New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-02-13
THE SCHOOLS OF THE STATE.
Syncpsis Of She Annual Report OF v. M.
Rice, Superintendent Of Co,p,non
Anl.n

The number Of School Districts in the Sta
reported in 1863 was l.73f; In 1862 the number va
ll.763.
There II 753 school house, OF which ol8 are o
logs o9G9 framed, 995 brick and 573 Of stono.
The reports do not show the number Of school house,
built during the year replace others Of the same ma
teral but only the amount actually expended for sites
aud for building purchasing hiring repairing and In
surfing school houses and for fences. &c. which was in
cities S225 i7 SO. rural districts sls6oGl 40 Total
5i29 5os SO.
During the last ten years there have been expended
for tits purpose S. 9a 6s and very large part OF
this expenditure has been incurred for ihe erection Of
better school buildings furnished with moro appropriate
accommodations.
The Legislature Of 1863 mado an appropriation Of
800 t. bo expended in preparing designs, specihca
;oIs, and working drawings for school houses and
their accessories under The dir elton Of the SGpern.
ienlen, Of Public Instruction. The work Wa Thrust
Cd under his direction to s. f. Ravens. arch.ect, OF
Albany and will BIO speedily published 1t will contain
number OF separate plans, With full specifications for
building Of brick or wood. and with due regard to
health comfort, and economy.
Theie vas expended FOR libraries in 1869, 500 465 65
OF which sum sl3099 95 expended in the rural dis
rcts The number Of volumes Ia all the district school
libraries in the Snfo is reported 72fc4. There Is
apparently falling off from the number Of tho year be-
iOfe Tie staiiscs In this regard are however, tor
from being trustworthy, Because is well understood
tbelr HliOit even counting
books. The average amount Of library money appor-
toned annually TO the rural districts is only 50 % TO
each, and tie amount expended 81 Ia sum too small
70 keepup Tho waste, to say nothing OF adding rev
books. Tie libraries OF less value than formerly
FOR Reasons y stated in tie aDD report OF 1863 and
the Superintendent suggests that the people Of the dis
tres be allowed 70 elect whether 10 ezpend the library
money for books apparatus, for teachers wages
Also that they have the power OF taxing themselves at
ieost ten dollars annually to repiens the libraries. lie
suggests ths this would create greater soictude as 10
A. MI nrnrn ft.n N
the authority woald DO exercised by districts ia Hhiob
the libraries are appreciated.
There expended for school apparatus in tho cite,
set $50 o. In the rural districts ss 626 IL; total SIR
900 10 (shoSing grsiy ing increase over the expend-
ture OF the previous year OF more than SIS O OF the
amount expended for hbraii les and apparatus (:ic2
niied States Deposit Fund
The number Of persons in the State betw the ages
OF and u years Is l351o7 Ia reported increase
The preceding year OF - 30. or this number 3 796
e!e in cities. aud or, 249 in the rural districts 81
VI the ahoe number OF child Of school &C. ESQ Bis
arc reported having boon n, some timn Grrng tic
gear ia school. In 1867 there s92 $50 sho.sfng
decrease IA attendance oi o.iJ This is accounted for
by the Increased demand for tho services Of the voUh
bet.een ibe ages Of land q years or those Who
not themselves connected With the Army. many are
Withheld FROM the schools account Of necessary Ia
borer. Tie decrease in the ATTENDANCE at tie Aoade
mics msy be attributed TO the same cause.
There III free schools. and COS private schools.
The attendance upon the Latter Was 81 Oh Two cities
10 not report private schools. Allowing for these, the
attendance Is not lar frum to.oN
In the colleges there students rnd In the
academies and Of Union schools
81, lg2-mikiDs the aggregate attendance Upon Oh the
schools in the state es4 b95 little more than 20 PEI
cent IN private schools. y per cent In academies
and 3i0 per cent IN the colleges. hen large pro
portion Of Tie people look 10 the common school for tie
education " their children tho character and support
" these soho"ls ara ~ paramount concern
Making due allowance for tie large number o'
children between four end six years Of sga. who do not
and ought noD attend school and for those ls
md ~ above stated and the number OF children OF
" .choolsge" reported as not attending Any sohoo!
cS52 a32) creates l. 20 astonishinert.
Of the seventeen school years. as fixed BY law, there
are therefore, six which not, practically. school
OF dc sSc.si5 registered In tie Common school only
70 0i attended ter inoLnr; o. l6l eight months
a. less Than tens ll5iJo six months and Less than
eight; l.6 g2 toas months aud iess than SIX $40, 1s
NO months anl less than four; less than
Iaoaths.
very s,c. perod each ycar and brief calculation viii
eI tie virtual lOss incurred b. thus enormous iall.
urc In the duty Of school attend,nce.
The aggregate loss ot school Instruction for those
children who Intended less than six months during the
wear 1893 amounts l.e7ds5 mouths equal 10 3I ~!
school years ~ sir months each In one Official school
year. Ifit he assumed that the 6 100 children whose
attendance exhibits thu deficiency. could have boen
tanght the whole sx months by Tie corps OF teachers
Actually engaged then allowing 80 pup's To each teach
or we have loss equal tn tho service OF more than
6CCO teachers. Tie loss therefore. IN the remunefa
ton paid the IS .U3 teachers employed VIII exceed
ous ard Injurious loss Is inflicted upon the future OF our
connry Tile loss Of 32 OF school years il equivalent
70 the schooling Of 49, children for one school year
Of rix mcnths.
II NAV lie shown that in n single decade a. 10 these
now neglected children, taking one hundred dol irs Us
the minimum vsue Of lifetime Of an educated over
that OF an uneducaed person md we gain IN ten years
tho sum Of S6o S 900 and II this be added 10 the
amount above tstimated at slooo9oo II makes En-
$50 SO annual relative none the less real because
relative loss Of s. 40 Large "a the figures appear
they 30 not show the whole loss. Time tend tlue ls
MONEY! tie harvest time youth s lost end olteutnes
roulaoed by mischief and damage. Human happlness-a
the beneficial results which most surely flow from the
ACQUISITION Of knowledge Of our political duties "a
ctig ms Of free State rom proper opprecaion Oh
the principles OF social ethics, aud from eonoieutous
undermining of tho obligation nj obedience to tho
Wholesome restrictions Of law, both human and divine
all are i.opaTdized or lost, or worse than lost.
low parents gre aware Of the serious lnJur! wong
by dnys Absence, or twice week, IN tle cAiid
and Ia the school III the mind OF tho chid dep ndehey
takes the place Of cheeuness and courage ndl renee
supersedes animated interest anc the apathy o. iso
rance upplanIs all frutnl desire for htesenee OF 10Y
N honorable and useful career IN bic. In the school
tie classes ere deranged aud deniorai1cd, ana extra
care and labor imposed upon the teioher ID ihe
government and instruction Of the pupils An Whatever
hight presented. the non-ettendnnce ana irresus oi
te attendance upon the schools, must command the
serious attention VI the Legislature.
n ia sugyestcd that, in the rural districts, greater
regularity VI attendance might be se' red, part OF
he public money appotionod On the basis Oh az
tendance This would make 1t the peeuniary Mteiest
of c,ery taxpayer tn encourage regular ana Selsiai
attend,nc. al soncol. This mode a. apporioament
mes been adopted In sister states with happy results
The average time school was taught during tho year
not including cities Was seven months ana e''eH 10!
frofn year 10 year quite uniform. . 80, ~, ,oo
Ths number of teachers employed in 1902 vas 2o''U
1855 males and is95 females. In leoJ there were were
62iJ-GJg4 paes, 1879 females. LUIS
VIII, were employed for any term however short
Ihe nnmber OF teachers reported as hasibs p zen
we'd n, The same tine Tor ak months cF more On
dcnting more nearly the number required 70 s"pp''
= MA -
/ Var th. payment of teachers wages. there were e1
renGei Ia ihs cities 81 1ei, -li o5 in the infu az
,rc,s ~ .3O5 09 total e.. f2 $50 %. Inns shoin'
~ eri al $50 900 hess than That expended IN ioo2
- ...ren se msY 90 accounted for III pnIt ny lhe