mission examination was surprizingly large-286. Of these, 37 were between the ages of 11 and 12, 69 between the ages of 12 and 13, 72 between the ages of 13 and 14, 94 between the ages of 14 and 15, and 14 were over 15 years of age. Applicants were examined in reading, prose and verse, in English grammar, in arithmetic and in writing. After refusing all applicants below the age of 12 and all others who received less than 13/2 credits out of a possible 20, the school committee authorized the opening of the school on March 2, 1826."

"The success of the new high school for girls was immediately great and alarming. At least the masters of the grammar schools were alarmed by the prospect of losing their most proficient girls at an early age by their entering the high school. This loss would be injurious, it was thought, to the grammar schools. Whether any thought was taken for the interest of the children does not appear. The fears of the grammar masters for their schools appeared to have been committed to the school committee and the mayor, Josiah Quincy, who instituted an inquiry 'as to the effect produced upon the character and prospects of the other schools by the institution in question.' The answers to the questions propounded by the mayor were such as to satisfy the committee of inquiry that one of three things should be done. First, either the high school for girls must be wholly discontinued, or, second, the city must provide for two high schools the present year, with a prospective certainty of increasing the number of this kind of schools every succeeding one or two years as the city increases. Or, third, new principles must be adopted in relation to admission into this school so as to diminish the number of candidates and to retain the females in the grammar and writing schools. The last of these alternatives was taken. A higher standard was set up for the admission examination and only girls above the age of 14 and below 16 were to be received, and those who past were to be allowed to stay only one year in the school. In 1828, for various reasons-the resignation of the master, postponing

the election of his successor, and the division in opinion in the school committee-no appropriation was made for the :school and the school came to an end."

The next public movement for a girls' high school was started in 1853 when a petition bearing over 3000 signatures was presented to the school committee, praying that a high school for girls might be established. After a long discussion, on November 14, 1854, the school committee decided to introduce high school studies into the existing normal school. Thus the normal school originally established in 1852 for the sole purpose of preparing young women for the business of teaching, came to be also a high school, and soon acquired the name of the Girls' High and Normal School. This condition lasted until 1872, when in order to save the Normal School from complete absorption in the high school, the normal school was given a separate existence. The Girls' Latin School was established in 1878 to provide girls with the same opportunities to fit for college as had long been enjoyed by the boys. The Mechanics Arts High School was established in 1893; the kindergartens in 1888; the Horace Mann School for the Deaf in 1869; special classes for mentally deficient children in 1892. The evening schools were authorized by the legislature in 1857 and placed under the care of the school committee in 1868. The evening high school was opened in 1869. Free evening industrial drawing schools were opened in 1870. Music was first introduced into the public schools of Boston in 1838 at the instance of the Boston Academy of Music. Drawing was a permitted subject in the English High School from 1827 to 1836 and after that it was an obligatory study, but no teacher of drawing was appointed until 1853. Drawing was put upon the list of grammar school studies in 1848, but little was done with it in the schools before 1856. The real beginning of drawing in the schools / was in 1871.

There are indications as early as 1789 that girls after their admission to the public schools were permitted to spend some of their school time on needle work. Sewing was

permitted by the School Committee in 1853 and three years later the reports say that it was taught in all the schools save one, but not much progress was really made until 1869. In 1875 the city solicitor gave his opinion that it was illegal for the school committee to spend money for instruction in sewing. In 1876 the legislature passt an act legalizing the teaching of sewing in the schools.

The first schools of cookery were opened in October, 1885. Wood-working for boys was first introduced in 1884. In 1892 the school committee formulated a comprehensive plan for giving instruction in wood-working for boys in the three upper grades of all the grammar schools in the city. Military drill was introduced in 1863. The experiment was soon abandoned in the grammar schools, but in the Latin and in the high schools the military drill has had a permanent place ever since. The wonderful progress made in Boston in the department of hygiene and physical culture, the successful dealing with exceptional children, the advantages accruing from medical inspection of children in the schools; the opening of the High School of Commerce, the High School of Practical Arts, the change of the Mechanics Arts High School to a Trade School, the opening of the Evening Trade School for Girls, the Industrial Schools. for boys, the Continuation Schools, the new Clerical High School and other interesting developments are too recent to chronicle specifically.

MEMORANDA FROM ANNALS OF PRIMARY SCHOOL COMMITTEE

Primary School Committee 1818-1855. In 1741 there were 535 pupils in five Writing Schools. In 1758 there were 841 pupils in five Writing Schools. In May, 1785, there were 64 in Latin Schools, 503 in Writing Schools.

Writing Schools under supervision of selectmen until 1789 when School Committee of one from each ward and the selectmen was organized. No pupils under seven. None admitted who could not read in the testament.

Oct. 20, 1789, girls admitted to Grammar Schools, instructed in same studies, but at different hours and only

from April to October in each year. Schools continued in session thru July and August.

In 1792 in North Bennett Street School, writing and arithmetic taught in one department. In another, spelling, reading, English grammar and geography.

In 1800 there were seven free schools with 900 scholars of whom about 160 were taught Latin.

In August, 1816, 2000 children.

School hours (1817) from 7.30 A.M. to 5 P.M., April to October-8.30 A.M. to 4 P.M. October to April.

Laws of Commonwealth-1790.

"No youths shall be

sent to the Grammar School unless they shall have learned in some other school, or in some other way, to read the English language, by spelling the same."

The laws provided for the establishment of preparatory schools when grammar is not taught. But there were no public schools in Boston where children could be qualified for admission to the Grammar Schools.

November, 1817-Latin Grammar School, 147; Writing Grammar School, 2118 (796 girls); in Private Schools, 4132 (162 schools).

1818-532 children in town did not attend any school. 1819-Report of Special Committee:

1. That number of pupils in each school be not more than 50 nor less than 40.

2. There shall be four classes. Those who read in the Testament shall be in the first class. Those in easy reading in the second class. Those who spell in two or more syllables in third class. Those learning their letters and monosyllables in the fourth class, and that the books be the same in every school for each pupil hereafter entering.

April 25, 1820-Report of Sub Committee. Number of pupils seven to fourteen years of age who were too old for Primary Schools and not qualified to enter Grammar Schools would exceed 300.

June, 1820-Town voted $1000 for school (intermediate) for such children.

1821-Report of Mr. Ticknor-Primary Schools read

1. T

UNIV

in the Testament, used Kelley's spelling book and in the best schools learned elementary Roman Notation-Knitting and Sewing.

1824-Report of Sub Committee To examine and adopt the most approved methods of teaching the alphabetThat Fowle's Rational Guide as a reading book be introduced into the Primary Schools after May 1st. That some uniform edition of the Testament be introduced into the schools.

1826-Primary Lessons in Arithmetic, by Emerson, adopted for use in Primary Schools.

1830 "Committee reprehended tendency to give exercises in geometry, geography and natural philosophy, to detriment of what in a Primary School should be considered of primary importance, viz., correct reading and thoro spelling."

November, 1831-Primary School Committee refused to delegate to Master of Grammar School authority to admit children of seven to Grammar School.

May, 1833-That fourth classes be furnished with slates and pencils-That numeration 1 to 100 be taught in the fourth class, the combination of these numbers, to find pages in a book, for second division of third class-That arithmetical tables be commenced in the first division of third class-That the same be completed and the study of the rules and examples be begun in the second class-That the Study of the North American Arithmetic be completed by the pupils in the first class before receiving admission to grammar schools.

1837-Free employment bureau mainly under sixteen years of age. children found suitable places in the

created, applicants From sixty to eighty country, but many of

the boys and girls were so bad that people would not take them, or if they did, could not keep them.

1838-Voted to furnish each Primary School with a blackboard.

July, 1838-Voted to establish a model school to try experiments in primary instruction-abolished in 1842.