TEACHERS' DESKS.

This (No. 1,) is a style

of Teacher's Desk manufactured by STEPHEN SMITH, 44 Cornhill, Boston, which is very generrally used in the schools of Boston and vicinity. It is made of cherry or mahogany, and 5 ft. long by 2 ft. 6 inches widewith a level top, covered with cloth, and with drawers on each side, leaving an open space for the teacher's feet. The front next to the school is neatly finished.

No. 2 represents a desk 3 feet long by 2 feet wide, made generally, in style and material, like No. 1, except that one half of the top is flat, and the other half inclined.

We have had a desk resembling this constructed with a drawing board, of nearly the same size of the top of the desk, inserted like a drawer immediately below it; and also with a large slate, on which the teacher could enter all minutes, memoranda, &c., inserted on the right immediately over

the drawers represented in the cut. The front of either of these desks could be neatly finished in a case, with shelves to receive the books of reference, where they could be conveniently consulted, and also protected from the dust.

No. 3 is a style of movable desk and stool, on a platform raised six inches from the floor, recommended in the Minutes of the Committee of Council on Education. The standard is of iron with a shelf below the desk.

PLANS AND DESCRIPTIONS OF SCHOOL-HOUSES, RECENTLY ERECTED IN RHODE ISLAND.

By the school law of Rhode Island, as revised in 1845, a school district cannot receive its distributive share of any appropriation made by the State, or the town in which the district is located, for the support of public schools, unless such district has complied with the requirements of the law, and, among other things, unless one or more public schools have been taught in the district by a teacher properly qualified, in a school-house approved by the school committee of the town. To enable the districts to comply with this provision of the law, the general power of taxation, for this and other school purposes, is conferred on a majority of the legal voters of every school district. To protect the property of a minority, and especially of non-residents, from an abuse of this power, and, at the same time, to secure a suitable school-house for the district, the amount of tax to be levied, and the location, and plan of the school-house must be approved beforehand by the school committee of the town, or the Commissioner of Public Schools for the State. It is also made the duty of the State Commissioner, "to diffuse, as widely as possible, by public addresses, and personal communication with school officers, teachers, and parents, a knowledge of existing defects, and desirable improvements in the administration of the school system." Under these provisions much has been done towards furnishing the public schools with spacious, attractive, and convenient school-houses. Prior to 1844, there was not a public school-house in the State, out of Providence, which could be pointed to as a model in the essential features of such a structure. In one half of the towns, the public schools were taught in buildings owned by proprietors, many of which were erected, originally, for other purposes, and all of them were unfit for children at school; they were badly located, small, inconvenient, and dilapidated. The attention of parents and school officers was early, earnestly, and perseveringly called to the almost necessary connection between a good school-house and a good school, and to the immense injury done to the comfort and health of children by the too common neglect of ventilation, temperature, and furniture of school-rooms. The subject was introduced into every public address, as a preliminary step in the work of educational improvement. Six thousand pamphlets, containing a variety of plans of school-houses for large and small districts, and for schools of different grades, were scattered over the State. Plans and details of construction were gratuitously furnished to builders and committees. Efforts were made to get up at least one model house in each county, in which the true principles of school architecture should be carried out, and could be seen. Men of wealth and intelligence in the large districts were seen and interested in the erection of new and commodious structures, which should be ornamental to their villages, and attractive and comfortable to the children. School committees were instructed to withhold the public

money from districts whose houses should be considered by them as not school-worthy.

The results have fully justified the practicability of these and other efforts—a complete renovation, nay, a revolution, having passed over the school-houses of this State. Old, dilapidated, repulsive, inconvenient houses having given place to new, neat, attractive and commodious structures, in a majority of the districts. Liberal appropriations have been freely voted; and men of business and taste have accepted the supervision of the expenditure. Rhode Island can now boast of more good school-houses, and fewer poor ones, in proportion to the whole number, than any other State-more than one hundred and fifty thousand dollars having been voluntarily voted for this purpose in less than three years, not including the city of Providence. The few poor houses which remain, if they can resist much longer the attacks of the elements, cannot stand up against the accumulating weight of public condemnation.

In the following pages will be found plans and descriptions of a few of the best school-houses, which have been recently erected in Rhode Island, for schools of different grades. They are not presented as faultless specimens of school-architecture, but as embracing, each, some points of excellence, either in style, construction, or arrangement.

Although the author of this treatise, as Commissioner of Public Schools for Rhode Island, was consulted in almost every instance by the local building committee, and was always gratified in having opportunities to furnish plans, or make suggestions-yet he was seldom able to persuade the committee, or the carpenters, to carry out his plans and suggestions thoroughly. Something would be taken from the height, or the length, or the breadth ;-some objections would be made to the style of the exterior or the arrangement of the interior; the plans recommended for securing warmth and ventilation were almost invariably modified, and in very many instances entirely neglected. He desires, therefore, not to be held responsible for the details of any one house, as it now stands-for being thus held responsible, he should probably receive credit for improvements which others are as much entitled to as himself, and should in more instances be held accountable for errors of taste, and deficiencies in internal arrangements, against which he protested with those having charge of the building. But with some reservation, most of the school-houses recently erected in Rhode Island can be pointed to as embracing many improvements in school architecture. Mr. Thomas A. Teft, of Providence, much credit is due for the taste which he has displayed in the designs furnished by him, and for the elevations which he drew for plans furnished or suggested by the Commissioner. He should not, however, be held responsible for the alterations made in his plans by the committees and carpenters having charge of the erection of the buildings after plans furnished by him.

To

The following are among the features which the Commissioner has

endeavored to secure in the best class of school edifices, respecting the location, or plan of which he was consulted, or called upon officially to act :

1. A location, healthy, accessible from all parts of the district; retired from the dust, noise, and danger of the highway; attractive, from its choice of sun and shade, and commanding, in one or more directions, the cheap, yet priceless educating influences of fine scenery.

2. A site large enough to admit of a yard in front of the building, either common to the whole school or appropriated to greensward, flowers and shrubbery, and two yards in the rear, one for each sex, properly inclosed, and fitted up with rotary swings, and other means of recreation and exercise, and with privies, which a civilized people never neglect.

3. Separate entrances to the school-room for each sex; each entrance distinct from the front door, and fitted up with scraper, mats, and old broom for the feet; with hooks, shelves, &c., for hats, overcoats, over-shoes, and umbrellas; with sink, pump, basin and towels, and with brooms and duster, and all the means and appliances necessary to secure habits of order, neatness and cleanliness.

4. School-room, in addition to the space required by aisles and the teacher's platform, sufficient to accommodate with a seat and desk, not only each scholar in the district who is in the habit of attending school, but all who may be entitled to attend; with verge enough to receive the children of industrious, thoughtful, and religious families, who are sure to be attracted to a district which is blessed with a good school-house and a good school.

5. At least one spare room for recitation, library, and other uses, to every school-room, no matter how small the school may be.

6. An arrangement of the windows, so as to secure one blank wall, and at the same time, the cheerfulness and warmth of the sunlight, at all times of the day, with arrangements to modify the same by blinds, shutters, or curtains.

7. Apparatus for warming, by which a large quantity of pure air from outside of the building can be moderately heated, and introduced into the room without passing over a red-hot iron surface, and distributed equally to different parts of the room.

8. A cheap, simple, and efficient mode of ventilation, by which the air in every part of a school-room, which is constantly becoming vitiated by respiration, combustion, or other causes, may be constantly flowing out of the room, and its place filled by an adequate supply of fresh air drawn from a pure source, and admitted into the room at the right temperature, of the requisite degree of moisture, and without any perceptible current.

9. A desk with at least two feet of top surface, and in no case for more than two pupils, inclined towards the front edge one inch in a foot, except two to three inches of the most distant portion, which should be level, and covered with cloth to prevent noise-fitted with an ink-pot (supplied with a lid and a pen-wiper,) and a slate, with a pencil-holder and a sponge attached, and supported by end-pieces or