New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-10-02
EVENING SCHOOLS.

L
occurred TO the Board of Educaon of Offering school
faci les TO the thousands OF haId~orking boys aud
ei Is Of this city whose occupations rendered it mPo'
t5e for them 10 attend regular Day Schools. In
October, 1917, the experiment vas tried, aad Fix
sci oohoutes ere opened From the trst week, sac.
cess WAS assured, Not the young only but ADULTS,
sought this opportunity TO improve their minds aud
the SIX scboolhouses very sho we'd registry Of
22i scholars with an average at;end3n;e OF ~
for the term Since that peri d, his important braoch
of educsion has te.n recogoized aud fo5tered unsI
The record of 1890 showed u male and 20 finale
Departmentsel gal TO IA sch oos, with registry last
December If 10 567 Of 1bom 10 752 we're males, AMI
1876 females, and an average attendance for the
tenn Of S,Gli--5 3.3 males ADD 2,S7I females. Male
scoocls were held in every Ward except the Second
and Third shile there were two in the Twenty sec
oud, and three in The Twelfth. There We're female
schools in oil except the Second, TDifd, Fitch,
and Ninth WARDS. Of oodrse the attendance
is not so regular as at the day schools. Many young
pupils 20 for week or two but Il of when il is no
longer novelty. One great GAUGE of this Irregular
attendance is said to be the tense political Enthusiasm
of Young America The Fail tern urs during the
political canvass of November and December aud the
nightly me-, liUgr bonires music proce,sJns, and gen.
era noise and confusion of the various parties serve
to aW away from the sch oos the younger portion of
ths male pupils When OF theee meetings happens
in the vicinity Of a school, tue boys c,nnOt Wi;h-t4nd
banning tar.barIes and sOnOrous lands, bus leave the
teacher TO empty benchos while they form If not ths
largest by far the noisiess portion Of the political
speskers audience. This is serious evil, and partisan
leacefs ought to remedy it by disc uutenancns the
attendance Of at such meetings. Instead of
Il s however, they encourage such tfuans by hi ing
them t. carry banners and torches, and swell and
enliveU professions by their Ooyish enthusiasm.
OF snls the attendance is much more regular. They
are mostly shop-grls ana dOmsstCs, and seem rightly
10 appreciate the Importance Of tie advantages thus
offered. While the difference between the boys regis
tered and those attending amounts 10 100 per cent
that Of ii L. is less tran 80 per cent.
Perhaps the most gratifying fact in the history Of
the schools is the large attendance Of adults Last
Writer nearly 900 persons 81 years of age
registered. Some could not spell word; some ,ould
READ d little aud few could wIe. Another section
were Germans sufficiently educated in their own lau-
eusge put unacquan,ed with written English. Tney
are among the most and successful of the pu
pills. In one instance ln 1885, there Germats IN
one school sufficient TO form three classes; 1hlle the
proportion n all the schools bore gratifying tsstiD oDy
10 toe character Of that iOnaity. T1is landable
ambition ia not 30 apparent among emgrants OF oher
kindred owing 10 two causes difference in religion,
and low estimate of the value Of edu;aion.
When the schools were fret established children un
der II years Of age excu ed; but this regulation
has very properly been repealed aud the retut that
about 1000 boys and girls under that limit have b'en
admitted-many VI them only or 10 years old. NJs
few children, their credit he said were 30 greedy
for education tlat they attended both day and even
ing schools bat tie Board soon stopped this by reus
ing admission to day SCHOLARS, On the grouod thai the
city ought pay twice for the education OF one
pupil.
The only reasonable objection brought against even
ing schools is that the younger portion OF the tc1'a5
being employed duIiDg the day 10 factories and ofce
are Overtasked by the studies OF the evening. Bat
this Of lection has ls force. The day ocoupii)n5 Of
the children are seldom Of a nature 10 tax the mind,
and the slight period after supper spent in the school
houses s IN the nature Of relaxation rather than LABOR
Al any the experience and result thus far Justify
the Board in disreglrdiDg this objection. And if scch
not the fact the vital Importance OF education IN
this age and country would outweigh thousand t9ss
this any similar excuse.
record OF the occupations Of the pupils shows that
Of the males there were $50 apprentices, 1872 black
smiths, 81 bakcrs ~ bOOkbmders ~ boermakers 2Sl
CATp1Itefr 4SU clerks, 10 81
50 oooIers % coalhelyeis, 10 drt-cart drivers $50
GRAND boys 43 gashers, 81 butchers, IO6lronwork-
ers 10 juukshop keepers, 81 jewellers, 2l6 hborers,
l3l masons 81 marJlecuIers, 81 ceramics, % having
no employment, &C port-rs II peddors ll6 plumbers,
233 printers lO2 pspersaners 96panters li3 pocket
booknaleIs 40 plastsTew, 81 stonecutters - shoe
nskefs So sodsmabers 80 shpcarlenters, ~ taiors
Co tmiths, A. typefouuders, 81 tobaccanis, teach
eIs G3 waters. Tie large proportions Of printers aud
oh binders show that those who hes! know the value
Of education most largely appreciate tho advantages Of
getting It. OF tie gIs theIo were II arihcEh-dower
makers, III LoolfodeIs y boSmskers ~ donesiics
M dlessmsk.rs e. fringe and tassfl makers 10 EN-
broderers, g laundreses, y ssterbiniers Jos mii
ueIs 80 seamstrfftos 30 stwsswors, II type7et ers
NC tailoreses 1Ol yestIua,ers. These arc out Of
total OF ., lO0g rls.
The principal branches taught are reading spelling |
definitions, writing aud ar hlle'.c. In some casts
seosIally, grammar ana algebra have DO added,
bat eoi 10 any considerable extent The aim has been
% oontne the pupils fuoie Of he fret Importance,
Nd IN which he resuits woald be practically nseiIi.
Bookkeeping aud mercantile arithmetic AGge been