PHILADELPHIA.

15, 547 Pearl St., New York. COMMERCIAL COURSE

FOR TEACHERS

A course for the training of teachers of the commercial branches in high schools and academies. Persons with the necessary academic requirements, and who have had two or more years' practical experience in teaching, or have been graduated from a normal school of approved standing, can complete the course in one year. Circulars, giving details of the course, can be had on application to the Registrar.

JAMES MacALISTER, President

Delinq

B

In an order which is two the "Center," station, two y tively, are be school-rathe

go; and ther
since Mr. Stet
of country sch
charge is cert
but is, on the
teach and to i
The girls are b
Best of all, ho
hold economy
woman, are su
the influences
peaceful, unem
people of disci
township where
of life. Whet
state the variou
than in the grea

These childre
setts cities-arr
grancy, and con
Girls at Lancast
in accordance wi
chusetts law, to
home. Their bo
with clothing, u
the school, their
It is then optiona
they are placed t
erally are kept.
part of the state
volunteer visitor
ranges for their
hood, and keeps p
in home and scho
services, but her
good deal is expe
humanity is to be
their duties:

"It is not enou
put her off one's
case as a physicia
can we ever put th
imagination enoug
from what directio
whether from too
straint. Common
sense is too often
it our first morning
selves interested in
to help them thru.
with both girls and
brisk correspondenc
To return to th
enjoying t

to

No. 18

ent Children in Country
Homes.

FREDERICK WILLIAM COBURN.

well-kept farmhouse of "Number Four,' iles from the "Village," two miles from nd twelve miles from the nearest railroad ng girls, of fourteen and sixteen respecg educated. They attend the district good one even as Maine rural schools has been great improvement in this state n made his famous study of the condition ol-houses. The teacher at present in nly not in the class of the incompetent contrary, uncommonly well qualified to luence the dozen children in her school. h doing remarkably well in their studies. ever, they are getting training in houseder the direction of a kindly, Christian ject during the years of adolescence to f a simple, beautiful home life, and of a ional community life. They live among lined temperament and character, in a they will see very little of the seamy side her prohibition prohibits or not in this forms of intemperance are rarer here t cities.

n are both delinquents from Massachu-sted for petty offences and habitual vasigned to the State Industrial School for er. Thence they were sent on probation, ch the provisions of an excellent Massaround out their minority in a country rd is paid at the rate of $1.50 per week, til in the judgment of the trustees of work is worth their board and clothes. 1, of course, with the family with whom o keep them or let them go. They genThese girls and several others in this are under the direct supervision of a who receives them from the school, arreception in families of her neighborretty close watch over their progress l. The visitor receives no pay for her traveling expenses are paid. That a cted of such workers in the cause of seen from the following advice as to

of any contamination from them. The couple with whom they live, childless people of middle age, have become deeply attached to them, and will always continue to take a protecting interest in them even after the state guardianship has been declared off. The girls have simply been taken out of the criminal class and made selfrespecting citizens of normal society.

It seems to me that this system is worthy of the attention and study of educators because it involves a principle that is bound to be employed a great deal in the school community of the future: the principle of effecting educational results thru complete change of environment. At present the right of the state to remove from their home surroundings children who have been caught in actual delinquencies is not denied. The time is probably not far distant when other abnormalities will be lawfully taken out of unfavorable circumstances, and placed where they will get a fair chance to grow into upright manhood and womanhood. And we may conjecture that in school community days the officials of one school community having a child with whom they cannot deal to advantage on account of irremovable adverse home and neighborhood influences will be able to effect his transference to more favorable surroundings. The good results which are being shown by this Massachusetts system are certainly an encouragement to further efforts in the same direction.

Some general facts about the development of this system, for which I am indebted to Miss Elizabeth C. Putnam, of Boston, who has been one of the most faithful and efficient members of the Massachusetts board of trustees of the Lyman and Industrial schools, may be of in

terest.

Delinquent and neglected children in most ages and countries, if not left to shift for themselves as 66 waifs and strays," have been reared in large institutions. Such until very recently has been the case in England and in most sections of this country. If a boy in New York city is bad, and gets caught, he is sent over to Randall's island, where he is trained under excellent officers and instructors until his time is up. The objections are well known and unavoidable. His companions are all of the same kind with himself and tho he and they are so guarded that they cannot do much mischief, the cumulative influence of a large number of undesirable personalities is always present. The "gang" spirit is ever there, if under repression.

In France, since 1670, a different system has been employed. Starting at first with waifs and foundlings, a plan was tried of boarding children out in respectable families. Later this was extended to include young vagabonds and other delinquents. In 1761 a report on the system contains the following description of its working:

The child who thus sees his foster parents laboring hard, saving sou by sou to establish their children and to become owners of a piece of land; who witnesses their precaution in a bad season, their patience in bearing privations, and their joys when they can reap the fruits of their toil, this child, we say, who has thru a long series of years such an example before his eyes, is ready to bear well the apprenticeship of life."

More than a century later English educators became somewhat discontented with the results of reform school

stays in a community un ne is eighteen years old, ne continues right there, employed by his former guardians, or by neighbors, at wages varying from $150 to $250 per year with board.

Of the whole number of wards of the State Industrial School for Girls at Lancaster 313 were, on September 30, 1901, self-supporting or supported away from the school, and but 185 were held there.

Two typical bad boy cases may be adduced as showing what kind of human material the volunteer visitors have to look after:

"A," at fourteen years of age, was arrested for larceny and consigned to the Lyman school. He had been living with relatives in one of the large mill towns, had spent two years in the county truant school, and was a pretty hopeless case in his present environment.

At

Westboro he did not do particularly well, tho he was not classified as "vicious." When the question came up of placing him on a farm the superintendent of the school. let him go with great misgivings, fearing the boy would not take kindly to country life. He was given a trial, however, in a specially favorable locality. The first report of his progress was somewhat discouraging, but all The lad resubsequent reports were alike excellent.

mained in his place until eighteen years of age, when he received an extra sum of money for his faithfulness. "He immediately made arrangements with his employer for another year, and this was repeated until his twentyfirst birthday at which time he had earned and saved $350, besides clothing himself far better than the average boy, and purchasing a bicycle. Better even than this industry and thrift, he displayed a fixedness of purpose and a sturdiness of character that won him the respect of the community."

A less remarkable but not less admirable example may be summarized thus: "B" was committed as a stubborn child at the age of thirteen years. His mother was dead and he had already been arrested for truancy. His temper was ungovernable, and the teachers in the grammar school which he attended could do nothing with him. By the Lyman school authorities he was placed with a farmer family in a neighboring state. Within a few weeks notification came to the school that the family, fearing personal violence from the boy, had put him in the custody of the local sheriff. He was returned to the school, but at his earnest request was a little later given another trial outside. His violent outbursts were repeated and he had to be called in once more. He was given several further trials. In one place he stayed nearly nine months before one of his outbreaks took place. On becoming

eighteen years of age he went to relatives in a city but, finding his temper constantly getting away from him, he voluntarily returned to the farming community where he had remained longest during his probation. There he began to improve, and at twenty-one years, with his temper partly under control and an eager ambition to work, he can to-day be classed among the "honestly self-supporting" graduates of the system.

Such educational effort as that evinced in the fore

going cases ought to receive especial commemoration and support, for it is intelligent effort, based upon a tenable pedagogical theory; and the example of Massachusetts in establishing it can be safely recommended to every state in the Union which has the needs of urban population to consider. True it is that not in every rural community are the conditions so favorable as at "Number Four," but the country anywhere affords, other things being equal, a better educational environment. "The country for children; the city for grown men and women," is one of Felix Adler's aphorisms.

ent of ture for a ter $5,000. He is emp deputy, and in and discipline amination and school commis the school fur general super schools and is and Cornell u The schools ment of the b six members; ough of Man Brooklyn, four members of th hold office for to this office. The city is board districts trustees, excep Each borough as it has me board consists five persons ap a member of t president, and titled to speak The powers

can, and it is spect to every and progress the laws in re trines or the u diately report of additional s for the erection to transfer or cision is always education.

In

them any pow

pose of voicing respective distr schools in their to be more fam of education, to The executiv York city are buildings who r good standing, superintendent All, except the may be removed all the members of schools, who the city, has a right to speak o His duties, as o schools and ing government, co management, an the enforcement the right to n board. He assi districts and def

The city

ate it

Sund

e supervision of the state superintend

of three years at an annual salary of

ered to visit schools in person or by ire into their instruction, management, to issue teachers' certificates after exvoke the same for due cause; remove ners for neglect of duty, and apportion as herein before described. He also has ion over the state normal and Indian ex-officio member of the board of regents ersity.

New York city are under the managed of education, which consists of fortywenty-two being residents of the borttan, four of the Bronx, fourteen of f Queens, and two of Richmond. The board are appointed by the mayor and ve years. There is no salary attached ain sub-divided into forty-six local school resembling somewhat the old boards of that they do not possess their powers. entitled to as many local school districts pers in the board of education. Each seven members composed as follows: ›inted by the president of the borough, e board of education appointed by its he district superintendent, who is enn all matters, but has no vote.

this board are mainly advisory. They heir duty, to inspect the schools in rehing conducive to the safety, comfort, the pupils, and to the observance of pect to the teaching of sectarian doce of sectarian books; they must immethe board of education the necessity ool accommodations with suitable sites of new schools. They also have power y teachers upon charges, but their desubject to the approval of the board of short, while the charter does not give - these local boards exist for the purche sentiments of the parents, of their ts, and to bring the conditions of the districts, with which they are supposed ar than the general body of the board

ts notice.

officials of the school system in New a secretary, superintendent of school st be an architect of experience and uperintendent of school supplies, city of schools and supervisor of lectures. ecretary, hold office for six years, and or cause by a vote of three-fourths of f the board. The city superintendent the highest executive school official in eat in the board of education and the all matters before it, but not to vote. ined by the charter, are "to visit the re into all matters relating to their ses of instruction, methods of teaching, discipline." He is also charged with of the compulsory school law and has ninate the attendance officers to the s the district superintendents to their es their duties.

ntendent, together with eight associ

of annor

The Appointment of Teachers.

The state superintendent of public instruction is authorized to issue certificates of qualification to teach. Such a certificate is a license to teach in any public school in this state, but the school authorities of every city have the right to require additional qualifications of the teachers they employ, and most of the cities do

So.

New York city maintains a regular board of examiners to license teachers in the city schools with power to hold examinations for the different grades of licenses. A report of the board of superintendents as to the kinds of licenses to be issued by the board and the qualifications therefor has just been referred, by the board of education, to its executive committee for consideration.

The salaries of the teachers, as well as the supervising staff, are under the charter left to be regulated by the board of education, according to "merit, grade of class taught, length of service, and experience in teaching," except that a minimum salary schedule is provided.

A fund for the retirement of teachers has been provided, consisting of 5% of all excise moneys collected by the city, together with all the fines and deductions paid by the teachers and all the bequests and legacies which may be left to it.

Any teacher who has taught school for thirty years, of which twenty were spent in New York city, and has reached the age of sixty-five years, and has become incapacitated from teaching any further, may be retired on half pay, which, in the case of a teacher, is to be no less than six hundred or more than one thousand dollars a year.

The pension system having been established, pursuant to a law passed by the legislature in 1894, only applies to teachers who apply for retirement after the law took effect. A special statute passed in 1900, placing thirtythree teachers, who retired in 1892, on the pension list, was declared unconstitutional by the court of appeals last May, on the ground that such a law comes directly within Article 3, section 28, of the constitution prohibiting the legislature from granting any extra compensation to any public officers.

The Admission of Pupils and Methods of Instruction. "The schools of New York city shall be free to all persons over four and under twenty-one years of age residing in said city, under such regulations not in conflict with the general school law of the state, as the board of education shall prescribe, provided, however, that no child under six years shall be received in said schools except in kindergarten classes." Charter, section 1056.

Every child, to use a legal maxim, "must have his day in school." Still the legislature and the school officials have power to provide reasonable regulations for the admission of children to the schools, and to their conduct and treatment therein. The public health law absolutely prohibits any school from admitting children or persons who are not vaccinated as students or teachers and such laws have always been sustained by the courts.

Teachers are given the right, and it is their duty, to enforce the rules and regulations adopted by the board. of education for the government of schools and to maintain discipline. And since the teacher, for the time being, stands in loco parentis to the pupil, he may inflict corporal punishment without being criminally liable, except that such punishment has been abandoned by all progressive teachers, and is prohibited by the by-laws of