Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 31.djvu/628

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
610
THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY,

and General Assemblies of Pennsilvania and New Jersey, that all Persons inhabiting in the said Provinces do put their Children seven years to the publick School, or longer, if the Parents please.

"2. That Schools be provided in all Towns and Cities, and Persons of known honesty, skill, and understanding, be yearly chosen by the Governour and General Assembly, to teach and instruct Boys and Girls in all the most useful Arts and Sciences that they in their youthful capacities may be capable to understand, as the learning to Read and Write true English, Latine, and other useful Speeches and Languages, and fair Writing, Arithmatick, and Book-keeping; and the Boys to be taught and instructed in some Mystery or Trade, as the making of Mathematical Instruments, Joynery, Turnery, the making of Clocks and Watches, Weaving, Shoemaking, or any other useful Trade or Mystery that the School is capable of teaching, and the Girls to be taught and instructed in Spinning of Flax and Wool, and Knitting of Gloves and Stockings, Sewing, and making of all sorts of useful Needle-Work, and the making of Straw-Work, as Hats, Baskets, &c, or any other useful Art or Mystery that the School is capable of teaching.

"3. That the Scholars be kept in the Morning two hours at Reading, Writing, Book-keeping, &c, and the other two hours at work in that Art, Mystery or Trade that he or she most delighteth in; and then let them have two hours to dine and for Recreation, and in the afternoon two hours at Reading, Writing, &c., and the other two hours at work at their several Imployments.

"4. The seventh day of the Week the Scholars may come to school only in the fore-noon, and at a certain hour in the afternoon let a Meeting be kept by the Schoolmasters and their Scholars, where after good instruction and admonition is given by the Masters to the Scholars, and thanks returned to the Lord for his Mercies and Blessings that are daily received from him, then let a strict examination be made by the Masters of the Conversation of the Scholars in the week past, and let reproof, admonition, and correction be given to the Offendors, according to the quantity and quality of their faults.

"5. Let the like Meetings be kept by the School-Mistrisses, and the Girls apart from the Boys. By strictly observing this Good Order, our Children will be hindred of running into that Excess of Riot and Wickedness that youth is incident to, and they will be a comfort to their tender Parents.

"6. Let one thousand Acres of Land be given and laid out in a good place, to every publick School that shall be set up, and the Rent or incom of it go towards the defraying of the charge of the School.

"7. And to the end that the Children of poor People and the Children of Indians may have the like good Learning with the Children of Rich People, let them be maintained free of charge to their Parents, out of the Profits of the school, arising by the Work of the Scholars