New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-12-09

Education, at the present time, OF considerable I'M
pCrtance. For several years, public attention has
been called to the great lack in the attendance OF
children on our Ward Schools. Wards have been
cabvassed and various estimates have been made,
until finally the conclusion with the best authorities
is, that from so 600 to &C, 900 children in the city
do not attend school at all The causes seen to be
various. Poverty, bad habits, negligence ofparents
and ignorance of the language, all combine TO keep
a certain class away. The Ward Schools are not
meant for any one class alone; they are for all.
Still they do not reach all. Whether it be- the pride
of the parent, the lthiuess Of the child, or the
necessity of employing him in the trades OF the
street the result is that he is not put in with other
children in the Public Schools. So we have, as an
effect, some half hundred thousand children grow
ing up more or less ignorant under the chance Of
falling into many bad habits. With such popu-
laton increasing on us, it is wonder Border Ruff
fanism and the Rum interest have their head.
quarters here.
The question has been before the public for some
years, What shall be done The first important
effort to cure the evil was made BY private indivd-
uaIs, in the shape Of Schools for the Poorer
Industrial Schools" as they were called We com
mended these schools In the outset, and have given
them throughout our cordial support. We view
them as attempting that which is the duty Of al
governments and all sOcety-the giving to each
individual the utmost opportunity for the best e1-
erci.e Ct his faculties. The poor have their rights
with respect to education and society must regard
them. Still, private effort, however devoted and
faithful, could never completely remed, such a
wide extent of evils as exist here No individual
charity could ever provide schools in New.York for
, rn. or even twenty thousand children. There
must be combined acnv,. Oh our whole public,
through its official organs.
The plan now up for consideration is that The
Board If Education should be allowed by the
Legislature u enlarge their sphere of action, and
should open new schools, now called Primary In.
dustria Schools, for the very poorest class in the
city. These schools should be open at the hours
of the day most convenient to the occupations Of
this class Of children. The occupation taught
should be sewing, or some simple mechanical
branch. The children should be selected for each
school by visitors employed for the purpose, who
should 20 out to find the Migrants and little beggan
ana DrlDg them IN. Inc ponce are 10 carry OUT
the Truant law, as is done in Boston, and compel
the children not truly engaged in business to attend
these schools. The Primary Industrial School can
thus become stepping stone to the Ward Schools,
as these are to the Free Academy.
There are dsngers connected with this scheme,
and before the act is called for from the Legislature
these must be carefully considered. We must have
no premium on poverty. The vagrant ought not to
have more advantages than the respectable poor
The schools must first make the restitution of their
pupils tolerable and no more, and then seek to ele
vate them. We do not believe either in any public
feeding, if tina. is contemplated. Private ndividu.
ais can accompany meal in quiet way with their
mesns of education and do good but the public,
never. We should have the soup kitchens of
Winter before last brought back US. But care
fully guarding again st those and similar dangers, we
believe some such plan as the one above sketched
might be of great beaefit to the city in educating
its most dangerous class.