216 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



or four mouths in December; and then finish the year with a spring term, 

 beginning as soon as the roads become fairly settled ; place one competent 

 person in charge of the school for the entire year, and good results will not be 

 slow in manifesting themselves. 



A deficiency of no small importance, but which is receiving but trifling 

 attention is the entire absence of grading and classification in the country 

 schools. There exists no system in the order of studies. No records are 

 kept showing what pupils have accomplished in previous terms. No end is 

 placed toward which they shall progress, and no limit is set beyond which 

 they are forbidden. From this lack of system there must of necessity follow 

 irregular, haphazard, and deficient work. Pupils take such studies as they 

 prefer, which preference is often the result of the encouragement of a previous 

 teacher. They are allowed to pass from one study or branch of study to 

 another before a reasonable degree of thoroughness has been attained. And 

 much that is essential to a fair primary education is being constantly neglected. 

 Most children prefer arithmetic simply because it is the best taught of any 

 branch in school, and they are gratified in this taste to the exclusion of read- 

 ing, language, writing, history, and science. While a knowledge of the Eng- 

 lish language is the most important thing in the curriculum of our schools, it 

 is least regarded. Pupils who come to our graded schools are invariably defi- 

 cient in language, and must be placed two or three grades lower in this branch 

 than in arithmetic, where they frequently have a fair proficiency. 



Arithmetic is of great importance, it is true, in this primary education, but 

 there is no reason for its absorbing the lion's share of the child's time. 

 He will use speech a hundred times where the problems he has learned to 

 work in addition, multiplication, fractions, and interest come to his service in 

 not more than a single instance. In business his ability to use correct 

 language in letter, and in speech will be primary elements in his success. In 

 his enjoyments, the appreciation of the best in literature, coming from an 

 early direction of his taste, will form a prominent part. The child's mind 

 must be guided in many channels, but no one must be worn too deep. In 

 order to overcome this danger, at least a careful classification of every school 

 should be made. A course of study should be prescribed and a careful follow- 

 ing of it by pupils and teachers should be demanded by the school authorities. 

 Moreover, a record of every pupil in the work pursued during each term 

 should be a legacy of each teacher to his successor. 



The last defect in our country school system to which I shall call your 

 attention is the absence of all competent supervision. The township school 

 inspector, whose duty it is to visit all the schools in the township each term, 

 is seldom capable of giving any assistance to the teachers of the township, 

 because he is no critic of school work. During the few years in which our 

 State maintained the system of a county superintendent of schools the dis- 

 trict schools made marked advancement, wherever the office was conferred 

 upon a competent person. Every teacher expected his work to be scrutinized 

 and criticized, and the expectation was an incentive to him to do his best 

 work. The schools of the whole county were to a certain extent united, and 

 there sprang up a healthful competition between them. The superintendent 

 was able to determine the qualification of teachers to do actual work as well 

 as to answer questions. 



Under the township system which followed most of these good results were 

 lost, because few townships could furnish competent men who were willing to 



