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had much to learn, and the obscurest had something to teach.
Our Institute continued in session four days, and but for the
intense heat would have continued longer, as the interest was
unabated.

Upon the adjournment of the Institute, a Teachers' Asso-
ciation was formed, which, according to its constitution, must
meet once each term. Already there have been two meet-
ings, with full attendance, the proceedings of one of which,
with reference to sustaining our school law, and suggesting
amendments, I had the honor to present to the Association
of School Commissioners, at its last meeting.

Of the results of these Institutes and Associations, suffi-
cient time has elapsed to enable me to speak confidently. The
teachers who attended them entered upon their duties at the
beginning of the present school year with renewed zeal; the
indifferent were stimulated, and the weak and timid were en-
couraged. The good teacher felt the spur of ambition to dis-
tinguish himself among his fellows, while in the whole body
was engendered that esprit de corps, which is so necessary in
every profession. Our teachers are beginning to take pride in
that prominence which excellence in any calling, bestows.
Many of the suggestions and plans laid before the Associa-
tion, are now acted upon in the schools in different parts of
the County, and with great success. Teachers themselves say
they are now better teachers than they were before, and I
can substantiate what they declare. Unused black-boards
are turned to account; outline maps are asked for; books to
prosecute higher branches of study are demanded; school
journals subscribed to, and our teachers are acquiring the
first of all qualifications, a desire to know more, that they
may teach better.

I must unite my voice with that of almost every school of-
ficer and teacher in the land, in lamenting that evil, which,
of all others, most impairs the usefulness of our common
schools, the irregularity of the attendance. It has become
so great as almost to threaten the existence of a Public
School system. The teachers and many interested in the
subject of education, are demanding that legislative action
should be had, compelling the parent to send his child to
school, at least a part of the year. This would not be in
accordance with the spirit of our institutions, and would
hardly be tolerated by our people. No one is willing to be
compelled to do right. The other remedies for this evil are
so slow of action that the teacher who is harrassed by the
loss of discipline in his-school, the complaints of parents of
the small progress of their children, the increase of his labor,
by the multiplication of his classes, is ready to abandon his
school in despair. If he must wait for the community to be
educated to such a point of appreciation of education that
the parents will not keep their children at home to save a
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