11. Enlarging the powers and duties of County Superintendents, in details too numerous to mention.

12. Payment of County Boards of Examination.

13. Postage and Expressage Fund for County Superintendents. 14. Increasing the salaries of County Superintendents.

15. Authorizing County Superintendents to equalize district boundaries.

16. The election of Trustees for a term of three years instead of

one.

17. Requiring the District Clerk to furnish the schools with pens, ink, stationery, and school incidentals, at the expense of the district.

18. The establishment of graded schools.

19. Providing for the legal establishment of separate schools for children other than white children.

20. Limiting the school time of children under eight years of age to four hours a day, exclusive of intermissions.

21. Establishing a system of school, libraries by the reservation of ten per cent. of the State School Apportionment.

22. Authorizing a State subscription for an educational journaltwo copies for each school district, one for the District Clerk, and one for the school library.

23. Life diplomas for teachers.

24. State educational diplomas, valid for six years; and first, second and third grade State certificates.

25. Establishing City Boards of Examination.

26. Authorizing the State Board to issue State certificates on county examinations with the State series of questions.

27. Authorizing the State Board to recognize the Normal Schooldiplomas of other States.

28. Requiring all Boards of Examination, whether State, city or — county, to be composed exclusively of professional teachers who are holders of State diplomas, or first grade city or county certificates.

29. A State tax of eight cents on each $100 of taxable property. 30. Requiring a minimum county school tax of $3 per census child, and increasing the maximum tax to 35 cents on each $100.

31. Authorizing and requiring School Trustees to levy a district school tax sufficient to keep a free school five months in a year. 32. Changing the school year to correspond with the State fiscal year, July 1 to June 30.

AVERAGE LENGTH OF SCHOOLS.

The average length of time during which public schools are maintained during the year is 7.2 months. Last year, for the first time in the history of the State, all the schools were kept free to all pupils for a period of from 3 to 5 months, according to the number of children and the taxable property in the district.

It marks an epoch in the school history of the State. Had rate bills been levied as before, during the entire year, the average length of the term of tuition in the schools would doubtless have been increased.

The death-blow to rate bills has been given, and they will soon be among the things of the past.

Last year 21,200 pupils attended schools which were kept open and entirely free for 9 and 10 months in the year.

10,000 more attended schools which were entirely free, but were kept open less than 9 months.

The number of schools maintained from 3 to 6 months was 387; from 6 to 9 months, 281; and from 9 to 10 months, including San Francisco as 208 schools of 60 children each, 422.

SALARIES OF TEACHERS.

The average monthly salaries of males teachers is $77; of female teachers, $64.

As the average length of schools is 7.2 months, the average annual salary of male teachers is $554; of female teachers, $460.

Even if teachers were employed for the whole school year of 10 months, which is the case only in the city schools, the average annual salary of a male teacher would be only $770 a year, from which deduct $300 for twelve months' board at $25 per month, and there would remain only $470 as the net proceeds of a year's work. Deduct from this $100 for clothing, and the salary stands at $370.

Trustees in some parts of the State who complain that the salaries of teachers are too high, and that school expenditures are extravagant, will do well to consider these figures.

The admission of teachers into the occupation is virtually in the hands of the teachers in this State now engaged in teaching. Elevate the standard of admission, and the occupation will soon become a respectable business. It will soon be better paid than brute labor. No occupation is more laborious; none wears out muscle and brain faster. It is only in the vigor of early manhood that a man can follow his profession. Shall he, then, be paid no more than the mechanic, or the day-laborer who shovels sand on the streets? The brain labor of the skillful teacher ought to be as well paid as the brain labor of the lawyer, the physician, the clergyman, the editor. He ought to dress as well and live as well. His profession ought to cost him, and often does, as much time and money as other professions. He ought to be paid a salary sufficient to enable him to supply himself with a library, and the periodical literature of the day. He should have a salary sufficient to enable him to live respectably, dress neatly, and move in the intelligent circles of society like other educated men. He should be paid enough to support a family. Teachers well paid can devote all their time and energies to the schools. They are not greater philanthropists than their neighbors whose children they educate. None of them teach from pure love of teaching. They do their duty, and expect their pay for it; it is the way in which they earn their living. They ought not to be expected to break mental bread to the children of others and feed their own with stones. Good teachers are not to be estimated by their daily salary of five dollars. Persons enough could be found in the State at half the present rates, but the people would be the losers. It is the teachers who give character and efficiency to the schools. The State may legislate, the

people may vote taxes, and build schoolhouses, but the teachers build schools, and mold character, and act on mind. High salaries will attract talent and skill, and hold them both in the schools. Low wages will fill the schools with bunglers, and waste the public money. If the people of California desire to lay well the foundations of the State for all future time, they must employ skilled master-masons to hew the corner-stones.

SCHOOL LIBRARIES.

The school library system provided by the School Law of 1866 is in successful operation.

It was established in accordance with my recommendation in the biennial report for 1865, as follows:

After studying the plans of other States, and considering the subject in every possible relation, I have come to the conclusion. that the following plan is the most practicable one which can at present be carried into effect in this State:

It should be made the duty of the County Superintendent in each county to annually set apart ten per cent. of the State apportionment of school moneys to each district, provided ten per cent. does not exceed fifty dollars, and to cause it to be held by the County Treasurer, as a District School Library Fund; and it should be the duty of Trustees to expend this fund for library books, provided that when the amount is less than ten dollars the sum may remain in the treasury until, together with subsequent apportionments, it shall amount to that sum.

It should be made the duty of the State Board of Education to prepare an extended list of books suitable for school libraries, and from the published list Trustees should make all their selections for purchase. Such a provision would protect the libraries from trash literature and useless books. The Trustees should be made librarians, with power to make the teacher a deputy.

RELIGIOUS EXERCISES IN SCHOOL.

The report treats at length on the vexed question of religious exercises, and Bible-reading in school. A few items read as follows:

The Constitution of California (Art. 1, Sec. 4) provides that "the free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed in this State."

Section 60 of the Revised School Law, reads as follows:

"No books, tracts, papers, catechisms, or other publications of a sectarian or denominational character, shall be used or distributed in any school, or shall be made a part of any school library; neither shall any sectarian or denominational doctrine be taught therein; and any school district, town or city, the officers of which shall knowingly allow any schools to be taught in violation of these provisions, shall forfeit all right to any State or county apportionment of school moneys; and upon satisfactory evidence of such violation,

the State Superintendent and County Superintendent shall withhold both State and county apportionment.”

Section 70 reads as follows:

"It shall be the duty of teachers to endeavor to impress on the minds of their pupils the principles of morality, truth, justice, and patriotism; to teach them to avoid idleness, profanity, and falsehood; to instruct them in the principles of a free government, and to train them up to a true comprehension of the rights, duties, and dignity of American citizenship.”

The School Law, then, is silent as to whether or not a public school shall be opened by the reading of the Bible or by prayer. It does not exclude the Bible; it does not make the use of it compulsory; it does not forbid the teacher from opening school with prayer; it does not compel him to do it. It leaves the whole question to be decided by Boards of Education, Trustees, teachers, and the people, as their judgment may dictate.

The present is an age of the largest and broadest personal liberty of religious opinion; the children of all classes are found in the common schools; and school officers and teachers should manifest a tender regard for the religious scruples of both Jew and Gentile, Protestant and Catholic, and hold the schools free from any violation of the great principles guaranteed by the National and State Constitutions, that every man be left free to worship God as he pleases, and to teach his children his own religious faith.

The great purpose of the common school is intellectual culture, as a foundation of moral and religious education; for without intelligence, religion degenerates into bigotry. It is left for the home, the Sunday-school, and the church, to teach forms of religious faith and worship. If each does its work without interference with the other, the result will be harmonious. If the church attempts to make the public school both a church school and a Sunday school, the result will be disastrous.

CO-EDUCATION OF THE SEXES.

I believe that the presence of boys and girls in the same school, far from being injurious to either sex, exerts a mutually beneficial influence. My belief is based on many years' experience in public school teaching, on an extended observation of schools, and on the opinion of the most enlightened and progressive educators.

CONCLUSION.

Since 1863, our public schools have been quietly and peacefully revolutionized. In the grand events of national history, in the building of cities, the construction of roads, the settlement of land titles, and the excitement of life incident to a new State, the progress of schools is hardly noticed except by those who are most directly interested in them. Then, we had little to be proud of in our educational record; now, California will not suffer by comparison with the most progressive educational States in the Union.

Then, the annual amount of money raised for public schools was $480,000; now, it is $1,287,000, or nearly three times as much.

Then, there was no direct State tax for the support of schools; now, the State tax is 8 cents on the $100, giving an annual revenue from this source alone of $120,000.

Then, the State apportionment was $130,000; now, it is $260,000. Then, the amount raised by county and city school taxes was $294,000; now, it is nearly $600,000.

Then, the amount raised by district taxes, voted by the people, was $7000; last year the amount was $73,000, or more than ten times the amount raised in 1862.

Then, the maximum county school tax allowed by law was 25 cents, and the minimum required to be levied, nothing at all; now, the maximum tax is 35 cents, and the minimum tax must be equal to $3 per census child, which in many counties requires the maximum rate of 35 cents.

Then, the amount raised by rate bills of tuition was $130,000; now, it is only $79,000, showing a rapid approximation to a free school system. Three-fourths of the pupils now attend free schools during the year, and all are secured by law the right of a free school, either for three months or five months, in proportion to the size of district.

Then, the total expenditure for schools amounted to a percentage on the assessment-roll of the State, of 30 cents on each $100; now, it amounts to 58,10 cents on the $100.

In 1862 the amount expended per census child was $6.15; last year it was $12.61.

In 1862 the amount expended for schoolhouses was $49,000; in 1865 it was $257,000.

Then, the average length of the schools was less than six months in the year; now, it is seven and four-tenths months-an average length of schools which is exceeded only by Massachusetts and Nevada, of all the States in the Union.

Since then, while the number of census children has increased twenty-six per cent., the average number attending the public schools has increased more than fifty per cent.

The stronger hold which the schools have taken on public opinion, the greater skill, earnestness and enthusiasm of teachers, the consequent improvement in methods of instruction and classification, the use of better text-books, the deeper personal interest of parents, the neater and more commodious houses-all these together constitute an advancement which cannot be expressed by a contrast of statistics.

Then, we had no system of professional examinations, no educational society, no organization, and little professional pride; in fact, a man generally apologized for being forced to resort to teaching until he could find something else to do.

EXAMINATION OF TEACHERS.

Then, the “old schoolmasters" of San Francisco were examined every year by doctors, lawyers, dentists, contractors and business men, to see if they were fit to teach the common school" they had been teaching years in succession. There was no standard of qualification, except the caprice of "accidental boards." Through