204 



CONNECTICUT. 



Normal School, it was suspended during the 

 year. Nearly every State in the Union has 

 established one or more of these schools, and 

 no State, except Rhode Island, had previously 

 abandoned them. ,The State Board of Educa- 

 tion requested the Legislature, if it continued 

 indisposed to maintain the Normal School, to 

 authorize them to establish a Training School 

 for teachers at New Britain. Instead of the 

 former three years' course, they proposed that 

 there should be two or three terms in each 

 year, of three or four months each ; and that 

 the course of instruction in each term should 

 be complete in itself, and yet so varied that 

 those who choose to attend the school for two, 

 three, or more terms, may do so profitably, 

 without a mere repetition of the studies of 

 previous terms. A school thus conducted, 

 while it would not give as complete and 

 thorough instruction as the Normal School, 

 would extend its advantages to a larger num- 

 ber of persons ; for many, who could not afford 

 to attend the school for two or three years, 

 would gladly do so for a few months or terms. 

 The plan adopted in the State of Vermont is 

 also recommended. This consists in establish- 

 ing, in some existing academy or high school 

 in each congressional district in the State, a 

 normal department, which is under the control 

 and management of the Board of Education. 



The number of towns in the State is 163; 

 each of which made its return for the school 

 year closing previous to the session of the Le- 

 gislature. The number of school districts is 

 1,590; the number of public schools is 1,645. 

 The number of children, between four and six- 

 teen years of age, on January 1, 1867, was 120,- 

 884; do. on January 1, 1868123,650; in- 

 crease during the year, 2,766. The whole 

 number of scholars registered in winter was 

 80,148, and the average attendance 57,117. 

 The whole number registered in summer was 

 73,863, and the average attendance 52,299. 

 The number of scholars, over sixteen years, in 

 public schools is 2,181. The capital of the 

 School Fund of the State is $2,044,035, and the 

 revenue distributed to the towns during the 

 year was $136,015; which is a dividend of 

 $1.10 per child. The amount raised by town- 

 tax for schools was $149,680. The amount 

 raised by district tax for schools was $466,931, 

 The total amount expended for teachers' wages 

 was $557,193. 



It appears, by the report of the Secretary of 

 the Board of Education, that absenteeism and 

 truancy prevail to an alarming extent. The 

 average attendance in summer is 68,585 less 

 than the whole number of children enumerated, 

 and in winter 63,767 less. The percentage of 

 average attendance in summer is 43J, and in 

 winter only 47. Less than one-half the chil- 

 dren of the State are found on an average in 

 the public schools. In summer there are 47,- 

 019 children not registered in the public schools, 

 and in winter 40,736. After a liberal allow- 

 ance for the patronage of private schools, it is 



declared that thousands are growing up in ig- 

 norance, or trained in the street-school for 

 vagrancy and vice. The law of the State to 

 prevent this evil is regarded as excellent, and 

 prescribes as follows : 



Each town shall make all needful provisions and 

 arrangements concerning habitual truants, and also 

 concerning children wandering about in trie streets 

 or public places of any city, or town, having no law- 

 ful occupatipn, or "business, nor attending school, 

 and growing up in ignorance, between the ages of 

 seven and sixteen years ; and shall also make such 

 by-laws, respecting such children, as shall be most 

 conducive to their welfare, and the good order of 

 such city or town ; and suitable penalties shall he 

 annexed to such hy-laws, not exceeding twenty dol- 

 lars for any one breach ; hut said by-laws shall he 

 approved by the Superior Court sitting in any county 

 in the State. 



Any minor, convicted of being an habitual truant, 

 or any child, convicted of wandering about in the 

 streets, or public places, of any city, or town, having 

 no lawful Business, nor attending school, and grow- 

 ing up in ignorance, "between the ages of seven and 

 sixteen years, may, at the^discretion of the justice or 

 the court having jurisdiction of the case, instead of 

 the fine mentioned in the preceding section, be com- 

 mitted to any such institution of instruction, house 

 of reformation, or suitable situation, as may be pro- 

 vided for the purpose "by such city or town, under 

 the authority of the preceding sections, for such 

 time, not exceeding two years, as such justice or 

 court may determine. 



The several cities and towns shall appoint, at the 

 annual meetings of such towns, or annually, by the 

 mayor and aldermen of such cities, three or more 

 persons, who alone shall he authorized to prosecute 

 lor violation of such hy-laws. 



The debt of the State, after deducting the 

 amount of the sinking funds, bank stock, and 

 cash in hand, was, on March 31st, $7,324,136. 

 The receipts from all sources during the year 

 were $2,711, 236, and the expenditures $2,496- 

 895, making, with the amount on hand of the 

 previous year, a balance of $713,455. 



But little change has taken place in the 

 charitable institutions of the State during the 

 year. At the Insane Eetreat there were, dur- 

 ing the year, admitted 72 males and 101 females; 

 of these there were discharged as recovered, 72 ; 

 much improved, 36 ; improved, 28 ; not im- 

 proved, 14; died, 17; total discharged during 

 the year, 167. The number remaining the 31st 

 March was 123 males and 123 females. 



At the Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb, the 

 number of patients during the year was 266, 

 of whom 155 were males and 111 females. The 

 expenditure of the year was $104,566. 



The State Reform School, located at West 

 Meriden, had, on March 31, 1867, the number 

 of 264 pupils ; during the year, 145 were re- 

 ceived and 143 discharged. The expenditures 

 were $65,297. There is also a school for im- 

 beciles, containing 40 pupils, which received an 

 appropriation from the State of $3,000. 



The State Prison contained 207 convicts at 

 the close of the previous year; 81 were re- 

 ceived during the year, and 97 discharged ; the 

 number remaining at the close was 191. The 

 expenditures were $23,460, and the receipts 

 $25,166. 



