490 FACTS EESPECTING THESE SCHOOLS. 



The facts which it is most interesting- to know as to 

 these schools, in so far as Massachusetts is concerned., 

 are, that 



1. In 1642, the general court of the colony of Massa 

 chusetts enjoined upon the municipal authorities the duty 

 of seeing that every child within their jurisdictions was 

 educated 5 but it imposed no penalty for disobedience. 



2. In 1647, a law was passed making it imperative 

 upon every town of fifty householders to maintain a school, 

 to teach gratuitously every child who came to them to 

 read and write; and every town of a hundred house 

 holders, a grammar-school, in which boys could be fitted 

 for the university. The penalty for non-compliance, 

 which was at first 5, was at successive periods raised 

 to 10, 20, 30, and upwards, according to the wealth 

 and population of the towns. 



3. At present, Massachusetts is divided into 314 

 towns and cities, each of which, however small or poor, 

 is bound to maintain one or more schools for six months 

 in the year, to which all the children residing within 

 their several limits shall have free admission. If there be 

 a hundred householders, one school must be kept for 

 twelve months, or two or more for periods which, added 

 together, will make up twelve months. If 150 families, 

 two schools for nine months; if 500 families, two schools for 

 12 months. And wherever there are 500 families, a higher 

 school must be kept for the use of all, in which history, 

 algebra, geometry and, if the inhabitants are 4000 in 

 number Latin, Greek, rhetoric, and logic shall be taught. 



4. The number of free schools in the State, in the 

 year 1848-9 was 3748, being one for every two square 

 miles of improved land, or for every 240 inhabitants. 

 The schools were kept on an average seven months and 

 twenty-four days in the year. The average attendance 

 was 126,000 in summer, and 143,000 in winter ; and the 

 number of teachers 8163 of whom 5737 were females. 



