and inaccuracy, which destroy all confidence in the statistics given. These failures are owing usually, perhaps, to the meagerness in some of the District Reports, but sometimes, also, to the baste or inexperience of the Inspectors. The errors in the Directors' Reports, which doubtless are the main cause of errors in the Inspectors' Reports, are owing in part to the failure of the teachers to keep the school roll, as required by section 43, and partly to the neglect to make and preserve the full financial statements and records required from the District Boards and Directors, by sections 63 and 64 of the Primary School Laws. The successful operation and development of our system of Public Instruction, demand that full and reliable returns be made annually to the central Department, that the officer who presides over that Department, and whose duty it is to watch carefully the working of the whole system, may have constantly full information as to its general progress and success. Perhaps the general system of reporting now in use, cannot be materially improved at present. Some amendment, however, would be made in the Reports if the teacher was required to return the school roll, verified by oath, before he was entitled to his wages; and if the Directors were required to make full returns, under all the heads in their Reports, and attest the same by oath, in order to entitle the District to its share in the public moneys. PRIMARY SCHOOL STATISTICS. Annual reports of School Inspectors, for the school year ending the first Monday of September last, have been received from six hundred and eighty townships and cities, or from twenty-two more than reported the previous year. In the tabular statements in the appendix, will be found a full exhibit of the statistics reported for the several counties. The general summary for the year is as follows: Number of school districts reported,..... 4,268 Increase over the number reported the previous year, 65 Number of districts reporting graded schools,..... Increase for year,............. Number of districts reporting 100 children, and au- Number who attended under 5 or over 20 years of age, " Number of male teachers employed,... 116 13 251 261,323 6,790 207,332 4,828 9,264 6 3.4 2,380 699 69 Districts supposed to have libraries, but not reporting, Received for tuition of non-resident scholars,. . . . . 11,481 68 Library moneys received from fines, &c.,.... Funds not reported-errors in reports,......... 84,352 89 other purposes, . . . . . 161,460 54 5,989 52 35,425 22 Amount reported on hand Sept. 1st, 1862,.... 94,321 92 Total,......... $783,394 04 By reference to the abstracts in the appendix, it will be seen that the receipts foot up at,.... $751,938 19 Expenditures, Deficiency in receipts,. 762,977 19 $11,039 00 In the first above statement, the difference is in the totals under each heading, of all the counties; and in the abstracts, it is in the totals of the several counties, as carried out by the district directors. Amount paid or due Boards of Inspectors,.... $6,403 63 2,803 97 The following exhibits, in tabular form, the statistics of the Union Schools from which full reports were received for the school year: 218 133 7.7 $600 001 116 89 8.5 $387 531 $425 921$2 91 Bay City, 450 253 10 5 Buchanan, 5038 25 5 62 900 00 3 264 00 262 701 2500 001 1 5 600 00 486 001 2700 00 1 3 376 00 155 00 756 88 3 05 Union City 201 140 8.0 28000 00 3 10 1 4 |