1846-1847 School Committee Report

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12 human society, and the basis on which a republican gov- ernment is founded." In accordance with the spirit of this requisition, your committee have, at the closing examinations of the schools, in some instances, not in all, inquired of the teachers, in the presence of the pupils and of their parents and friends who might be present, in regard to the moral conduct of the pupils ; and have asked particularly whether any were in the practice of using profane language, of ut- tering as true what was untrue, of manifesting and thereby cherishing an unkind and quarrelsome disposition among themselves. And, in their addresses to the schools, your committee have endeavored to direct the thoughts of the pupils to God, his character, providence and government ; to their own dependence, obligations and duty. While none of the teachers have been entirely indifferent to the moral characters and improvement of their pupils, some have sought, with much earnestness, to do their whole duty in this respect. The teacher of the grammar school, in the Centre District, during the summer, in addition to unu- sual diligence and faithfulness in her efforts for the intel- lectual improvement of her pupils, manifested a deep inter- est in their moral welfare. She employed a few moments, almost every day, in free, conversational lectures, addressed to the whole school, upon some topic of moral conduct. An influence for good was evidently exerted upon some of the scholars by this teacher. Other teachers adopted different methods for the accomplishment of the same objects. Your committee are not prepared to express an opinion as to the best method of cultivating the moral improvement of our children in our public schools, but they would express the earnest hope that the subject itself, the importance of moral culture, may receive increased attention at the hands of pa- rents, school -committees, and teachers. It is made by law the duty of the Superintending School 01 13 Committee, not only to report the state of the schools, but also to offer such hints, as their observation may have suet Bested, for the future improvement of these schools. In accor- dance with this requisition, your committee would frankly state that our schools are, on the whole, in a prosperous condition, yet that they are not, at this time, what they might and ought to be made. They do not accomplish all that they might and ought to accomplish. In these schools, it must be remembered, that most of our children will receive all the direct instruction they will ever enjoy. Ought not the instruction, then, given in our public schools, to be sufficiently thorough and sufficiently extensive to qual- ify all, who go through the course there taught, for all the ordinary duties to which they may be called in after life ? They do not at present give instruction thus thorough and extensive. Is it not often the case that our daughters leave our public schools, after having passed through all that is there taught, without being qualified, by their readiness in figures and their acquaintance with simple Book Keeping and accounts, for business transactions which may in after life devolve upon them ? And is it not too often true that both our sons and daughters leave school, without being qualified to write letters of either business or friendship, free from mistakes in orthography, punctuation, grammatical construction, and the placing of capitals ? And are these attainments, which it is too much to expect from our public schools ? Your committee think not. They are of opin- ion that as high attainments as these, at least, should be aimed at ; and that, if steadily and perseveringly aim- ed at by committees, parents, and teachers, they may be reached. The first suggestion your committee would offer for the future improvement of our schools, relates to the importance of thorough instruction in the elements of the various stu- 2