The hydraulic press. (North San Juan, Nev. Co., Cal.) 1858-18??, 1859-01-15
THE PUBLIC ScHooLs.-The Super

Hi L U Bl1lC CCHOOLS. Ho Eup pr
intendent of Public Instruction, An
drew J. Moulder, is not at all satisfied
with the present condition Of the pub
lie schools, nor with what has been done
for the cause Of education in California.
He dashes the complacency with which
we have been in the habit of regarding
the subject, by telling some very ugly
facts. While he admits, "that the num-
Der of public schools has increased from
20 in 1858, to 1872 in 1858; the num-
Der of teachers employed from 25 in
1858, to SIT in 1858; the number of
children attending school, from 1914
in 1858, to 19, 1922 in 1858 that more
than 400 school houses have been built
within the last five years that the stand
ard of qualification in teachers has been
raised that some of our schools are
models of excellence, and that in many
communities lively interest is mani
tested in the cause of education =
while he admits all this, he yet COM
plains of the inef1iciency of the system
and the meagreness of the boasted fund
upon which our public schools are es-
tablished.
There are 40,53O children in the
State between 4 and Is years of age,
of whom only 1892 attended school
during the past year, and the daily av-
erage attendance was but Ii, 1873. It
follows, says the Superintendent, that
20,709 have not been inside Of school
house, and that 29,347 have, in effect,
received no instruction during the year
The reports upon which these statements
are based further show, that all the
schools in the State have been in opper-
alton, for an average term, of only five
and half months during the year;
To render them fully efficient, they
should be kept open for twice that period
This is indeed bad showing for CAL
ifornia, and when it is added that even
this much has been done by the several
communities where schools are establish
ed, with but mere apology for assist
ance from the State, the showing is even
worse. Our boosted School Fund, says
the Superintendent, "does not produce
annually, one-fourth the amount the
single county of San Francisco raises
for the same purpose. The whole
amount, including the School Fund S
percentage of the poll tax, contributed
by the State for the support of schools
in 1857 was $50, 520,8S ; in 1858, $685.
404,95; this would pay each teacher en-
ployed $133 SO in 1857, and $l23,62
in 1858. And this is all the State con-
tributes to support School during a
whole year"
Yet during the last five years she has
paid s754, 1880 for the support of
criminals, the amount expended during
the same period for the education of
the young being only s2S4, 1873, SO;
nearly three times as much for the sup
port of an average of 400 criminals, as
for the training and culture Of 80, 900
children -s1,SS5 on every criminal,
and 50 on every child The Superin-.
tendent afirms the proposition, that
education, which cultivates the moral
as well as the intellectual nature of the
young, is competent to reverse these
figures; that if 81 1856 is expended upon
the culture of the child, but 50 will be
needed for the custody of the criminal.
He appeals to the Legislature for a
direct appropriation of 100000 in aid
of the schools, and makes sundry rec
concentrations, and suggestions which
are supported by sound arguments, and
ought to receive the earnest regard of
our representatives.
BASE INGRATITUDE.-The Coloma
! Times tells of man who was allowed
to sleep in an editors bed at crowded