1860-1861 School Committee Report

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10 time of the grammar- school teacher, while the town is providing a school expressly for instruction in the advanced branches, is asserting a personal right at the expense of the general good. They do not deny or forget the disadvantage under which those rest who live at a great distance from the school. But this disadvantage is not peculiar to their rela- tion to the school : it holds of the church, of the post -office, of the store, of the town -hall. The same reasoning which objects to the distance of the High School, would, with equal reason, complain of the other public conveniences named ; and finally, carried into the district, would set those at a distance against those near the schoolhouse, and end by requiring a post -office, church, store, and school at each man's door. The Committee disavow any preference, on their part, of one school to another. They regard all alike, but each in its own place, and all together as forming a system, in which the best results will be attained by giving to each member its own office and range. THE SCHOOLROOM. The use of the larger room in the Town Hall throughout the year has afforded the school such accommodations as meet all essential wants. But there are inconveniences attending this arrangement. The school is interrupted, two or more days, each time a town -meeting is held in term -time. The citizens of the town are precluded from the use of the hall for various purposes, — lectures, &c. The room is not only larger than is necessary, but is not easily kept warm in winter. There is need of a recitation - room ; and the room above has been used for this purpose, and will be wanted again : this interferes with the use of that room by the selectmen and other town -officers. These considerations suggest the question of making a permanent provision for the school. The Committee do not make any recommendation. To represent their own views, they name 11 the subject, and remark that two courses are still open for discussion : one, to build or prepare suitable rooms for the school as it now is ; the other, to divide the school, and establish two — one in each village — as nearly of the same character as the altered form will permit. THE BOOK -AGENCY. To correct possible misapprehensions, it is stated that the school -books have been furnished by the Agent, according to the present requirements of the law, at wholesale price. No one is compelled to buy of the Agent : no business -roan is forbidden by the law to keep and sell school -books. The effect of the law is simply to give all a chance to buy them at the wholesale price ; that is, about twenty per cent less than the usual retailing rates. The Report of the Book -agent is appended. The Committee have felt a great desire to discharge their duty in relation to the employment of teachers, so as to meet the reasonable expectations of the town, and the wishes of the sections respectively concerned. This duty is one involving much care and pains -taking, and no small expenditure of time and patience, — not to speak of a considerable postage -expense and some travelling. No special charge has at any time been made for this recent addition to their labors. No charge for horse -hire has been made, either for ordinary visits or for the legally specified examinations. Their horses do not enjoy even the moderate favor of shelter under a shed, though required to stand for hours in cold, stormy, or hot weather, and in exposed places ; but, as the sufferers themselves make no complaint, the owners are silent also. Conscious of imperfections, but ever claiming to be actu-