Education was very important in the New England colonies. The first public schools in the colonies were started there. In 1647, Massachusetts passed a law requiring all towns with 50 or more families to hire a teacher to instruct their children how to read or write. Parents were encouraged to contribute to the school, in the form of money or goods. Schools were one-room schoolhouses, on land that was usually donated. Most schools had one book, "New England Primer", that was used to teach alphabet, syllables, and prayer.