideration whether the Board of Education should not have power to examine, approve and certificate all superintendents whose salaries the State aids in paying. No move should be made in this direction, however, without adequate provision for the proper execution of such power as might be conferred. To add steadily to the duties of the Board of Education without corresponding additions to its working force would be likely to defeat any progressive movement that might be attempted. ARBITRATION. The services of the Board as voluntary arbiter in school questions are often sought. These questions are frequently brought before the secretary or the agents of the Board, both parties in an educational dispute gladly availing themselves of the advice or decision which they thus receive. In connection with such matters the Board is sometimes able wisely to recommend to the Legislature plans of aid and expenditure for the schools on general lines. SHOULD ALL TEACHERS BE NORMAL SCHOOL GRADUATES? To establish a requirement which would limit the teaching force of the State to graduates of normal schools would be an injustice to graduates of colleges and academies and to those rare individuals, wherever they have studied, who have a genius for teaching. The normal schools have no right to insist that they only give adequate training for the profession of teacher. But the State, which has placed public school education as the corner stone of its structure, and then provided normal schools as the means by which such education can be extended to all, has a right to insist that all teachers in the Commonwealth, wherever educated, shall attain at least a minimum standard of proficiency. Therefore, again, as a logical sequence, the Legislature should require not only the proper examination and certification of all teachers but that each teacher should be equipped with some studyat least a year's in professional training and practice. As a fact, college graduates often object to going to any of our present normal schools to acquire the theory and practice of teaching, and thus it may be well for the Board at no distant time to consider further the expediency of a year's course, directed from some central station, by which college graduates can be admitted to grammar and high schools for practice work, just as pupils are now admitted to model and practice schools in connection with each normal school. Such a course need not involve the erection of another building nor the establishment of a large corps of teachers. In this way, teachers, so far as professional training is concerned, would stand related to the State rather than to the city or town, while from such well-equipped instructors each city or town could make its own selection. In other words, this Board should at least maintain the principle of professional training for college graduates. STATE AID IN RELATION TO SALARIES. Because teachers might hold this direct relation to the State, it does not follow that the State should support all schools, which, as far as possible, should be left to local and individual initiative, energy and control. Still it should be remembered that expert, skilled work always commands higher pay than unskilled work; therefore the better trained a teacher is the more salary will he demand. Already the average salary of a normal teacher in the towns ranges from $8 to $10 a week, while others not so trained receive but $6. Consequently small towns desiring normal teachers may require State aid, which could be granted, over and above the present apportioned quota of aid, on condition that such extra aid should be applied to salaries only, the towns contributing as much as before. - VACATIONS. It is often asked if the time has not come when our normal schools can take the position of our colleges in granting to each teacher, once in seven years, for instance, twelve months' leave of absence, with full salary, from which pay shall be allowed his substitute at a fixed rate of compensation. If such a measure could be adopted, the various faculties of our schools would gain in refreshment of body and mind, which in turn would tend to the advantage of the pupils. Though it is a mistake to claim that the teaching profession is harder than any other, yet there is no reason why an honorable release from arduous |