New-York daily tribune., 1843-02-04
WHOLE no. sos.

from the or lS4U, as cited oy the report OF
the late Secretary just referred TO. that there were
then in the City of New-iork 6s,952 children De
tween the ages of four and sixteen, and there
fore proper subjects for these Schools; and that
only 3075s were returned as attending Schools of
any description, public or private; leaving, Of
/ course, no less number than 50 1874, receiving
no instruction whatever. But turn back TO page
| 25 OF tho same document, No. u OF the Assem-
bly and it appears from the straig ght-forward and
| luminous report of Mr.. Randall, then the Acting
Superintendent Of the State, that during tbs year
| end;p. OF the lst of MAY, lS4l 9 ons hundred
and seventeen Schools had been kept open in New
York, in which al ,3s5 children between the ages
| Of feur and sixteen, had been uoder Instruction
for greater or less period of time; and that OF
these. all excepting 1928 were ,augh, in the
Schools of the Public School Society. his state
ment, founded upon the official reports OF The
Commissioners of School Moneys in the City of
York, it will be perceived, Is very widely at
variance with the before re-mentonea hsures OF alr.
Secretary Spencer. When, moreover, the late
Secretarys estimate of un-schooled children shall
be vet farther reduced By many thousands, by
the deduction Of schools other than those IN charge
of the Public School Society and those otker
Schools in New-York which enjoy the aid OF the
School Fund, am greatly in error if 1t will not
Der of children in the City of New-York in attend
ance upon some of the schools, at least for por-
tions Of the year, than in any other County OF the
State And in this conaecton it is well to re-
member that the average time in which the School,
are kept open in the Country, is less than eight
months in thc year, while the Schools in New
York are open all the year round with the exceP-
ton OF the August vacation. come now to the
estimates, to which have already referred in ad
vance, of the probable number of pupils in the
many Schools OF New.York, not in charge of the
Public School Society Those estimates are as
follows:
Estimated number Of Pspis in Private Schools 5000
Charity and Common Schoek'.... S5eo
I" Roman tthoic Schools. ......:.. $500
f" Boarding Schools and pupils under -,
Privatesiastrucuon 1,OO
27UOO
Add the number ss pupils who have received ins,ruc
tion in The Public Schools during tue last quarter .sE
Total. ........;....;........i.o oe'zH
Being only six thousand seven hundred and th'r-
ty-four short of the census. Thus appears, then
after all the out.cry respecting the elected child.
rem in the City Of New-York, that of the 62,952
of the proper age, hfty-six thousand two hundred
and seventeen are actually receiving instruction in
the course of the year, in Schools OF some sort-
Certain it is that the Public School Society has
larger register and attendance at the present time
than at any former PERIOD ana the schools are suii
on the increase; and some OF them embarrassed
by the numbers in attendance, for want OF more
extended accommodations. These facts go 10
show that there is no want of attract1VencSs, nor
of pie;lance of discipline To secure regular attend
ance-the absentecs being, according 10 'ntorma-
ton furnished ne by Mr.. Seton, seven per cent.
less than in the schools OF the city OF Boston. In
deed, the per centual of absentees from the New
York Schools, is thought to be surPrizlngy small,
when we consider the nature and conditlon OF our
city opulation-diversi6ed by larger infusion OF
foreigners than other city in the Union and OF con-
sequence less homogeneous than any other, causing
so many un.oward citcums ancss to induce chiidren
to play the truant-to say nothing OF necessary alb
sences from school, tmay not be amlss,Perhaps, 10
enumerate few of the sources OF truancy on the
part of the children in low and illregulated taml
lies. In the first place, the innumcrabie attrac
,ions of great commercial mart. The shops
alone attract by their displays many children, who
spend the whole day in the streets. Many hund-
reds of boys spend their time, day after day, In
louuging about the wharves and market places, TO
pick up whatever small articles fall in their way
Hundreds are employed in picking up chips, Blocks
and fragments of wood in tho ship-yards, and
wherever carpenters work is in progress at
tending boatraces ship-launches, and running after
nusic.grinders, fte companies, and militia mus
ters. Many hundreds are kept out constantly py
their parents in getting Goals and cinders and saw
dust for fuel; picking up rags, paper bones, &c.
There are more than thousand children VINO are
compelled by their parents TO keep IN the streets
month in and month out, as beggars, especially OF
cold victuals. In the summer season, there must
be two or three Thousand children in the streets
selling fruit, rcdishes, &C., &c.; venders OF
matches by shoals are in the streets at all seasons
AZ. inSe
venders of the cheap newspapers. All these en-
ploymen,s are demoralizing in their tendency, and
their effect is not only destroy all desire tor
schools, but for the preservation OF good habits
This enumeration will be greatly increased BY add
ing the boys lounging about the markets Tor JOBS;
those idling their time by fishing from The wharVes
the attendants upon bowling allies and the many
hundreds of vagran urchins always IN the streets,
pi,chiag coppers, and playing at other trIhng
games. There are, likewise, many branches oi
mechanical and productive labor which give honest
employment to boys-thousands OF them within
The ages allowed in the schools; and such employ
nent dminishes the attendance, and consequent,
.wes the number of those reported as being cut OF
the pale of instruction. And if you will look to
the table of ages accompanying this report, you Will
doubtless be struck with the snail comparative
iumber sf pupils in the schools between twelve and
sixteen. The reason Is obvious. ne poorer
classes Of people cannot afford to allow their child
rem the privileges OF the schools after their labor
caa be made productive. Hence majority OF boys
are taken from scheoi by the time they are twelve
years of age. Indeed it appears from the returns
that thrteenjou7tsenths of tho children IN oaf
schools are under the age of twelve years. Large
numbers of boys and girls are employed IN the I'm
mense printing establishments OF the city In Vsfi-
-, hsa,.ba. rs labor asd In the ok-oin6erIes.
Children by hundreds are also employed in
polishing brass nails choppiag whalsbone; 10
tobacco factories for rolling segarsi winding
l,.N c... G,c R,c For all theae