In addition to school visits in this State, I visited (during the months of September and October, 1887) a number of leading public schools in the States of Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Pennsylvania. The school systems in these States are of a high standard and are under fine supervisors. The limits of this report will not permit full notice of all the excellent schools visited. A brief review only is given of the leading city school systems examined, as follows:

CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

There are 84,000 children enrolled, with an average daily membership of 67,000. Fifteen hundred teachers manage this army of pupils. There are ninety-five separate school buildings. The total population between the ages of 6 and 21 years equals 181,900. Total expenditures for school purposes during the past year equaled $2,060,800.

Great interest is taken in language-work, and a real acquaintance with language seems to be secured. The twaddle element in teaching language is not in danger here of being overdone. Special attention is given to spelling and pronunciation, and, while written spelling is used, it is not so used as to entirely exclude oral spelling. Reading is thoroughly well taught in the Chicago schools. The most important work done in the first, second and third grades is reading. One of the most useful aids in this branch used here is supplementary reading.

This work enriches the students' vocabulary, widens the range of his thought and strengthens his hold of words and their meaning. Number work is taught by the objective and oral methods through the primary grades.

Commercial geography is taught here with great effect and profit. I found several well selected school libraries, which are usually selected by the principal of the schools. Drawing is well taught and its importance constantly kept in view. Vocal music is another special feature and is under the direction of a special expert or head teacher. One curious feature of the singing is, that in the high schools it is restricted to the girls.

INDIANAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Indiana has long been noted for her splendid public school system, and the highest type of work in the State is to be found in her capital city.

There are 300 teachers employed in the city schools, with an enrollment of 14,800 children. The entire course requires twelve years-four years primary, four years intermediate and four years. high school. The city normal school trains teachers for the schools. Number and language work both begin in the first year and continue throughout the course, changing into arithmetic, grammar. etc., in proper grades. Drawing begins in the first year and closes in the first year of the high school. Music is taught in all grades. below the high school. First year, seventh year and eighth year teachers receive the highest salary; second and third years the lowest. The methods employed in teaching primary number are the best I have ever seen. Constant use is made of objects, thus enabling pupils to form their number concepts with a perfection impossible as compared with instruction given in the abstract.

ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

The course of study is very complete and exhaustive, and it requires a book of 147 pages to present it. This course is modified from year to year to meet more fully the demands and changes occasioned by the rapid growth of the city, and to adapt it to the average ability of the classes. Among the special features I notice, first, the personal and general freedom that characterizes the St. Louis system. For example, any class may begin the work of any grade at any time in the year, provided the class is prepared to do so, and no class is required to wait till the close of a quarter before commencing the work of another quarter if the pupils are ready for

No special effort is made to secure the completion of a quarter's work within ten weeks or to promote a class at the beginning of the quarter of the scholastic year, for the mere purpose of making the quarters in the course of study correspond with the quarters of the holastic year. It is claimed that the personal self-reliance and. advancement of the individual pupil and then of the entire class may be better secured by the above plan of greater latitude given. to the system.

The evening schools are thoroughly well organized and are attended by over 4000 children. There are thirty-two separate and distinct evening schools, twenty-two for white pupils and ten for colored pupils. Some idea of the extent of the St. Louis system may be had when we know that the school population is over 110,000that is, between the ages of 6 and 20. There are over 60,000 pupils

enrolled in the public schools, 110 school buildings, 225 regu teachers and 1100 assistant teachers.

The course of study adopted seems to be admirably fitted to t wants of the schools. In regard to industrial education the prop sition is to amend the curriculum so that the graduate of the pub schools shall not only have a fair literary education, but he sh also be able to draw, design, work to plans, handle tools, and this at an early, day. Under the law the examination of teach is placed entirely in the hands of the city superintendent, and, so large a district as Pittsburg, having about seven hundred teac ers, the consequent labor to be performed is very great. That th work has been well done is evident from the many bright an active teachers that we had the pleasure of meeting here.

Off-hand drawing, also free gymnastics are uniformly taught a carried out in these schools, and with lasting benefit to all co cerned.

I was well pleased with these features of work, and found t teachers and pupils ambitious to excel. The teachers here gi much attention to oral instruction and in the effort to teach th student to think and work for himself, thereby making him a se reliant being. Great latitude is given to free criticism and discu sion, and it afforded me great pleasure to witness the pupils rise their places, taking up the various phases of recitation and arguin the same through to their ultimate and logical results. There a over 3,000 children enrolled in the evening schools alone, with corps of some sixty teachers.

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The course of study in the high school is of general characte and four years are required to complete the course. The norm department is to prepare teachers for the city schools. years are required to complete the course. The commercial d partment is designed to give students a good business education.

The studies in the industrial department are exclusively English time required to complete the course, two years. The high scho includes classical and English studies, requiring twenty-one teache for the faculty. There are five teachers in the normal departmen and several in the industrial. The increase in enrollment durin the last decade has been about 40 per cent. The estimated scho population is this month about 31,000.

ALLEGHENY CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Great attention is paid to variety in methods. The special features noted were: Composition work, language work, number and form work especially in the primary grades. There are many splendid and handsome school buildings in this city, and they are nearly all supplied with substantial iron fire escapes. The total value of school property is $1,500,000; number of children enrolled in schools, 12,500; number of teachers, 260. The course of study used in these schools is one of the very best.

RECOMMENDATIONS.

Our school laws should be amended so as to include the following means of improving our public schools:

1. The daily workings of our schools should be closely inspected by directors. The schools should be regularly and systematically visited by at least one director each month. A report of these visits should be made to the entire board at the monthly meeting.

This course will greatly benefit the schools and prevent many failures in teaching.

2. Each school should be supplied with a dictionary and the necessary apparatus.

3. The salaries of teachers should be graded according to experience and the grade of certificate held.

4. Directors should employ experienced teachers for the primary grades.

5. Successful and efficient teachers should be retained and their pay increased.

A longer and continuous school term should be established. 7. A graded course of study should be established in each County.

8. County superintendents should devote their entire time to general and local supervision, and they should be paid for the same. 9. Normal institutes should be established in each county.

10. Teachers' general and professional reading associations should be established.

11. School districts should be required to build woodsheds and and other necessary outhouses for the health and comfort of teachers and pupils.

12. Public examinations of the schools should be held at close of each term by the county superintendent or his deputy. promotions made, diplomas granted, etc.

13. New school districts should be required to establish a sch at the expiration of one year after organization.

Section 42 of the school laws provides that new school distri may hold their organization for three years, and shall be requir to have one quarter's school, as provided for in other cases. T point has given a great deal of trouble. For example: One app to this department has arisen from and been based upon the foll ing complications:

(a.) A new district had organized and elected three directors a a clerk.

(b.) The clerk failed to give a bond.

(c.) The directors failed to require a bond from the clerk.

(d.) The district has been drawing its pro rata share of the pub school moneys for two years, which share has, of course, includ the fifty-dollar apportionment, as provided for in section 25 of t school laws.

(e.) One of the directors finding himself in an impecunious a distressed condition, financially, invokes the aid of his good frien the other two directors and the clerk, and borrows the trust mon belonging to the district.

(f) Not surprising to relate, this director fails, is declared bankrupt, and the district loses all of its money and has not had single day's school.

14. School moneys should be apportioned on a basis of the actu total attendance, instead of the total school population between t ages of 4 and 20 years.

15. The rate-bill plan of securing funds should be eliminat from our school system.

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.

The work in this department was very largely increased by th last legislature. The additional duties then made obligatory an appearing in sections 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the amended school laws, a as follows:

1. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall visit, as fa as practicable, every county in the State annually in the interes of education.