ind, that it is as
much trouble to accomplish business in this way, as it would be to
attend to it directly himself,--yet after a very little experience, he
will find that his pupils will acquire dexterity and readiness, and will
be able to render him very material assistance in the accomplishment of
his plans.

This, however, _the assistance rendered to the teacher_, is not the
object. The main design is to _interest the pupils_, in the management
and the welfare of the school,--to identify them, as it were, with it.
It will accomplish this object; and every teacher, who will try the
experiment, and carry it into effect, with any tolerable degree of
skill, will find that it will, in a short time, change the whole aspect
of the school, in regard to the feelings subsisting between himself and
his pupils.

Each teacher, who tries such an experiment, will find himself insensibly
repeating it, and after a time he may have quite a number of officers
and committees, who are entrusted with various departments of business.
He will have a secretary, chosen by ballot, by the scholars, to keep a
record of all the important transactions in the school, for each day. At
first, he will dictate to the secretary, telling him precisely what to
say, or even writing it for him, and merely requiring him to copy it
into the book provided for the purpose. Afterwards he will give him less
and less assistance, till he can keep the record properly himself. The
record of each day will be read on the succeeding, at the hour for
business. He will have a committee of one or two to take care of the
fire, and another to see that the room is constantly in good order. He
will have distributors for each division of seats, to distribute books,
and compositions, and pens, and to collect votes. And thus, in a short
time, his school will become _regularly organized, as a society_, or
_legislative assembly_. The boys will learn submission to the majority,
in such unimportant things as may be committed to them: they will learn
system and regularity; and every thing else that belongs to the science
of political self government.

There are dangers, however. What useful practice has not its dangers?
One of these is, that the teacher will allow these arrangements to take
up too much time. He must guard against this. I have found from
experience that fifteen minutes each day, with a school of 135, is
enough. This ought never to be exceeded.

Another danger is,