The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-07-22

in the city Of New York in November last, I visited .
number Of the public schools. They are magnificent
establishments, supported by the city at an annuai
cost of nearly one million OF dollars; out wnat sur
prised me greatly was the lack 81 good aHenddnce.
In the 238 free schools Of the city, the whole number
taught in 1855, as shown by the annual report, was
1877, S74, while the average attendance was only As.
1853, or less than one-third of the whole number I.
The proportion has been about the sam Ior the las.
ten or twelve years in that city. The same report
states that the population of the city In 1900 was
| 629, 80, and the number of children of school age
(from four to twenty-one) was 100000, while only
1877 ,S74 attended school any periot Of time, and A.
$50 was the average attendance. We do better than
this, so far as attendance is concerned, at the Sand
witch Islands. The whole number taught in our free
schools last year was S,46O, while the average OF iour
quarters was I, 72l.
School HoussIIh have described the general con
dition of our school houses in former reports. Many OF
them are still entirely unfit for the high purpose OF
training youth. But think it may be safely SAID that
during no period, since our school system was estao-
lished, has there been more improvement in the school
houses, throughout the islands, than during the TWO
years under review. On the island of Oahu, the I'M
provement has been most marked, and this IS on &C
count of the abundance Of cheap foreign iumoer IN
Honolulu market; and also of the fact that the
school-tax has been promptly collected and paid INTO
the hands of the school treasurers. This has oeen the
case on all the islands, and It has peen u great
vantage to the schools, and particularly nc schooi
houses.
ToURs.-During the year 1856, | performed about
my usual amount of travelling among the schools, Ia
boring to the best of my ability, to see that all the
subordinate officers of the department understood and
performed their duty; also to excite a deeper interest
in the minds of both parents and children IN educa-
ton and general Improvement. Having been absent
the last half of last year, | only visited the SCHOOLS on
Oahu. Maui, Molokai and Lanai during that year.
And having been requested by the commissioners APP
pointed to prepare the new civil code, TO assist Judge
Robertson in the translation of the same, and beng
much engaged in that tedious and difficult work, L
L.-o -. oblo 80 r,-,f tho sehonfS hut LITTLE since nv
return fir IN the United States.
SCHOOL BooKs-Over 80 volumes in the HAWAI-
ian language, some of them very small, nave peeh
published since the year 1872, when printing was
first introduced on the islands, and most, II not all,
of these have been used more or less in the free
schools. Of what subjects they treat has been e-
planned in my former reports, and 1t Is unnecessary
to repeat them hse- The books prepared for schools
are such as are common in other countries, put q
number of them are out of print, and the Board OF
Education is devoting a portion of the interest accru-
ing on the school fund to reprinting the most impor-
tant of them. During my short residence In the
United States I had an edition of 500 of the Hawaiian
Algebra stereotyped in Boston, on very reasonable
terms. The whole edition cast $500, and the plates
valued at $50, belong to the Department to De USED
when another edition may be needed l aiso go,'
while there, an edition of 1000 globe maps, on a large
scale. lithorraphed $50 of them colored and mount
ed; 200 merely printed and colored; and 400 merely
printed on loose sheets-the whole at n cost oil SOL
so. When completed they can be afforded 10 natives
at about - 70. those VINO MOOSE ~
which are incomplete, and mount them themselves
for perhaps half this amount. The want OF such a
map has been long felt in our native Schools anu IL
I mistake not, this will he of great advantage 10 them.
Both of these works have been paid for OUT :, u N
terest arising from the school fund, but they have NOT
vet arrived from Boston There are otner schooi
books which are out Of print, and which are grea'iy
needed. and the Board Of f ucation VIII nave them
reprinted as fast as the funds at its d'sPosai Wi VI
low. The last Legislature appropriated SZ"oo Tor
printing such books, hut on account OF the low STATE
of the treasury none of it has been drawn
One of the greatest obstacles to success IN our ma
tive free schools is the want of books; not that oo"hs
are not TO be had, for the common elementary school
books can he had ut about cost prices everywhere;
hut from the Indifference and poverty OF the parents
The law requires them to supply their children win
the necessary school books, and in some places II mas
been necessary 20 enforce it; but many OF the parents
are extremely poor. and in fact unable to purchase
books. A good many of the children too are orphans
and have no means. They are careless moreover In
using books. and very soon wear them out
Were the school revenue suflcient ior IT, ~ WY
10 remefy this evil would he for the government 10
furnish all the free schools with the necessary oo' KS
stationery. This is done now in all the paohc
schools in the great cities of the United States. lhose
which I visited in New York and Boston were 1ur,
pished at the public expense, with not only books ana
stationery, but school apparatus; and the improve
ment on the old plan of parents procuring these ne
,essary articles is said to he very great. Ihose VINO
have means-and those who have not are equaiiy sup
Diltl. II IUtTt > uO tttl Va tbt E"p'
orphan staying away from school from inaoihty
to purchase books and stationery. Such an arrange
ment is Just what is wanted in our native free schools
and it really would cost the nation less than the pres
ent plan.
NORMAL ScHooLs.-In some Of the districts there
have been normal schools for the better training OF
for their work, at different periods, during
the two past years; and the effect has been most ben
efcial on the schools. II would bea great improve
ment could they be regularly sustained in all the dis
tricts, and the Board of Education has such an ar
in contemplation. Teachers IN all conn
are too apt to be satisfied with performing their
iaily round Of duties. This is emphatically true OF
our native teachers: they are in many cases content
present attainments, and need every year to have
A reviving and a fresh drilling, on the branches which
they teach, however simple; to be instructed as to
the hest methods Of governing and conducting their
schools. and to have their minds impressed deeply
the importance of their calling, 10 the welfare of
the nation, The instruction of which is committed TO
heir charge For this object normal schools, and IN
some parts of the world teachers institutes have been
In the city Of New York all teachers OF public
schools are required TO attend the normal schools at
certain periods; this is common to many other cities
ls well as in the country, and the teachers are even
allowed n compensation for so doing.
Our greatest difficulty here is TO find persons quail
to teach and conduct such schools; hut something
ms been done. and more can be done IN this way.
The pupils in the seminary ut Lahainaluna who ex-
to he teachers. need to have a more specific
raining for this work, and the Board of Education
has this in view.
The teachers Of our free schools are all natives, and
perhaps do rs well rs could be expected, considering
heir early habits and limited advantages. As a class
they will not suffer in comparison wi h any other in
he nation for intelligence, industry and general ex-
;ellence of character; still they are very deficient in
qualifications for their high calling, not so much how
in regard to knowledge, rs of government and
in training the young minds under them. Nor
10 the higher schools Mt Lahainaluna, Hilo and Wal
iii send forth yearly, by any means, an adequate
- - -1z1 =. T. \ Iaro hnI tho orp mr.
of those institutions; and consequently
many are employed from necessity who have had only
common school education. II is a fact, almost uni
1ersal throughout the islands that, as is the teacher,
is the school.
RELIGION Is THE FREE ScHooLs.-I have spoken SO
lilly on this topic in former reports, that it will be