New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-07-10
COMMON SCHOOLS IN NEW-JERSEY.

making an aggregate of s,665. OF these I27s7 are
natives and 5s7s foreigners, which is about in the
roaio OF two natives 20 foreigner who cannot read
and write At the taking OF the census fbe population
OF New-Jersey 4se $40, of which num- er 25,slO
were coored 46J. 500 whites. The ratio of colored
adults no cannot read and write TO the whole coored
population Is crery FIRE, the ratio OF white adIiis
who cannot read or write 10 the white population
one in crery fLrfytrO. The ratio Of adult white men
who cannot reed ard write TO the male population IS
one in every thiriy-eght, while the ratio among the
white females is one in every twentyeght, which
seems TO indicate some foul play among the Lords
of New-Jers,y toward the fair lex. The ratio among
tie colored males and females is about equal
Taking the whole population the ratio Of adults who
cannot re I'D and write is one ~ ere Y treHty-s'r.
The ratio of ns,ive Americans who cannot read and
write is one in ertry hirfytr0, lalmost and among
the foreign population the ratio is one IN erery ten
From this it will appear that the ratio OF those who
caIr OF read and write is oDe in every five OF the COL
ored cue in every Of the foreign, and one IN every
thi1ty.iwo # the native population.
II We take Morris county, the northwestern part OF
which is full Of minerals which are worked principally
bv IyHkpeo,le. we find almost half of the adults who
cannot read and write foreigners In Essex, con-
tanning Newark Ehzabethtowp, Bloomfield, &c. with
extensive factories in which many foreigners are en-
Moved. there are eight hundred and twenty-five more
n esn adults who cannot read and write than natives
When the census was taken the immense mineral
beds in Sussex county, among The finest in the coun-
try were left undisturbed TO great degree, and then
in that county there were 93l adult natives and q
admit foreigners who could not read and write. An eN-
ANNA Of that county now would no doubt show
that old Sussex has received with her foreign miners
large influx Of adults who must make their mark
five take come of the counties we fad the follow
inc result: In Morris County the ratio Of its adults
who cannot read and write is to it's population one IN
every orty.eght in Essex the ratio Is one in every
tvepiysx in Sussex the ratio one in every twenty
three; in Passac it is one in every ten almost and
in Cumberland IL is one IN almost 'Usry sir IL Som
erset The ratio is one IN erery hundred and etghy
niue Somerset is the banner county for the few
ness of its adult non readers, and Cumberland must
take the banner for the other extreme. Somerset u
rich agricultural county with scarcely any mines or
manufactures to draw large bodies of foreigners;
and as for Cumberland, l suppose the phrases 1.-THE
barreus" "the pines" 90 largely to acc unt for the
state Of education there. Warren County, also
beautiful farming region, has the second best ratio IN
the State that il, one in every sxtyone of her pop
ulaiion who cannot read and write.
Those who are acquainted with the mineral dis
rcts of the State are aware of the fact that the ac
ties of education ave quite limited partly IN conse-
ope1ce of the straigh ened means of the masses, and
nnry from actual indifference 20 the subject. The
regions which lie among the mountains OF Passaic,
Morris. Sussex and Hunterdon have districts where
con mon schools are in most deplorable situation
In many parts the land is owned by a few, some OF
II ose few aye non-resdents and the masses of the peo
pie ire poor barely s1bsistng by days labor Some
Of the districts spanely settled.
IL is plain enough that NewJersey is not where she
ought to be- and it is cheering to see signs OF change
The Report of John H. Phillips, State Superintendent
of Public Schools, was published not very long ago,
and from this it would change for the bet
ter is taking place. In this Report Mr. Phillips says:
"The past year has been one of especial interest IN
"tbe history of education in New-Jersey, and may
"unhesitatingy affirm that at no former period has
so general an interest been exhibited on the subject
"The active zeal and interest manifested by the peo-
"ple as well as the teachers in regard 70 schools,
Teachers Institutes and other educational meetings,
il alike remark abe and indicates not only an in
"cieasrg interest on the subject Of Common School
education, but what is better, principle, fixed,
general and earnest has been bego'ten in the minds
and settled in the hearts Of the people that the work
"is good work, that il can and must be carried on
From the Report il appears that there are 100 town
.hps cities towns &C., 1876 school districts, con-
timing 6s OBJ children between the ages Of five and
eighteen years Ofthese 1885, O4O have attended school
some norton of the ast year. which is an increase OF
almost coo over the attendance the previous year.
Tie amount raised and appropriated to school pur-
noses during the last year was $685. Of this about
so2l coo were raised by tax. The townships have
raised $50 900 more for school purposes than during
the year previous, furnishing abundant proof that
the people estimate the importance and value Of edu-
cation and are willing voluntarily to tax themselves
"EberalIy for its support Eight years ago the amount
"appropria,ed for school purposes was $780, now
at is nearly six times that amount-a gain OF $1,000
sin tie last eight years. During the same period the
"pumler Of scholars has Increased from 81, 40 to
"l6s. O3I." This il encouraging.
The last Legislature passed On act to establish
"Teacl ers Institutes which certain easy condi'
,,s were aided by the State. Eight Institutes have
been b. I'd in Essex Hunterdon Mercer, Morris. Som
erser Sussex and Warren Counties $50 Teach
ers attended these Conventions. The expert
"erce of the pact year furnishes abundant proof Of
The value of the Insitution in swaking teachers to
lust appreciation Of the magnitude and responsibility
=, the work in hich they are engaged, giving them
new impulse to improvement, Nor Il it, effect on the
people less important By Tie discussions, lectures
and exercses ofhe Il situte heil aiestion has
"leen aroused to tie importance Of education, and
." there has been diffused am ng hem more correct
" and III eral views on the subject
Of'he Common School Teachers employed the last
year, col we're males and 7so females. The average
sssry Ier snI um Of the former was si7 and OF he
latter sso9. This indicates room for Improvement in
N allie. II t.achora which DO not make a very re-