INSTRUCTIONS \ ^ ■^^N *\ FKOM THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY, SEVERAL ACADEMIES SUBJECT TO THIER VISITATION ; PRESCRIBING THE REQUISITES AND FORMS OF ACADEMIC REPORTS, &c. REVISED EDITION. s'repaeed m obedience to a resolution of the regents of the 29th march, 1836, ALBANY : PRINTED BY E. CROSWELL, PRINTER TO THE STATE. 1836. At a meeting- of the Regents of the University of the State of New- York, held in the Senate Chamber on the 29th day of March, 1836, The Secretary having informed the Regents that the edition of their in- structions to academies, on the subject of academic reports, was nearly ex- hausted, It was thereupon ordered, that the Secretary cause a new edition of the said instructions to be prepared, with such additions as may be found neces; sary or proper, and that 250 copies be printed for the use of the Regents, A true extract from the minutes of the Regents. GIDEON HAWLEY, Secretary of the University. Albany, June, 1836. INSTRUCTIONS, &c -_r Forms of academic reports have at various times been prescribed by the -^ Regents of the University, and the leading requisites of such reports have also been prescribed by the Legislature, (See Ordinances of the Regents, and extracts from the Revised Statutes herewith published.) Previous to their ordinance of 1828, the Regents had not been able to secure uniformi- ty in the reports from academies ; but by that ordinance, the requisites and forms of such reports were prescribed with so much care and precision, that no further difficulty on the subject was anticipated. And it is due to a ma' jority of the academies to say that no such difficulty has been experienced from them; they having cheerfully and faithfully complied with all that the Regents required of them. But in respect to some of the academies, it was found that some of the plainest and most unequivocal parts of the ordi- nance, as well as the most imperative parts of the statute on which the or- dinance was founded, were either wilfuUjr disregarded, or carelessly over- looked ; so that it became necessary in 1830 to issue instructions "■prescrib- ing with all practicable precision the forms of all future academic re- turnsP Such instructions were accordingly issued, and they had the ef- fect to prevent or correct most of the errors complained of in former reports ; but still some cases of error, proceeding perhaps in part from defects in the instructions of 1830, but certainly in part also from the carelessness or in- attention of those to whom the instructions were addressed, having been found in the reports of some academies made after that year, it therefore be- came necessary in 1834 to re-issue the instructions of 1830, with such ad- ditions and explanations as were required by the circumstances and the oc- casion above referred to. Of the instructions thus re-issued, the following is a revised edition, prepared in obedience to a resolution of the Regents of the 29th day of March, 1836, published on the preceding page. The leading requisites of academic reports to the Regents of the Univer- sity are prescribed by a law of the State, contained in the following extract from the Revised Statutes: EXTRACT Trom, Chapter XV. of the First Part of the Revised Statutes, being Sec- tions 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 29, of Article \st of Title \st of said Chapter. ^ 23. The regents shall have the control of the whole income arising from the literature fund, and shall annually divide such income into eight equal parts, and assign one part thereof to each senate district: They shall annually distribute the part so assigned to each district, among such of the incorporated seminaries of learning, exclusive of colleges, within such dis- trict, as are now subject, or shall become subject to their A^isitation by a valid corporate act. ^ 24. Every such distribution shall be made in proportion to the number of pupils in each seminary, who, for four months during the preceding year shall have pursued therein classical studies, or the higher branches of Eng- lish education, or both. § 25. No pupil in any such seminary shall be deemed to have pursued classical studies, unless he shall have advanced at least so far as to have read, in Latin, the first book of the ^Eneid ; nor to have pursued the higher branches of English education, unless he shall have advanced beyond such knowledge of arithmetic, (including vulgar and decimal fractions,) and English grammar and geography, as is visually obtained in common schools. ^ 26. I'he regents shall require each seminary subject to their visitation, to make an annual return, on or before the first day of February in each year, to the secretary of their board. § 27. Every such return shall be attested by the oath, either of the prin- cipal instructer in the seminary by which it shall be made, or of one of the trustees thereof, and shall contain, 1. The names and ages of all the pupils instructed in such seminary dur- ing the preceding year, and the time that each was so instructed : 2. A particular statement of the studies pursued by each pupil at the commencement of his instruction, and of his subsequent studies until the date of the report ; together with the books such student shall have studied, in whole or in part ; and if in part, what portion : 3. An account or estimate of the cost or value of the library, philosophi- cal and chemical apparatus, and mathematical and other scientific instru- ments belonging to the seminaries : 4. The names of the instructers employed in the seminary, and the com- pensation paid to each : 5. An account of the funds, income, debts and incumbrances of the semi- nary, and of the application therein of the moneys last received from the re- gents. ^ 29. The regents shall prescribe the forms of all returns which they shall require from colleges and other seminaries of learning, subject to their visitation : and may direct such forms and instructions as, from time to time, shall be given by them as visiters, to be printed by the state printer. The Regents of the University, in discharging the duty required of them by the above law, adopted an ordinance on the 18th March, 1828, of which the following is a copy : ORDINANCE OF THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY, Defining Classical Studies and the Higher Branches of English Educa- tion pursued in Academies, and prescribing the requisites and forms oj their Annual Reports. Passed March 18, 1828. The Regents of the University, desirous to establish a more elevated course of instruction in the academies subject to their visitation, by defining with greater certainty the various branches of study which shall entitle the institution in Avhich they are pursued to a distributive share of the income of the Literature fund, do ordain and declare as follows : The distribution of the income of said fund shall be made to each of said academies, in proportion to its number of scholars in the classics, and in the higher branches of English education, or both, under the following re- strictions : 1. No students, in any such academy, shall be considered classical scho- lars, within the meaning of this ordinance, until they shall have studied in such academy, or elseAvhere, so much of the common elementary prose au- thors, in Latin, as is equal to one-half of Corderius, one-half of Historia Sacra, one-third of Viri Romse, and two books of Caesar's Commentaries ; and in addition thereto, shall have read the first book of the ^neid of Virgil. 2. No students in any such academy, shall be considered scholars in the higher branches of English education, within the meaning of this ordinance, until they shall, on examination duly made, be found to have attained to such proficiency in the arts of reading and writing, and to have acquired such knowledge of the elementary rules or operations of arithmetic, com- monly called notation, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, as well in their compound as in their simple forms, and as well in vulgar and decimal fractions as in whole numbers, together with such knowledge of the parts of arithmetic commonly called reduction, practice, the single rule of three direct, and simple interest, as is usually acquired in the medium or average grade of common schools in this State; and until they shall also, on such examination, be found to have studied so much of English grammar as to be able to parse correctly any common prose sentence in the English language, and to render into good English the common examples of bad grammar given in Murray's or some other like grammatical exercises ; and shall also have studied, in the ordinary way, some book or treatise in geo- graphy, equal in extent to the duodecimo edition of Morse's, Cumming's, Woodbridge's or Willett's geography, as now in ordinary use. 3. No such classical students shall entitle the institution to which they belong to any share of the income of said fund, unless it shall appear from the annual report of such institution, that they have pursued therein, for the space of four months or upwards of the year ending on the date of such re- port, the studies herein before declared to be preliminary to Virgil, together with the first book of the xEneid of Virgil, or other studies in the classics (either in Latin or Greek) usually pursued subsequent to the first book of the said .^neid: or shall, for a part of said period, have so pursued the said studies, or some of them, (including the said first book of the ^neid, or some of the said studies subsequent thereto,) and for the residue of said pe- riod, shall have pursued the higher branches of English education, after they shall have become scholars therein as herein before defined. 4. No such scholars in the higher branches of English education, shall entitle the institution to which they belong to any share of said fund, unless 6 it shall appear from the annual report of said institution, that they, after be- coming such scholars, have pursued therein said higher branches of edu- cation, or some of them, for the space of four months or upwards of the year ending on the date of such report. 5. All students belonging to any academy, and claimed by it to be classi- cal scholars, or scholars in the higher branches of English education, or both, shall be exercised, at convenient and ordinary intervals, in composition and declamation in the English language. The Reo-ents of the University being desirous to consolidate into one the various ordinances heretofore adopted by them, prescribing the requisites and forms of the annual reports of academies, do further ordain and declare as follows : Every academy subject to the visitation of the Regents of the University, and claiming a distributive share of the income of the Literature fund, shall annually, on or before the first day of Februarj^ make and transmit to the Reo-ents, (so that the same be received by their secretary on or before that day,) a report in writing, exhibiting a full view of its state and condition, at the time referred to in its report, in respect to the following particulars, viz : Value of its academy lot and building : Value of its other real estate: Value of its library and philosophical apparatus: Value of its other personal estate: Its tuition money received or accrued, for the year ending on the date of the report: Interest or income of its permanent funds, received or accrued during said year : Amount of its debts remaining unpaid : Amount of money received by it from the Regents of the University since its last annual report, and how the same has been expended: Number and names of its teachers, and the annual salary or compensation allowed to each : Whole number of students, including classical and all others, belonging to the academy on the date of its report : Number of students belonging to the academy on the date of its report, or who belonged to it during part of the year ending on the date of its report, and who are claimed by the trustees to have pursued for four months of said year, or upwards, classical studies, or the higher branches of English edu- cation, or both, according to the true intent and meaning of the foregoing ordinance. The said report shall also contain, or hai^e appended or annexed to it, a true catalogue or list of all the students belonging to the academy at the date of its report, or during part of the year ending on the date of its report, who are claimed by its trustees to be such classical scholars, or such scholars in the higher branches of English education, or both, and to have pursued their studies for such length of time as to entitle them (or the academy to which they belong) to a distrtbutive share of the income of the Literature fund, ac- cording to the true intent and meaning of the foregoing ordinance of the Re- gents : in which said catalogue or list shall be inserted the name and age of each student claimed to be such scholar as aforesaid, together Avith a specifi- cation of the different studies pursued by such student, and the length of time the same were pursued m each quarter or term of the year ending on the date of said report, by recitations of ordinary frequency and in the ordinary way, designating said studies by the ordinary name or title of the book or treatise on the subject so studied, and designating also the part or portion of the book or treatise so studied ; and the said catalogue or list shall also con- tain a declaration or certificate, that all the students therein named, and claim- ed to be scholars in the higher branches of English education, had been found, on due examination, to have pursued all the studies, and acquired all the knowledge, required by the foregoing ordinance, as preliminary requi- sites to their becoming such scholars; and that the ordinance of the Regents, in respect to exercises in composition and declamation, had been complied with. Every academy supplied by the Regents with a thermometer and rain- gage, shall, together with its annual report, make and transmit to the Re- gents a return or table (of the form heretofore prescribed) of the meteorolo- gical observations made with such thermometer and rain-gage during the year ending on the date of said report. Every such report shall be made with reference (as near as may be) to the close of the year to which it relates ; and the same shall be verified by the oath of the principal, or one of the trustees of the academy. The Secretary shall prepare and distribute to the several academies subject to the visitation of the Regents, suitable forms for the annual reports required by this ordinance to be made by said academies, together with a copy of this ordinance, and such instructions for filling up the blanks in said forms as shall be considered necessary or proper. The following resolution was adopted by the Regents of the University on the 2<6th February, 1834. Resolved, That no students belonging to any academy shall hereafter be considered classical scholars, or scholars in the higher branches of English education, or both, so as to entitle the academy to which they belong to any share of the income of the Literature fund, on their account, unless such stu- dents be of the age of ten years or upwards, at the time of making out the report in which they are claimed to be classical scholars, &c. The academic reports required by the foregoing ordinance of the Re- gents, and the law of the state on Avhich it is founded, to be made by the se- veral academies subject to their visitation, must be made on or before the 1st day of February in each year. The form prescribed for such reports is as follows : [The form of the additional report required from academies in which de- partments for the education of teachers of common schools are established, will be found in a subsequent part of these instructions.] FORM OF REPORT. To the Regents of the Univeisity of the State of New-York. The Trustees of Academy, established at in the county of Respectfully Report : That the condition of their academy on the day of A. D. [here state the day on which the quarter ended nearest to the first of January] was in re- spect to the following particulars, as follows : 8 PERMANENT FUNDS. Academy Lot and Building, (estimated value,) Other real estate, do do Library, Philosophical Apparatus, &c. do do Other personal estate, do do Total amount, • • • • $ REVENUE. Tuition money accrued for the year ending on the said and which has been collected or is considered collectable, $ Interest or income of permanent funds accrued during the said year, and which has been collected or is considered collectable. Total amount, • • • • $ DEBTS. The debts contracted by the Academy, and remaining unpaid on the said amount to • • • • ■ $ MONEY RECEIVED FROM REGENTS, &C. Amount of money received from the Regents of the University since the last annual report, including the balance (if any) on hand of moneys before received, Avas $ This sum has been expended, or is accounted for, as follows, viz : [Here state how.] TEACHERS. The number of Teacher belonging to the said Academy, on the said day of was The following is a list of the names of the Teachers, and the salary or compensation paid or payable to each per annum : Names. 1 Department. | Salary per annum SUBJECTS OF STUDY PURSUED, AND CLASS OR TEXT BOOKS USED. The subjects of study pursued in said Academy, during said year, includ- ing classical and all others, wath the class or text books used on each sub- ject of study, Avere as follows: [Here state all the subjects of study of every description, from the lowest to the highest, arranged in one column alphabetically ; and in a collateral column state, opposite to each subject of study, the class or text books used in studying it, as well in the lowest as in the highest departments; designat- ing each book by its ordinary title and name of author. COMPOSITION AND DECLAMATION. The students in said Academy, required to be exercised in compo- sition and declamation were exercised therein, during said year, as often, on an average, as once in days, as appears from the affidavit of the principal of said Academy annexed to this report, NUMBER OF STUDENTS. The whole number of students (including classical and all others,) belonging to the Academy on the said day of was The number of students belonging to the said Academy on the said day of or who belonged to it during part 9 of the year ending on that day, and who are claimed by the trus» tees to have pursued, for four months of said year, or u^pwards, classical studies, or the higher branches of English education, or both, according to the true intent and meaning of the ordinance of the Regents of the 18th of March, 1828, was A true list of the names, ages and studies of the said students, so claimed by the said trustees to have pursued classical studies, or the higher branches of English education, or both, is hereunto annexed, duly verified by oath, as required by the law of the State and the ordinance of the Regents. ||^T3 Respectfully submitted, I l^-i By order (or in behalf) of the Trustees, H 3 S !_ A. B. President of the Board of Trustees. C D. Secretary [or Treasurer.) »? ^.ti 1 3 & =« S rt jj a> AFFIDAVIT. At the close of the foregoing report, and between it and the list of students annexed to it, an affidavit should be made, in the following form: County of ss. A. B. being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that he is President, (Secretary, Treasurer, or Senior Trustee, as the case may be) of the Academy named in the foregoing report; that the said report is made in conformity to the latest instructions received from the Regents of the University; and that the facts therein set forth or referred to are true, according to the best of his knowledge, information and belief. Sworn, SfC. A. B. REMAKES. Under this head must be stated a general description of the academy edifice; of what the real and personal estate of the academy consist; the number of books in its library; its apparatus; its price of tuition for different studies; the average price of board in its vicinity; all material changes in the condition of the academy since its last report; the establishment of new depart- ments, courses or modes of instruction; with such other matters as the trustees may have to present, either on their own account, or in compliance with the suggestions of the Secretary of the University, submitted by him in a subsequent part of these instructions. Annexed to the trustees" part of the report, and at the time of taking the above affidavit, should be a schedule made out by the principal or some of the teachers of the academy, con- taining a list of the names, ages and studies of the students claimed by the trustees to be clas • sical students, or students in the higher branches of English education, or both. The making out of such a list is the most difficult part of the report; it is also the most im- portant, as it determines the amount of money to be apportioned to the academy for which it is made. The form of the list, presented on the next following page, has been prepared with all the care that could be bestowed on it. It is substantially the same as the form published in the Instructions of 1830; the only alterations being in the caption at the beginning, and in the affi- davit at the close. The caption now contains a summary description of most of the matters re- quired to be inserted in the body of the list; and if it be attentively read, and its contents be borne in mind by the person making out the list, it is not expected that any difficulty will be experienced in making it out. There is, however, one material regulation, recently made by the Regents, which is not adverted to in the caption of the list above referred to ; it is that which excludes from the list all students under the age of ten years at the time the list shall be ^re- pared. (See resolution of the Regents, herewith published.) The form of the affidavit at the €lose of the list is more full and explicit than the one heretofore published; it must be sti-ictly and literally followed. The following is the form of the list above referred to; 10 ^0 i: „ i^ s !3 -■•^ Oi zj CO .ac oo' s '^ ^ r-^i C> ^ S « -* ^ SNi -Si ft? -«i GO "So 2s . -o ■a 00 s o 5 !3 § Co 'co "<3 t-^ Co >^ s '"vS 5^ 00 § ^ =3 ■-si S -^ "*— ^ 40 •^ atr 5> b/c ^ 00 ?^ ..^ ft •CO IS 'TS ^ i~ .s'S 2.^ ^3 g to O %^ 1 c %-* So 3 ■- tn C .Si --a 3 " m 2 2 3 •> n) Cd li to O OT CO o ^ fcfi o ^ CO '^ 1 of Gibson's Surveying, 3 m. i of Tytler's History, 2 m. 2 books of Caesar's Com. 1 m. 2 books of the iEneid, 2 m. 10 pages Graeca Minora, 1 m. 2 books of Csesar's Com. 1 m. 2 books of Virgil's yEneid, 2m. i of Tytler's History, 2 m. o 3 .A ^% ■a ■" 11 2 S m 1 00 pages of Cicero de Ora- tore, 3 m. 2 books Cassar's Com. 2m. 1 Blair's Lee. on Rhet. 3m. Bonnycastle's A.lgebra, to Quadratic Equations, 3m. 3 books Caesar's Com. 3 m. Greek Grammar, 2 m. CO 6 c3 2 a m o CJ a 3 W c *^ 11 .2 6 m Paley's Moral Philosophy, finished, 3 m. 3 next books of Euclid, 3m. d 2 \ of Viri Romae, 3 m. \ of Jacob's Latin Reader, 2 m. CO 6 CO C3 2 (Sj CO o \-i a 3 ty o ^^ -a -^ is" 3^ ^S .2 S m i of Paley's Moral Philo- sophy, 3 m. 3 first books of Euclid, 2 m. 6 g cS ^2 CO ^ 2.2 "S o CO 6 iz; CO C3 o 2 m 6 bO < \n> ^ CO CO 2 § < d CO ffl d "^ i 11 At the close of the list, an affidavit should be added in the following form : County of ss. — A. B. being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that he is principal instructor of Academy, whose annual re- port to the Regents of the University is hereunto annexed ; that the said re- port is made in conformity to the latest instructions received from the Re- gents of the University, and that the foregoing is a just and true list of the names, ages and studies of the several students belonging to said academy on the day of , or who belonged to it during part of the year ending on that day, and who are claimed to have pursued, for four months of said year or upwards, classical studies or the higher branches of English education, or both, according to the true intent and meaning of the ordinance of the Regents of the 18th March, 1828: that none of said students are under the age of ten years, and that such of them as are claimed to be classical students, have actually pursued all the pre- liminary studies required by the first section of said ordinance, to make them such students ; and that such of them as are claimed to be students in the higher branches of English education, had, before they were considered as such students, attained such proficiency in the arts of reading and writing, and obtained such elementary or preliminary knowledge, as is required by the second section of said ordinance, to make them such students: that they have all pursued the requisite studies, and performed the requisite exercises in composition and declamation, (except that females have not been exercised in declamation,) for the period of time required by said ordinance to entitle said academy to a distributive share of the income of the literature fund ; the said exercises in composition and declamation having been as often, on an average, as once in days. All which this deponent affirms to be true, according to the best of his knowledge, information and belief A. B. Principal, <^c. Sworn, &c. REMARKS BY THE SECRETARY OF THE UNIVERSITY. If the principal shall have left the academy before the report be made, that circumstance should be stated in the affidavit, which, in that case, should be made by some other teacher in the academy, if there be any such ; and if not, by some one of the trustees, who should state the sources of his information, and his belief as to its correctness, &c. In making out academic reports, the form given on the preceding pages of these Instructions will, it is hoped, be a sufficient guide. That form in- dicates all the requirements of such reports ; and what is thus required must be fulfilled, or in default thereof, either no pa||^^ the public money will be apportioned to the delinquent academy, or ifapportioned, its pay- ment will be suspended mitil the defects in its report be supplied. Such has now become the settled practice of the Regents in respect to all material de- fects, whether in the trustees' or teacher's part of the report — so that inat- tention to the requirements of academic reports will hereafter be followed, either by a forfehure of all share of the public money, or by a suspension of its payment until the report be perfected. 12 The most common defect in academic reports, is that of not making them under the sanction of the trustees of the academy. Many of them are ap- parently made by the teachers, without any consultation with the trustees of the institution. But the statute of the State, as well as the ordinance of the Regents, contemplates a different course; they both require the academic re- turns to be made by or from the academy ; and that can only be done by or through the trustees of the academy. The trustees are the only represen- tatives of the institution known in law. The teachers are their agents for purposes of instruction, but not for purposes of communication with the Re- gents. The teachers are to report to the trustees, and verify by their oaths the number of scholars taught by them, the different studies pursued in their institution, the length of time spent and progress made in them; but the trustees are to sanction such sub-reports, either by adopting them as their own, at a regular meeting of their board, or by subjecting them to the cor- rection and approbation of a committee appointed at such meeting ; or if it be not practicable to obtain such meeting, and no such committee be ap- pointed, then at least by having them approved of and signed by the presi- dent, senior trustee, or other standing representative of the trustees. Another common defect in the trustees' part of the report, is the omission to have it verified by affidavit. The form of the required affidavit is now so drawn, that if it be read, before it be sworn to, it cannot fail to secure a full compliance with the latest instructions received from the Regents. The teacher's part of the report, consisting of the list of students, their ages, studies, &c. is altogether the most laborious and difficult. Nearly all the defects in academic reports heretofore noticed have occurred in the teacher's part of them ; and to prevent the occurrence of such defects has always been and still is the chief object of all the instructions issued by the Regents. The statute of the State, and the ordinance of the Regents founded on it, as published in the preceding pages of these instructions, should be atten- tively read by every teacher, before he undertakes to make out his list of students, studies, &c. He will there find the following leading require- ments : ^0hk Names and Age?, of Students. The names and ages of all the students included in the list must be par- ticularly stated. The statute above referred to, if construed 'm. its most rigid sense, would require the names and ages, as well as the studies, of all the students in the academy to be stated in the report ; but the Regents consider the reasonable intent and spirit of the act to be satisfied, if the report state 13 the names, ages and studies of the students claimed to be classical, or in the higher branches of English education. Where there is any omission of name, it is of course considered as a blank in the list ; and where age is omitted, it is presumed to be less than ten years, and consequently the claim of such a student to a place in the list is rejected. The form of the teach- er's affidavit expressly requires the names and ages of all students claimed to be classical, &c. to be stated. But notwithstanding that circumstance, it often happens that the ages of students are omitted, and the affidavit of the teacher is thereby falsified, not wilfully, but carelessly. 2^.' Studies pursued, SfC. Both the law of the State and the ordinance of the Regents require the different studies of each pupil, during each term or quarter of the year, to be stated in the report, together with the progress made in each study, or- the part or portions of the author studied. Such a requirement imposes a very laborious and troublesome duty on teachers ; but as it is a requisition of both a law of the State and an ordinance of the Regents, it must be com- plied with. There is no where any discretion to dispense with it ; and a rigid compliance is therefore insisted on. The most common deficiencies occurring under this head of the report are either insufficient exte7it of studies reported, or insufficient description of them. As to the extent of studies required to be pursued, it is to be consi- dered in reference to classical and English studies separately. As to clas- sical studies, the statute above referred to provides, that no student shall be deemed to have pursued classical studies, unless he shall have advanced at least so far as to have read in Latin, the first book of the iEneid. What particular studies are to make up the intermediate stages of the advance, or what in other words shall precede Virgil, not being specified in the statute, it became necessary for the Regents to specify it, which they accordingly did by their ordinance of 1828, in Avhich it was expressly declared that no students in any academy should be considered classical scholars, until they should have studied so much of the common elementary prose authors in Latin, as is equal to one-half of Corderius, one-half of Historia Sacra, one- third of Viri RomEe, and two books of Csesar's Commentaries, and should also have read the first book of the ^neid. The quantum of Latin study re- quired to precede Virgil being thus expressly defined, in terms of the plainest possible import, it Avas not expected to be misapprehended or overlooked. Yet it has heretofore often been, and sometimes still is a subject of the most unaccountable misapprehension or neglect. Students passing directly from grammar, or other like elementary studies, into Virgil, in almost total disre- gard of the intermediate course prescribed by the Regents, are not only claimed to be classical scholars under the ordinance above referred to, but 14 are sworn to be such by the affidavit of the teacher, which is thus falsified by his own showing; thereby afTording melancholy evidence, if not of crimi- nal delinquency, at least of reprehensible indifTerence, in matters of practical business. Both the statute of the state and the ordinance of the Regents above refer- red to, provide that no one shall be considered a classical student, until he shall have completed a prescribed course of study, ending with the first book of the iEneid ; and as it is provided in another part of the statute, that clas- sical studies shall be pursued four months in each year to entitle a student to a share of the public money, it might at first view be inferred, that the four months here required must elapse after a student becomes such a clas- sical one, that is, after his having completed the prescribed course above re- ferred to. But such an inference is not in accordance with the construction given by the Regents to the law, which only provides wheri a student shall be considered classical for certain specified purposes. It does not define or alter classical studies. So that if the prescribed course ending with the first book of the iEneid be completed, and four months be spent in doing it, the requirement of the statute is satisfied, as much as if the four months had been spent in studies subsequent to Virgil. In respect to English studies, the statute provides that no student shall be deemed to have pursued the higher branches of English education, unless he shall have advanced beyond such knowledge of Arithmetic, English Grammar and Geography, as is usually obtained in common schools. The studies preliminary to the higher branches of English education which are here prescribed only in general terms, are more particularly prescribed and defined in the ordinance of the Regents above referred to ; but neither that or- dinance, nor the statute on which it is founded, prescribes or defines what higher branches of such education are or shall be. And hence it often oc- curs in academic reports, that certain studies are claimed to have the rank of higher branches of education, which are not allowed by the Regents to be of that character. The following extract from a report made by a commit- tee of the Regents in 1 829, will exhibit the views then entertained on this subject, which have not been since materially varied. " The ordinance of the Regents, prescribing the requisites and forms of the academic reports, defines the studies which shall be considered preliminary to the higher branches of English education, but does not define what those higher branches shall be. This omission in the ordinance is understood to have been made, partly on account of the difficulty of embracing in any de- finition, all the subjects of study which deserve the rank of higher branches of education ; but chiefly for the purpose of reserving to the Regents the right of determining what shall be considered the higher branches of educa- 15 tion, as they shall, from time to time, be presented in the academic reports. In the exercise of this reserved right, the committee have had no difficulty in considering all kinds of History, Geometry, Algebra, Botany, Rhetoric, Natural and Moral Philosophy, Logic, Chemistry, Book-Keeping, Survey- ing, Mensuration, Navigation, Astronomy, Trigonometry, Constitution of the United States or of this State, Grecian and Roman Antiquities, higher parts of Arithmetic, if particularly specified, Geography, with the use of globes or mapping, as entitled to be ranked among the higher branches of education: but they have had some difficulty in determining on the character which ought to be given to the study of modern languages other than English, such as French, German, Spanish, &c. These subjects of study do not strictly come within the range of an English education, nor can they be considered parts of the classics. They nevertheless appear to the committee to be equivalent in merit to most other subjects of study which are specially favor- ed by the Regents. The committee have, therefore, placed the students en- gaged in these studies, on a par with classical scholars, or scholars in the higher branches of English education. " In some of the academic reports. Geography, English Grammar and Arithmetic, are claimed to be higher branches of English education ; but in all cases where such a claim has been made without any specification to show what particular parts of those branches have been studied, the committee have invariably rejected the claim, considering such studies not above the ordinary grade of studies in common schools." Another committee of the Regents, in a subsequent report on the same subject, made with special reference to the study of Geography, submitted the following remarks : " In the report of the committee of distribution for the last year, the study of Geography, with the use of globes or mapping, was included among the studies appertaining to the higher branches of English education. The pre- sent committee do not propose to reverse the decision of their predecessors in respect to that study, but only to add what they consider an implied quali- fication of it. Geography, with the use of globes, is rightly considered as one of the higher branches of English education, provided the study of it be pursued at a proper time and in a proper way. The proper time for such a study is after the student has gone through with the elementary books on Geography, and the proper mode of studying the use of the globes is by de- monstrating or performing the problems relating to the globe, as laid down in any of the approved works on the subject. The study of Geography in its elementary stages, accompanied by an exhibition of the globes or a refe- rence to the use of them, or by the exercise of mapping, is not such a study 16 as was intended to come within the definition of any of the higher branches of an English education." In a still later report, on the same or similar subjects, the following re- marks were submitted : " In some reports, Geography, Avith the use of globes, is claimed to be among the higher branches of English education, without any designation of the kind of Geography studied, &c. ; but such claim cannot be allowed ; none of the elementary books on Geography can be considered " higher branches of education,^' as they are expressly declared by the act of the Le- gislature and the ordinance of the Regents before referred to, to be prelimina- ry to the higher branches. But after the elementary study of Geography be completed, if the student enter on the study of the more advanced parts of it, such as Physical Geography, &c., as found in the largest editions of Wood- bridge, Maltebrun, &c., and especially if such study be accompanied by ex- ercises on globes, it ought to be considered among the higher branches of education, and where its character is shown by sufficient specification in the reports, it has been uniformly so considered by the Regents. The same re- mark may be made in respect to Arithmetic ; its elementary parts, as defined in the ordinance of 1828, not being considered among the higher branches; but the more advanced parts, if sufficiently specified, being so considered. *' What actually constitutes the higher branches of English education, is not defined by any act of the Legislature, nor by any ordinance of the Re- gents. This omission is not accidental ; but is owing to causes which have been fully stated in former reports made by committees of distribution, and published for the information of the academies. But the studies required to precede the higher branches of education are specially defined in both the law of the State and the ordinance of the Regents ; and it was certainly rea- sonable to expect that none of the studies thus declared to be preliminary to the higher branches, Avould be put forth as part of such branches ; but such expectations have not been realized. In some of the reports, such studies, or others equally inferior, have been treated as higher branches of education; but the claim to have them so considered has in all cases been overruled by the committee." It will be observed, on attentively perusing the ordinance of the Regents of the 18th of March, 1828, (herewith published,) that there is a material difference between classical students and students in the higher branches of English education, in respect to the mode of computing the period of study. If a student spend four months of the year in classical studies preliminary to Virgil, and in the first book of the jiEneid of Virgil, he is a classical stu- dent, within the meaning of the ordinance under consideration ; but if he 17 spend any length of time in the studies preliminary to the higher branches of English education, (specified in the second section of the said ordinance,) he does not thereby entitle the institution to which he belongs to any share of the public money : he must, after having actually pursued all the pre- liminary studies, and-aGC|;uir«d all the knowledge prescribed in the second section of said ordinance, have spent at least four months of the year in the study of the higher branches of English education. If the distinction here stated, between classical and other students, be well understood, much of the difficulty heretofore experienced in making out the academic reports will be obviated. It was observed, in a former part of these remarks, that the most com- mon deficiencies in academic reports might be traced, either to insufficient extent of studies pursued, or to insufficient description of them. Deficien- cies from the former source having been fully noticed, it only remains to consider those from the latter. Insufficient Description. The statute so often above referred to requires a description or particular statement of the studies pursued by each pupil, with the books studied in whole or in part, and if in part, what part. The subjects of study, as well as the books used in studying them, are here required to be stated. It is not sufficient to state either alone. In some instances, the subject studied, such as history, astronomy, &c. is stated with- out any mention of the text books used ; but as the extent and character of any study depend much on the books used, such a description must be con- sidered entirely insufficient Another instance of insufficient description is where studies are described by the words " the same as last" leaving it uncertain whether the last pre- ceding term or last preceding student be referred to. Such references are proper when there is no ambiguity attending them, as in the form herewith published. But the most common fault, under the head of insufficient description, lies in not stating how much of each book is studied. In such cases, we are to intend that the whole book has been read, yet as the time spent on it is given, it often falsifies such intendment, as well as the affidavit of the teacher, in which such intendment is in effect sworn to. To specify all such particulars is, I am aware, attended with a great deal of labor, and not un- frequently with great difficulty, particularly where there are changes of teachers during the year for which the report is made. But as both the law of the State, and the ordinance of the Regents, require the trustees or their teachers to state the part of each book studied during each term, with the time spent on it, &c. the duty cannot be dispensed with, for if it be omitted 3 18 in respect to any student, he can not be considered among the favored class, and no share of the public money will be allowed on his account. If there be only three terms in any academy during the year, that is, it any teim be intended to be one-third of a year, although, on account of va- cations, it may not embrace four full months, yet for all practical purposes it may be considered as four months. Meteorological Returns. The meteorological reports from some academies are so deficient, notwith- standing all the instructions which have been heretofore given on the sub. ject, that the Secretary finds it necessary to be more particular in his remarks than he has heretofore been. The form of registering meteorological ob- servations for each month, as given on page yv of these instructions, must be strictly and literallij followed in every part and particular of it. In some few reports, the half monthly means are not added up or ascertained, and in one instance, vulgar, instead of decimal fractions, Avere used in stating the mean of each day, and the vulgar fractions thus used had different de- nominators, so as to require the process of a reduction to a common deno- minator, before they could be added up. In some cases the number of days of each particular wind, &c. is not stated, and Avhere they are stated, they often amount together to more days than there are in the month, which is plain proof that the account is carelessly kept. All such and other like er- rors are sure to be detected, as every page of every meteorological report, must of necessity be examined critically, in order to make out the meteoro- logical abstract which accompanies every annual report of the Regents to the Legislature. Such errors cannot be hereafter tolerated, and the Secre- tary submits for the consideration of those teachers of academies who are careless in keeping their meteorological journal, whether they do not sub- ject the institutions in which they are employed to the risk of losing their distributive shares of the public money, by their delinquency in the discharge of their duty. Annual abstracts must be made out at the end of the monthly tables, and returned with those tables to the Regents. See the form of such abstracts in a subsequent part of these instructions. The above remarks on defects in the returns of meteorological observa- tions, are made in this place to make sure of their being read by teachers who make out the returns. In a subsequent part of these instructions, many other remarks are made on the same subject, which all teachers who are desirous of having their returns correct will not fail to consult. Uniformity of Academic Reports. Another defect in the academic reports, which has much increased the trouble of examining them, is their want of uniformity. A form for the re- 19 ports has been prepared by the Secretary, and ample instructions given for filling it up; but the teachers of several academies, rejecting the form thus prescribed, have substituted a different one of their own, which, although it may contain the substantial requisites of the one provided for them by the Secretary, must necessarily, by its non-conformity to the established form, add much to the labor of examination. In some instances, the students claimed as classical or in the higher branches of English education, are put down promiscuously with all the other students in the academy, thus sub- jecting the Secretary or examining committee to the unnecessary trouble of separating one class from the other. In other cases, the students claimed as classical, &c. are put down or named in reference to every quarter or term of the academic year, and the studies pursued in it ; instead of naming the students only once, and putting down against their names the studies for all the terms of the year in immediate succession. The difference between the two modes of making the returns, in respect to the labor of examina- tion, &c. is very great. It is desirable to have the academic reports uniform, not only in matters of substance, but also in matters of form. Some reports have been made so as to form a roll, which is very inconvenient, both for filing and examina- tion. They should be in the form of a book, like this circular. All the sheets should be attached to each other ; otherwise the affidavits which re- fer to them as attached, will be insufficient. But the meteorological journal should not be attached to the report, as the report, when received, is to be only folded and filed away, while the journal is to be bound up into a volume for preservation and reference. The size of the paper should be that of common fools-cap, that the returns from all the academies may be conve- niently bound together. All reports should be forwarded so as to be re- ceived by the Secretary on or before the first day of February in each year, and if sent by mail, postage must be paid. In the -last preceding edition of these instructions, the Secretary of the University, availing himself of the opportunity presented on that occasion, for cultivating a more intimate relation, and establishing a more enlarged correspondence with the academies addressed by him, invited the special at- tention of their trustees and teachers to certain suggestions or inquiries ar- ranged under the following general heads : Extent of Elementary Studies. There is reason to believe that in some academies the elementary branches of education, such as reading and writing, considersd as arts to be perfected by practice, and orthography or spelling, considered as a subject of know- ledge to be acquired by study, are practically, if not avowedly, treated as 20 matters of too humble a rank for academic study ; it being understood to be presumed, that such inferior branches of education have been sufficiently at- tended to in common schools, whose peculiar province it is to instruct in them. And such a presumption must be admitted to be reasonable to a cer. tain extent ; as all students, who are pursuing subjects of study appropriate for an academy, must of necessity have passed through the customary course of a common school education, in which reading, writing and spelling, must have formed a necessary part. But it does not therefore follow that these elementary branches of education are not to be any longer cultivated in aca- demies : for whatever proficiency in them may have been made by scholars in the early stages of their education, if their knowledge of them be not kept alive, and matured by repeated exercise, during almost the whole pe- riod of their minority, they will probably lose much of the benefit of their early acquirements. In this view of the subject, it becomes desirable that the trustees should state in their report, how far exercises in reading, writing and spelling are required of the higher classes in their academy. The in- formation desired of them can readily be obtained from their teachers, and it is hoped it will not be withheld, either on account of the trouble of pro- curing it, or any supposed immateriality of it when procured.* Pronwiciation of the English Language. The trustees or teachers of academies, are also requested to state in their report, under the general head of remarks above referred to, what degree of attention is paid in their academy to the correct pronunciation of the English language, and what standard of pronunciation is adopted by them. If the established rules of pronunciation be taught theoretically, and all errors, in the practical application of them, occurring in the ordinary recitations of scholars, and in their daily intercourse with their teachers, be promptly and openly corrected as often as they occur; and especially if such a course be pursued, where it is most needed, in the xise of proper names oi persons and places, there is no doubt, that every scholar of ordinary aptitude for learning, would, in an ordinary course of academic education, acquire a practical knowledge of correct pronvmciation, Avhich, growing finally into an involun- tary habit, he would carry with him through life. Such an acquisition would certainly be of great value, although if gained in the way here sug- gested, it would cost nothing in money, and very little in time; and scho- lars thus educated Avould not exhibit (what has sometimes been witnessed in * In the Albany academy, exercises in spelling are required as a part of the regular course of study in the lower departments, and as often at least, as once a week, in tlie highest depart- menls. Reading and writing are also particularly attended to, especially the latter; as a good hand writing, whether considered as a polite accomplishment, or a practical art, increases in value as society advances in civilization and refinement. Considered as an art, the demand for it in this country is already so great, that it will at any ttme supply to its possessor, (in case his other reliances fail him,) the place of an actual capital yielding a competent and respecta- ble livelihood. The saving of time in reading what is w^ell, compared with what is poorly ■written, is so great, that it is considered good economy to pay an extra sum for good writing. 21 others to the great disparagement of their teachers,) the discreditable con- ''■ trast, or inconsistency, of being always able, and sometimes ambitious, to detect the slightest shade of error in quantity or accent of Latin and Greek words, which they will probably seldom, if ever, have occasion to use in after life ; while they are unable to detect in others, and commit daily in themselves, the grossest errors in the pronunciation of words in their own language of the most daily use. Mode of Instruction. j In respect to the mode of instruction, adopted in academies, (which is one of the matters proposed as a proper subject for remarks from the trustees,) the Secretary avails himself of the occasion to suggest, that inasmuch as the leading objects to be pursued in the intellectual department of education are now generally conceded to be, to make study voluntary and agreeable to the pupil; to cause it to act directly on his miderstanding, and through that me- dium on his memory : to give all his pursuits and exercises such a direction as to cultivate his powers of invention, by requiring him to originate and carry out new trains of thought ; and finally so to communicate instruction and impart skill, as to enable him to apply them to practical purposes in after life, it is desirable that the trustees and teachers of academies should state, in their annual reports, what means, if any, out of the ordinary course of instruction, have been adopted by them, and with what success, for the accomplishment of all or any of the above mentioned objects. Subjects of Study. In respect to the subjects of study proper to be taught in academies, the Secretary, without pretending to claim any right to speak authoritatively, and certainly without wishing to obtrude his own opinion on others, hopes it will not be thought either out of time or place, for him to suggest, that as the current of public sentiment has, for many years, been setting gradually but irresistably in favor of a course of education more and more practical than any before established, it would be desirable, as it Avould tend to promote the popular cause of practical education, if the trustees and teachers of aca- demies were to communicate any peculiar views which they may entertain on this important subject ; and if they should think proper to present such views, with their annual report, they are requested to state Avhether, in the course of instruction established by them, (particularly in reference to stu- dents who are not expected to extend their studies beyond the limits of an ordinary academic education,) any, and what, discrimination is made by them, in the various subjects of academic study, between what is most, and what is least fractical.* * To illustrate what is here meant by practical subjects of study, the following remarks are submitted: The study of Roman antiquities, including whatever of constitutional law Rome possessed, with a minute description of manners, customs, habits, ceremonies, &c., has long been pursued 22 The information received from several academies, in answer to the inqui- ries submitted by the Secretary of the University, together with their own suggestions, on the various subjects proposed for their consideration under in many of our academies and higher seminaries of learning; and the time commonly spent on them is greater than would be required to study the great principles of our own constitu- tional law, with selected parts of our civjl jurisprudence most applicable to the common con- cerns of lile, such as the solemnities required in wills and other instruments, the proceedings necessary to charge endorsers of promissory notes, the statute of limitations, the law of inhe- ritance, the recording act, the common school and highway acts, the right of suffrage and the principles of tlie election law, with the duties required by law from state, county and town of- ficers, and such other matters as are of like applicabilily to the daily occurrences in common life. A general knowledge of tliese latter subjects of study would certainly reward the student with much greater benefits in after life than any thing to be obtained from the study of Gre- cian or Roman antiquities. Yet it not unfrequently happens that scholars who spend quarter after quarter in the study of such antiquities, and who are familiar with all their minutiae, can answer liardly any of the most important questions on our own constitutional law and practical civil jurisprudence. The antiquated constitutions, laws, manners and customs of Greece and Rome, are made subjects of regular study, and cultivated with great assiduity, in several of our academies, while the study of the living praclical subjects of our own consti- tutional lavv, and the every day occurring principles of our civil jurisprudence, is not admit- ted as a part of the academic course. I am not to be understood as intending to disparage the study of Grecian or Roman antiqui- ties, where the student of them is preparing for a liberal education, or aspires to become a man of learning. To such, the study is indispensable ; and to all students of the Latin or Greek lan- guage, however limited may be their views, the study is proper, as tending to illustrate the authors read by them; and indeed, a general knowledge of the antiquities of Greece and Rome, {more condensed than that ordinarily obtained in Adams' Roman Antiquities,) would be com- mendable under any circumstances, as it would greatly facilitate the study of Ancient History, and every thing connected with antiquity. But it does appear to me, that the study of our own constitutional law and practical civil jurisprudence, ought to precede, or be concomitant with, that of Grecian and Roman antiquities; and for the same reason, that the necessaries of life are first lo be secured before its luxuries are to be sought for ; and if a student be so restrict- ed in time, that only one of these subjects of study can be attended to, the former should al- ways be 7;;-e/(»r;vrf to the latter, instead of the latter being (as is sometimes the case,) studied to the exclusion, of the former. Until recently, we have not had suitable books for the study of the practical subjects above referred to ; but a compendious treatise on the outlines of constitutional law, prepared by W. A. Duer, L. L. D., President of Columbia college, and late a Regent of the University, for the use of academies; and a more recent treatise, under the name of " The Young Citizens' Ma- nual, being a digest of the laws of the State of New-York, and of the United States, relating to crimes and their punishments, and of such other parts of the laws of the Stale of New- York relating to the ordinary business of social life, as are most necessary to be generally known, with explanatory remarks," prepared by Alfred Conkling, Judge of the District Court of the United States for the Northern District of New-York, are now before the public, and favorably known as school books. A small treatise on the duties of state, county and town officers, pre- pared and published at Utica, is also before the public, and with the like favorable reputation. The books above referred to have all been introduced into the Albany Academy as text or class books, for the study of the subjects to which they relate, and which have for some time been considered as integral parts of the regular course of study pursued in that institution. In almost all the higher branches of education taught in our academies, there are parts imme- diately applicable to the practical purposes of life, while other parts, although not altogether in- applicable to those purposes, are of an abstruse or speculative character; being designed rather to gratify a taste for philosophical or abstract inquiry, than to subserve any very useful or prac- tical purpose. They are all proper subjects of study, without much discrimination, where students have time enough to attend to them, and have already attended to the more practical parts. But students who are restricted in time, as happens probably to a majority in our aca- demies, and whose great object is to acquire knowledge which will best subserve their future purposes of life, should carefully discriminate, or rather their teachers should discriminate for them, between what is practical and what is abstruse or speculative. To the objection urged against the study of the abstruse or mere speculative parts of science, the answer commonly given is, that the object of such study is not so much to acquire useful knowledge as to exercise and improve the understanding of the learner. But this answer, al- though it meets the objection in part, does not satisfy or remove it; for while the fact of such exercise and improvement be not denied, it is equally undeniable, that the understanding of a pupil may be as much exercised and improved by studying more useful and practical subjects; and the benefits to him will be thereby doubled; for while he improves his understanding, he stores his mind with useful knowledge. On most subjects of study, knowledge acquired is as the time bestowed. The same time spent in studying the most worthless, would have served to gain the same amount of know- ledge of the most useful. How wise then to bestow our time on the one ! how unwise to waste it on the other ! 23 the difterent heads above enumerated, having subserved the very useful pur- pose of communicating from one academy to another, (through the medium of the published reports of the Regents of the University,) any peculiar views entertained, or any special improvements made, or suggested on any matters relating to education, it has occurred to the Secretary, while preparing this revised edition of academic instructions, that similar inquiries might, with a prospect of similar success, be extended to various other subject matters, not less worthy of notice than those above enumerated. The limits, however, necessarily prescribed to him on such an occasion as the present, will not admit of extending such inquiries beyond one or two topics. Physical Education. Education considered in its most extensive sense, that of being a process for improving individuals of the human species, to the full extent of their ca- pabilities, includes physical as well as intellectual or moral improvement. According to the best established theories on the subject, education is held to be properly divisible, and is now commonly divided into three great depart, ments, distinguished in reference to their different subject matters, into phy- sical, moral and intellectual. Of these several departments, the intellectual being considered the most appropriate, if not the most important, for public instruction, has always received, and will doubtless continue to receive in all public institutions, much the greatest share of public attention. Until re- cently, indeed, in most of our academies, as well as colleges, intellectual Avas cultivated to the almost total neglect of physical, if not of moral educa- tion. But since the principles of Physiology, as applied to the human system, have been more thoroughly investigated, and their value more justly and generally appreciated, physical educatioji, which depends on the know- ledge of such principles, has risen in public estimation to a much higher rank than it formerly held. A knowledge of the laws of health or of the means of preserving it, which was once chiefly confined and thought proper- ly to belong to physicians only, has finally found its way into many of our public schools, where it is now cultivated as a regular branch of public in- struction. To cure disease is admitted to be the peculiar office of a physician ; and no encroachment on his professional province in that respect is threatened,. or ought to be allowed; but to prevent disease, which ordinarily consists only in knowing and obeying the laws of health, or in fulfilling the conditions prescribed by nature for its enjoyment, is not a matter of like professional or exclusive monopoly. Nor is it so considered by physicians, many of whom are among the most strenuous advocates for making physiology, and particu- larly that part of it which relates to 'the laws of health, or the means of se- curing and preserving the human system in its best possible condition, a sub- ject of regular study in all our institutions for public instruction. And so general has public sentiment now become in favor of such a study, that noth- ing but a want of suitable text books has prevented its general introduction into our public schools. In vieAV of such considerations, it becomes desirable to ascertain what de- gree of attention is paid in any of our academies to physical education, con- sidered with special reference to health, or to the best possible development of the corporeal or animal functions. The teachers of academies are there- fore requested, (provided they concur in the views here presented,) to com- municate in their future reports to the Regents, the information desired on the subject above proposed, particularly in as far as it relates to ventilation of school rooms; corporeal position of scholars in school, and gymnastic or other exercises out of school, bathing, &c. That it may be seen what im- portance is attached to such matters elsewhere, the following extract from the regulations or instructions established for the government of a Normal school of distinguished celebrity at Edinburgh, is subjoined: "Great attention should be given to the ventilation of school rooms, so that on no account, even for a few minutes their inmates shall breathe bad air. The privileges and advantages of ventilation must be dwelt on ; the tempera- ture of school rooms must be attended to ; there must be no constrained pos- ture either in standing or sitting ; no injury to the spine by want of back support in sitting: and no confinement for more than an hour at a time with- out exercise in open air, with the benefit of rotary swings and other safe gymnastics; rooms when empty, to be well aired by cross windows; and such airing to be repeated hourly when practicable." These regulations are minute, and may at first view appear unimportant ; but not so, it is believed, after further examination. The importance of ven- tilation, especially, cannot well be overrated. It is a subject which has re- cently attracted much public attention, both in this and in other countries, and it is now undergoing a course of investigation and discussion, which is expected to lead to the most beneficial results. Extent of study memoriter or by rote. To suffer a pupil to learn the demonstration of a mathematical theorem, by rote, which is a mere mechanical drill on the memory, without the exer- cise of the understanding, would be condemned as absurd. On the other hand, to require a pupil, in adding or multiplying numbers in arithmetical operations, to rely on his understanding solely, without any aid from me- chanical memory in the use of addition or multiplication tables, would be equally absurd. Hence it is plain that some subjects of knoAvledge must be addressed chiefly to the understanding, while others require only the aid of 35 memory. Conclusions from pre-established premises may be drawn by the understanding without the aid of memory; and so all matters connected by certain relations may, on being once learned in such connection, be afterwards recalled or recollected by a principle of association, which, in such cases, supplies the place, or performs the office of memory. But there are many isolated facts, as well as ultimate principles, often required to be known, Avhen no means of reference are at hand, which can only be recollected when learned by rote, and in proportion as such learning has been acquired in early life, or during the early stages of education, will commonly be its subser- viency to practical purposes in after life. Let any one of mature age un- dertake to estimate the value of having a ready command over such facts and principles, and, unless his early education shall have been different from the common course, he will regret that his store of them is not more abun- dant ; and if it were possible for him to recal and revise what is past, it can not be doubted, that to enlarge that store, Avould be among the first acts of his revision. He would make such matters as the specific gravity of differ- ent bodies, and other like important truths in chemistry, Avith the leading dates and events in history, topographical and other statistics, least liable to change, and most important for common reference, with a multitude of other like matters and things, the subjects of study by rote, or by reiterated im- pression on the memory, for the same reason, if not to the same extent, as the common addition or multiplication tables. The division line between what ought and what ought not to be taught or studied by rote, has never yet been surveyed with precision ; at least sur- veyors are not agreed upon its proper courses and distances. The present is not a suitable occasion to attempt such a survey, nor, were the occasion more opportune, does the writer of these remarks claim the ability to do it ; his only object is to invite teachers to state as matter of fact, what they are accustomed to teach by rote, with their view of what ought to be so taught, &c.* * The writer of these instructions intended at first to present, for the consideration of academic teachers, another subject — thaX oi composition, considered as a scholastic exercise ; but having already reached, if not gone beyond, the limits prescribed to him, he is prevented from exe- cuting his first intention. He cannot, however, forbear to present, in the most unpretending form, that of an appendix note, a few brief suggestions or hints on the subject above referred to, reserving a more enlarged view of that subject for a more opportune occasion, if such a one shall ever occur. Composition is an exercise requiring two different operations of the mind — originating or car- rying on a train of thought, and expressing it in language. How intimately these operations are connected, and how wonderfully they act and react on each other, it is not here proposed to inquire ; all I propose now to do is to offer a few remarks on composition, considered in refe- rence merely to language- Language, in whatever point of light it may be considered, resolves itself ultimately into the use of outward signs for expressing inward thought or feehng ; words being nothing but signs, and their meaning the things signified. In reading printed, or hearing spoken language, which is more or less the daily occupation of almost every person, we are constantly passing from the sign to the thing signified — from words to their meaning; and hence we become so familiar with their connection in that order or relation to each other, where the sign is first presented, 26 Distribution of the Literature Fund. The Literature Fund is now under the care and management of the Comptroller of the State, in the same manner as the Common School Fund, and the mind always passes from that to the thing signified— that we are never embarrassed or at a moment's loss in the ordinary exercise of reading written, or hearing spoken language. A man of common education will read a common English book a whole day, without being at a loss for the meaning of a single word in it. The reason of that is, that during his early educa- tion it was his daily practice to learn, and in after life to retain in memory, the meaning of ■words considered as signs of ideas ; whereby he has acquired such a familiarity with them, that little or nothing further remains for him to learn in the mere art of reading, independent of its ornamental graces. i$ut how immeasurably different with the same man (supposing him to be of the ordinary class,) is the same exercise when reversed — that is, when he is required to pass from the thhig signified to the sign— from thought to language or expression — which con- stitutes the whole exercise of composition, as wc are now considering it. He hesitates — is embarrassed — and at a loss every step he takes ; not because he is ignorant of the meaning of words, or of their connection, considered assigns, with thought, as the thing signified; but because he is not familiar with that connection presented in that order, where the idea or thing signified comes first, and the word or sign of it last. Only give him the sign first, and he passes instantly to the thing signified, because he is daily accustomed to such an operation — to seeing words or hearing sounds, and connecting them with their appropriate meaning. Now if any way can be found to make him as familiar with the connection between words and ideas, when presented in the reversed, as in the direct order, is it not reasonable to presume that he will be as little embarrassed in the exercise of composing for himself, (I speak only m reference to language,) as in that of reading what is composed by others for him? Allowing, perhaps, some dift'erence for the same idea having more signs or words to express it, than the signs or words have ideas or things signified, would not the two diflerent exercises be in the main car- ried on with the same facility ? Assuming such a conclusion to be sustainable, how can we best accomplish so important and desirable an object — that of making the relation or connec- tion between words and ideas — between language and thought — as familiar, when presented in one order as in another — when reversed as when direct? Shall we require more frequent exer- cises in composition, in which the student is always first required to find ideas, and then signs or words to express them ? That would certainly help to accomplish the object, and where there is no want of ideas, and no reluctance to undertake the written expression of them, no better means of accomplishment can be used. But are such means ordinarily the best that can be applied ? The youthful mind is commonly more reluctant to engage in exercises of compo- sition, than in any thing else required to be done. And why is it so ? They who have no want of ideas, and know how to express tliem, feel no such reluctance. On the contrary, they are often ambitious to give body and form to their conceptions, either in written or spoken language. The reluctance then must proceed either from paucity of ideas, or inability to ex- press them, — from want of thought or ignorance of language, or from both causes combined. The latter is probably the most common source of the reluctance, and we shall accordingly so consider it. The question then again recurs, what are the best means of supplying such de- fect or want of thought, and of imparting the requisite knowledge of language ? Without undertaking to enumerate all the means that may be used for such a purpose, 1 will only here specify two of them— translation from a dead or foreign language into our own — and analt/sis of Eno^lish text books. These I consider to be the most leading and important means, not only to remove the reluctance above noticed, and thereby to gain indirectly the principal end above proposed, but also to subserve that end directly. This may, I think, be shown by the follow- ing summary views, which might be greatly amplified, if time and space would permit. In translating from another into our own language, the first step in the process is to find out the thougtit or idea to be translated. When that is done, the next step is, or at least should be, to find English words best fitted, and to collate or arrange them in the order best calculated to express the translated idea, according to the true spirit or idiom of the English language. Here then we have an operation directly the reverse of that which occurs in reading from our own language. Instead of passing from words to ideas, — from the sign to the thing signified, which is all that we do in reading, — we do, in the exercise or act of translation, necessarily pass from ideas to words, — from the thing signified to the sign, thus becoming as familiar with their con- nection, when viewed in the reversed, as we were before in the direct order. Now such a re- versed view is what is always required to be taken in every exercise in composition; and in pro- portion to our familiarity with such a view, will be our facility in composing. In short, to sum up the whole matter in the fewest possible words, translation from one language into an- other is, in respect to its influence on the power of expressing thought in the language to which it is converted, a continued process of composition in the latter language. It is not merely equivalent to such a process, but is such a process itself Here then probably lies the chief, or one of the chief benefits derivable from the study of the Latin and Greek languages. They furnish the most abundant and variegated store of ideas ; and at the same time the collo- cation of their words is so radically diflerent from ours, that the translation of them into our own language serves the purpose of improvement in English composition, in the same manner and to the same extent, as the exercise of clothing or expressing an original idea in its appro- priate English language. 27 The apportionment or distribution of its income among academies is made by the Regents of the University, annually, in the month of February, (ordinarily in the latter part of that month.) As soon as the apportionment is made it is certified by the Chancellor and Secretary of the University to the Comptroller, by whose warrant, the amount apportioned to each acade- my will be paid by the Treasurer of the State, on drafts or orders therefor, drawn on him by the treasurers of the several academies; such drafts or orders being accompanied by a proper certificate from the president or secre- tary of the academy, under its corporate seal, that the person signing said draft is the treasurer of the academy, duly appointed by the trustees there- thereof The draft may be in the following form : To the Treasurer of the State of New-York. Pay to or order the amount of money apportioned or to be apportioned during the present year, to " Academy, by the Regents of the University, out of the income of the Literature Fund. Dated, &c. A. B, Treasurer of Academy, ss. State of New-York, County of It is hereby certified, that A. B. the person signing the above draft or order, is the Treasurer of Academy, above named, duly appointed by the Trustees thereof; and that the said draft was duly signed by him. In witness whereof, the corporate seal of said Academy is hereon im- pressed, this day of, &c. C. D. President or Secretary, [l. s.] (as the case may be,) of Academy. In view of this latter source of benefit from the study of Lalin and Greek, vehat are we to think of the practice, tolerated, if not encouraged in some of our academies, of allowing stu- dents in those languages to consult ad libitum, translations of the books read by them 1 What else can we think of it, than that it tends to defeat one of the chief and most rational objects that can be proposed in such a study — that of improving the inventive faculty in the expression of thought ? How much less irrational is it, than to give to a student a subject for his exercise in composition, and then to write it out for him? What is it, in short, but giving him at once both a sign and the thing signified, without requiring or allowing any exercise of his own facul- ties ? But although we might greatly enlarge on this topic, our limits, both in time and space, forbid its further prosecution. We have only room to add a very few remarks on the exercise of analyzing text books. The analysis of English text books may be so conducted, as to subserve the purposes of im- provement in English compobition, in much the same manner, and for the same reasons, as translation from a foreign language into our own. The text book furnishes a train of thought, expressed in language more or less peculiar to each author; and if the student be required to express the same thought in his own language, to borrow only the author's ideas, but not his words, he will necessarily exercise his mind in finding signs or words for ideas, — that is, in passing from the thing signified to the sign, in much the same manner as if he were translat- ing a foreign into his native language, or clothing an original idea in its appropriate words. If such be a correct view of the case, how much to be condemned must that practice or mode of instruction be, which allows a student, in analyzing a text book, to use in all cases the lan- guage of its author, or which does not admonish him of his error, when he does so use it. G. H. 28 If there be no seal of the academy that fact should be stated in the certi- ficate. By an act of the Legislature, passed April 22d, 1834, (Session Laws of that year, chap. 140,) the Regents are required to distribute $12,000 annu- ally to the several academies entitled to participate in the public money, which sum is to be expended by the several academies receiving it, " exclu- sively towards paying teachers' wages." The Regents had before required it to be so expended, but it is now matter of law, and a neglect of such a legal provision will subject the delinquent academy to a forfeiture of its fu- ture share of the public money. The act above referred to having authorised the Regents to apply the ex- cess of the annual income of the Literature Fund, over $12,000, to the pur- chase of books and apparatus for the use of academies, on certain conditions therein mentioned, an ordinance in relation to that matter was adopted by the Regents on the 1st of May, 1834, of which the following is a copy: ORDINANCE. The Regents of the University having been empowered by an act of the Legislature, "relating to the distribution and application, of the revenues of the Literature Fund^'' passed April 22, 1834, to assign, in their discretion, to the several academies and schools subject to their visitation, certain parts of said revenue, not exceeding $250 a year to any one of said academies and schools, to be applied to the purchase of text books, maps and globes, or philosophical or chemical apparatus, for the use of such academies and schools, subject to such rules and regulations as the said Regents shall pre- scribe : And it being provided by the said act, that no part of the moneys so to be assigned to any academy or school, shall be actually paid over to them, un- less their trustees shall " raise and apply an equal sum of money to the same object,^'' (which said provision, according to the decision of the Regents here- tofore made thereon, requires said sum to be raised from sources other than the corporate funds already possessed by said academies and schools:) And the Trustees of sundry academies, in compliance with a resolution of the Regents of the 25th of April, 1834, having signified their intention to raise and apply certain sums of money for the purposes contemplated by said act, in case they receive from the Regents an equal sum of money to be applied for the same purposes ; but no evidence having as yet been pre- sented to the Regents, that the said sums of money so intended to be raised and applied by the said trustees, have been actually raised, or secured to be raised in the manner required by the said act ; and the trustees of some of said academies in declaring their intention to raise said sums of money, having acted on the presumption that the same might be raised by an appro- priation out of their existing corporate funds, which is contrary to the true intent and meaning of the said act as understood and adjudicated by the Re- gents: And it appearing to the Regents to be intended by the said act, that the books and apparatus to be purchased as therein contemplated, should be ap- proved of by them : 29 Be it therefore ordained by the Regents of the University, First. That no part of the revenue of the Literature Fund, to be assigned to any academy or school for any of the purposes contemplated by the said act, shall be paid over to such academy or school, until the trustees thereof shall certify and declare under their corporate seal, that the money required by said act to be raised and applied by them for the same purposes, has been raised by contribution, donation, or from other sources independent of their ovrn corporate property : That the same has been actually paid to their treasurer, or satisfactorily secured to be paid to him on demand therefor, to to be applied for the purposes above mentioned, designating said purposes by specifying the particular books, maps and articles of apparatus proposed to be purchased by them. Second. Whenever (but not oftener than once a year, and during the an- nual session of the Regents,) the trustees of any such academy or school shall present to the Regents the certificate required by the preceding section of this ordinance, the Regents will, in case such certificate, or the matters therein contained be satisfactory to them, appropriate out of the revenue of the Literature Fund set apart for that purpose, (being the excess of said re- venue over $12,000) so far as the same shall be sufficient for that purpose, after first satisfying and paying thereout the appropriation already made by them for the support of the departments for educating teachers of common schools established in certain academies, a sum of money equal to what shall appear from such certificate to be raised for the purposes therein spe- cified, (but not exceeding the amount allowed by said act,) to be applied to the purchase of such books, maps and articles of apparatus as shall be spe- cified in such certificate, or to the purchase of such other books, maps and articles of apparatus, as the Regents shall designate and direct to be pur- chased in lieu thereof, or of part thereof; notice of the articles so to be de- signated and substituted, being given to the said trustees. Third. Whenever any appropriation shall be made by the Regents pur- suant to the provisions contained in the last preceding section of this ordi- nance, it shall be the duty of the chancellor and secretary of the university to certify the same to the Comptroller of the State, that the same may be paid by him according to the statute in such case made and provided. Fourth. The secretary shall cause this ordinance to be printed, and copies thereof to be sent to all the academies and schools in the State subject to the visitation of the Regents. A true copy. GIDEON HAWLEY, Secretary of the University. Cofy of an Ordinance passed May 10, 1836. The Regents, considering the amount of money already appropriated, and which may hereafter be appropriated, pursuant to their ordinance of the 1st of May, 1834, and the act of the Legislature therein mentioned, to sundry academies for the purchase of books and apparatus, and it appearing to them proper that more satisfactory evidence of the manner in which such money is expended, should be furnished to them, Ordam, That the trustees of every academy, to whom any money has been appro- priated for the purposes above mentioned, be required to render in their next annual report to be made by them, a particular and specific account of the 30 manner in which such money, together with the money raised by them for the like purposes, has been expended ; and that the trustees of every acade- my, to whom any such money shall hereafter be appropriated for similar pur- poses, be required to render a like account of such expenditures in their an- nual report to be made by them next after receiving such money. INCORPORATION OF ACADEMIES. The following is a copy of a resolution of the Regents of the University^ relative to the incorporation of Academies, 6fC. originally adopted w 1801. Resolved, That in future no academy ought to be incorporated, unless it shall be made to appear, by satisfactory evidence, to this Board, that a pro- per building for the purpose hath been erected, and finished and paid for"; and that funds have been obtained and well secured, producing an annual nett income of at least $100, (increased in 1815 to $250;) and further that there be a condition in the charter of incorporation, that the principal or es- tate producing said income, shall never be diminished or appropriated, and that the said income shall be applied only to the maintenance or salaries of the professors or tutors of the academy. The fund above mentioned must consist of real estate, yielding a nett rent of $250 per annum ; or of bonds and mortgages, or public stocks, yielding an annual income of $250 in perpetuity. The academy building can form no part of the fund, nor tuition money any part of the income above men- tioned. The form of the application for the incorporation of an academy will be found in the Revised Statutes, Vol. 1, page 461. On the 25th day of March 1834, an ordinance was adopted, of which the following is a copy: That the founders or benefactors of any academy, or of any school establish- ed, or to be established, for the instruction of youth, on the system of Lan- caster or Bell, or any other system of instruction approved of by the Board of Regents, or as many of such founders as shall have contributed more than one-half of the property collected or appropriated for the use of such academy or school, shall, on making application to the Regents for a char- ter, present satisfactory proof to the Regents, that they own property yield- ing a nett annual income of $250, and that they are seised of an estate of inheritance in a lot suitable for a site for such academy or school, and that they have erected a building sufficiently commodious for the uses and pur- poses of such academy or school, and that such lot and building are free and clear of all inc^umbrances. All the facts required to be shown by any of the foregoing resolutions or ordinances must be verified by affidavits. Titles to property should be examined and certified in the ordinary way by counsellors at law. 81 INCORPORATION OF COLLEGES- On the 20th day of May, 1836, the following ordinance, relative to the incorporation of colleges was adopted : ORDINANCE. 1. Resolved, That every future application that may be made by a citi- zen or citizens or bodies corporate in this State to the Regents of the Uni- versity, for the purpose of founding a college within this State, under the sixth section of the act passed 5th April, 1813, entitled "An act relative to the University," shall satisfactorily exhibit to the Regents, that it is the in- tention of such founder or founders to provide a fund of at least $100,000 to be invested in bonds and mortgages, on unincumbered real estate, within the jurisdiction of this State, and such investment to continue for at least five years from the time of such endowment : such real estate to be worth at least, by its estimated value, twice the amount of the money so secured thereon • and also to provide for such proposed college a suitable lot or lots, with a building or buildings erected or to be erected thereon, which shall have cost or will cost such founder or founders at least the sum of $30,000 ; or which shall reasonably be worth that sum ; and that before any ordinance shall be passed by the Regents for a charter to be granted for the incorporation of such college, the Regents shall be satisfied that such endowment has been fully made, agreeably to the provisions of this ordinance. 2. That in any case in which it shall otherwise appear to the Regents of the University, that the state of literature in any academy is so far advanced, that it might be expedient that a president should be appointed for such aca- demy, agreeably to the provisions of the seventeenth section of the act afore- said ; yet the Regents will not in such case deem the funds of such academy sufficient for such purpose, nor will they in any such case signify their ap- probation thereof, under their common seal, unless the funds belonging to and held by the trustees of such academy for the exclusive use and benefit thereof shall be proved satisfactorily to the Regents, to be worth at least $130,000, including the fair value of the real estate, the buildings erected thereon, and the funds invested, which may yield a revenue to such acade- my. A true copy. G. HAWLEY, Secretary. Ordinance of the Regeyits of the University for the establishment of de- partments for the education of teachers of common schools in certain Academies selected by them for that purpose. At a meeting of the Regents of the University, held pursuant to adjourn- ment, on the 20th day of January, 1835. The Regents having resumed the consideration of the report, presented at their last meeting by Mr. Dix, relative to the education of common school teachers ; and after some time spent thereon, the report having been accept- ed, it was thereupon resolved, That the Board do concur with the committee in the general views and considerations presented by them in their report : That the Regents, duly appreciating the great magnitude and value of the object, contemplated by 32 the Legislature in appropriating part of the income of the Literature Fund for the education of common school teachers, will, so far as the limited means imder their control will enable them, co-operate in promoting so great and valuable an object. That considering the plan, presented by the committee in their report, proposing the establishment of a department for the educa- tion of teachers of common schools, in some one academy in each Senate district of the State, as the best and most feasible that, under existing cir- cmnstances, can be devised, this Board do therefore adopt said plan, and will cause the same to be carried into execution with all convenient speed; and to that end, the Regents, moved by the considerations aforesaid, do Ordain and Declare, 1st. That in some one of the academies subject to the visitation of the Regents of the University, in each of the eight Senate districts in this State, a department for the education of teachers of common schools be established, on the foundation, and in the manner particularly defined and set forth in the report of the committee above referred to ; and that for the establishment, or first organization of said departments, there be appropriated out of the mo- neys belonging to the Literature Fund, now in the treasury of the State, the sum of $4,000; and out of the annual income of said fund, the sum of $3,200 for the annual support of said departments, to be paid on the condi- tions hereinafter particularly set forth, and to be expended for the purposes, and in the manner, proposed by the committee in their said report. 2d. That until otherwise directed by the Regents, the departments con- templated by the foregoing section of this ordinance, shall be established in the following named academies, viz : . Academv. Kings county. Orange county. Columbia county. St. Lawrence county, Herkimer county. Chenango county. Ontario county. Genesee county. Provided that the trustees of said academies shall, on receiving official no- tice of this ordinance, together with a copy of the report above referred to, signify to us, by a resolution to be adopted at a regular or special meeting of their board for that purpose held, and to be certified by their president and secretary under their corporate seal, their consent that such departments be established in their respective institutions for the purposes aforesaid ; and their express agreement, in consideration of the appropriation or endowment to be made for them as aforesaid, to institute and conduct such departments on the foundation, and in the manner, particularly defined and set forth in the said report; and to observe, execute and fulfil, all such orders, rules and regulations as the Regents may from time to time ordain or prescribe in re- lation thereto. 3d. That whenever a certified copy of the resolution, required by the last preceding section of this ordinance, shall be received by the secretary of the University, and duly filed in his office, the trustees of each of the said aca- * In 1836, Washington academy, at Salem, Washington county, was substituted in place of this, which had previously resigned the trust to the Regents. For the 1st District,* Erasmus Hall . A.cad( do 2d do Montgomery do do 3d do Kinderhook do do 4th do St. Lawrence do do 5th do Fairfield do do 6th do Oxford do do 7th do Canandaigua do do 8th do Middlebury, do 33 demies, adopting and transmitting sucli resolutions as aforesaid, shall be en- titled to receive out of the moneys belonging to the Literature Fund, now in the State treasury, their proportional part of the $4,000 appropriated by the first section of this ordinance for the purposes therein mentioned, to be expended by them for said purposes ; such proportional part to be hereafter determined by the Regents, according to the relative wants and circumstan- ces of said academies, to be ascertained from a comparison of the reports about to be made by them, in obedience to a resolution of the Regents here- tofore adopted for that purpose ; and the said trustees shall also be entitled to receive at the same time, the further sum of $400, out of the annual in- come of said fund, to be applied to the support (for the first year) of the departments about to be established by them as aforesaid ; and annually thereafter, (until otherwise directed by the Regents,) the said trustees, after first making the annual report hereinafter required of them, shall be enti- tled to receive out of the income of said fund, the like sum of $400, for the like purposes aforesaid, to be apportioned and paid to them in the manner particularly provided for in the next following section of this ordinance. 4th. Whenever the trustees of the several academies, designated, or to be designated for the purpose contemplated by this ordinance, shall have ful- filled the conditions on which they are herein declared to be entitled to the special endowments made, or provided for them as aforesaid, and the amount thereof shall be ascertained in the manner required by the last preceding section of this ordinance, it shall be the duty of the Chancellor and Secre- tary of the University, to certify to the Comptroller of the State, the amount which said academies shall respectively be entitled to receive out of the in- come of said fund, to the end that the Comptroller may have the requisite evidence of their right thereto, to warrant the payment thereof And an- nually thereafter, Avhenever a general apportionment of the income of said fund shall be made among the academies entitled thereto, a special appor- tionment of the said $3,200 shall be made among the academies designated or to be designated by the Regents, as entitled thereto, and the same shall be certified to the Comptroller, and be thereupon payable at the same time, and in the same manner, as is, or shall be, provided in respect to the said general apportionment. 5th. The trustees of the several academies designated, or to be designa- ted, for the purposes aforesaid, shall, together with the annual report, alrea- dy required to be made by them to the Regents of the University, present a full and detailed statement or report of the progress and condition of the de- partment for the education of teachers of common schools, to be established by them as aforesaid, according to such form as shall be prescribed by the Secretary of the University, by instructions to be for that purpose prepared by him in accordance with the provisions contained in the report of the com- mittee above referred to. 6th. That the Secretary cause the report of said committee, together with this ordinance, to be printed, and copies thereof, with such instructions as are above required to be prepared by him, to be sent to the trustees of all the academies in the State subject to the visitation of the Regents of the University; and further, that a copy of said report, ordinance and instruc- tions, be transmitted by the Regents to the Legislature, as part of their an- nual report. A true extract from the minutes of the Regents of the University. GIDEON HAWLEY, Secretary. Albany, January, 1835. INSTRUCTIONS, <^c. The Secretary of the University, in compliance with a provision con- tained in the foregoing ordinance, requiring him to prepare suitable forms for the academic reports therein mentioned, submits the following instruc- tions : The trustees of the several academies, in which departments for the edu- cation of teachers of common schools shall be established, will, as heretofore, be required to make the same general annual reports to the Regents of the University, as other academies are required to make, in respect to all mat- ters not relating specially to the department for common school teachers. In respect to such matters, they being entitled to the same distributive shares of the income of the literature fund, as other academies, must for that reason, comply with the same regulations. But in addition to their general report, they w^ill be required to make a special report on the progress and condition of the department for the education of common school teachers established in their academies. Such special report should contain all the matters enu- merated, or suggested, by the committee of the Regents in their report here- with published. But it should not contain Avhat is embraced in the general report, as that would be doubling, what ought to appear single. And in or- der to show that the matter of one report is not blended with similar matter in the other, the several parts of the general report relating to money re- ceived fro?)i the Regents; to the subjects of studi/ pursued in the academy ; to the class or text books used in it; and to the number of students taught, ^c, ought to be qualified with a clause, excepting from those parts Avhat re- lates to the department for common school teachers. Take for example the subjects of study which form a separate head in the general report ; the statement under that head should be in the following form : The subjects of study taught in the academy during said year except what were taught in the department, or to scholars belonging to the department for common school teachers, were as follows : And so Avith other parts of the report, that whatever belongs to the depart- ment for common school teachers, or relates specially to students in that de- partment, may be exhibited separately, to enable the Regents to have a cor- rect view of its actual condition. It is not hoAvever to be inferred, from any thing here said, that students belonging to the department for common school teachers, are to be kept or taught separately by themselves. On the con- trary, it will be seen from the report of the committee of the Regents, that a promiscuous union of such students Avith others in the academy, in all pur- suits or exercises common to both classes, is expressly recommended by them. The separation above mentioned as necessary to be observed, re- lates only to the form of the academic report, not to the mode of study in the academy. The special report on the department for common school teachers may be in the following form : To the Regents of the University of the state of Ncav- York. The trustees of academy, in addition to their general or annual report hereAvith transmitted, submit the folloAving special report, on the pro- gress and condition of the department for the education of common school teachers established in their institution. 1st. Organization of the Department. Under this head state what amount of money \A'as received from the Re- gents, and Avhen, for the first endoAvment of the department ; hoAv it has been 35 expended, with a specification (in a schedule or inventory to be annexed,) of the several articles of apparatus, books, &c., purchased with it; whether the same are still on hand, and in Avhat condition. Also, under this head should be stated what teachers, if any, have been employed on account of the department, what compensation is paid or allowed to them annually, and what the whole annual expense incurred on account of the department is ; that is to say, the expense, as estimated by the trustees, over and above what would have been incurred, if no such department had been established ; also, the amount, if any, received or charged during the last year for tuition of students belonging to the department, and particularly on what ground such charge has been made ; how it differs from the tuition charge to other stu- dents, and what the views of the trustees are in respect to charging for tui- tion of students in the department. Under this head also, should be stated what examination applicants for admission into the department are subjected to ; what evidence is required from them of their intention to become teachers of common schools ; whether the course of study, discipline, and exercises, prescribed for them by the Regents, (as the same is particularly defined and set forth in the re- port heretofore published,) be strictly pursued by such students, and if not so pursued, wherein, and for what cause there is a departure from it ; also, such general or particular views, as the trustees may have to present, in re- lation to any defects discovered by them in the organization of the depart- ment, and how the same may best be remedied; together with such other matters relating to organization, as they may have to submit or suggest. 2d. Subjects of Study pursued^ and Class or Text Books used. Under this head, should be stated in one column, every subject of study taught in the department, and opposite to it, in another column, the text or class books used for teaching it ; where there are several editions of the same book, the one used should be particularly stated, and if the cost of each book should be added, in another column, it would afford useful information to those who are preparing to enter the department. 3d. Number aiid Classification of Students. The whole number of students belonging to the department on the day of (state the day to which the general report relates,) was ,,,..,..... 60 Of which number there have been connected with the department for a period not exceeding one quarter or term of the academy, .^...^■...-.•. 20 For a period exceeding one, but not exceeding two terms, 10 For a " " two " " three terms, 5 For a " " three " *' four terms, • . • • 8 And so on until all the students in the department are classified according to the length of time spent in it. A true list or catalogue of the names, ages, places of residence, and stu- dies, of the several students belonging to the department, is hereunto annex- ed, and verified by the oath of the principal of the academy. In making out the list or catalogue above referred to, the form of a simi- lar catalogue prescribed for the general academic report, by instructions from the Secretary of the University herewith published, will be a sufficient guide, after adding to that form a new column for the places of residence, (both town and county,) of the students named, «fec. ; and after substituting the following caption in lieu of the one there given, viz : 86 The following is a true list or catalogue of the names, places of residence, ages, and studies of the several students belonging now, or at any time during the past year, to the department for the education of teachers of common schools established in this academy, with a specification of the different studies pursued by each of said students, and the length of time the same were pursued in each quarter or term of said year, designating said studies by the ordinary name or title of the book or treatise studied, and stating the part or portion of each book so studied, and the time spent in studying the same during each of said terms. The affidavit at the close of the list or catalogue of students, studies, &c., should be in the following form : County of ss. A. B. being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that he is principal instructor of Academy. That according to the best of his knowledge, information and belief, the foregoing is a just and true list of the names, ages, places of residence, and studies, of the several stu- dents belonging to the department for the education of common school teachers established in said academy; that the said students, before they were admitted into said department, were found, on examination duly made, to have attained such a proficiency in the arts of reading and writing, and to have acquired such elementary or preliminary knowledge, as is required by the second section of the ordinance of the Regents, of the 18th of March, 1828, to make them students in the higher branches of English education as therein defined. That the said students have severally been exercised in composition and declamation as often on an average as once in days, during the time they have been connected with said department, and that the facts set forth in the report hereunto annexed are true according to the best of this deponent's knowledge, information and belief Signed, A. B., Principal,