Education, 101 



are selected to show the tendency of a steadily increasing cost. 

 Spasms of economy occasionally reduced the amount for a year 

 or two : — 



$5,212.50. 

 8,845.33. 

 11,944.10, including music teacher, 



SI, 000. 

 13,961.23, including High School 



one half-vear. 

 15,373.25, including High School 



whole year. 

 12,710.78, lowest, $15,028.22, high- 

 est. 

 15,115.69, including schoolbooks 



one half-year. 

 15,820.72, including schoolbooks 

 whole year. 



Pupils. 



The statute of 1826 was the first to require returns to be made 

 by School Committees to the Commonwealth. 



For some ten years previously, the School Committee's records 

 give the numbers on the lists at the several visitations of the 

 Committee during the year. The October visitations show the 

 largest numbers; and in that month, from 1817 to 1827 inclusive, 

 the numbers vary from 457 to 537. 



To show how unequally the schools were arranged previously to 

 the new system adopted in 1828, and how impossible it was for a 

 single teacher to accomplish good results, I give the numbers on 

 the lists of a few of the male schools ; and it must be remembered 

 that the schoolrooms were much smaller than the smallest in use 

 at the present time. 



In 1828 one school had 109 pupils on its list; in 1825 two 

 schools had 87 pupils each ; in 1826 five schools had 77, 77, 90, 



93, and 99 pupils respectively ; in 1827, five schools had 60, 38, 



94, 103, and 105 pupils respectively. 



The annual returns to the Commonwealth give the following as 

 the numbers belonging to the Public Schools : — 



1829 . . . 610. 1870 . . . 640. 



1830 . . . 642. 1880 . . . 775. 

 1849 . . . 664. 1890 . . . 741. 

 1860 . . . 686. 



In 1890 the average membership of all the schools was 648.7. 

 The per cent of attendance, based on the average number belong- 



and fifteen 



