The Indianapolis daily herald., 1865-12-20
For the indianapolis Daily b.rs
The City Free schools.

correspondent OF the HERALD, Of saturday
last. seeksinformaiion with regard to our pub
| lie schools, and criticises some remarks made
| by u, at a recent public meeting at the Court
| House.
| said In substance, "Indianspolis has now
thirty public schools, thirty-two teachers and
two thousand pupils, and that, after having
visited the public schools Of several important
cities which are noted for the excellence Of
| their educational privileges, il gave me pleas
IRE TO state that our citizens had reason TO be
proud Of our public schools. and that in the
perfectness Of our graded system, and ia the
progress and advancement Of the pupils. our
schools would bear favorable comparison with
my in the country"
ALI of which repeat. and earnestly request
itzens and parents TO visit our schools and
Judge for themselves. But this correspondent
questions the 4" truthfulness" Of my COMPARE
son, and with tender sympathy says: - -.
" We should be sorry TO learn that one occu-
pying the chair Of our Board Of Education, had
attempted to impose on the credulity Of the
public"
He then proceeds TO show that Terrc Hautc,
Madison, Richmond, Evansville. Lafayette
New Albany and Fort Wayne, have each. Of
pupils entitled to public instruction, much
schools. This is very true, very creditable to
hose towns has long been known TO our board,
- easily accounted for, and Is not at all in
conflict with my statement. Indeed, some
three Eonth, ago, called public attention,
through the daily papers, 10 the fact that the
last enumeration Of this city for school pur-
poses showed IL, 455 persons between the ages
of six and twenty-one; Of which number less
than two thousand then attended the public
schools. and urged the importance OF prompt
~ he inf arl
school House.
Since then over three hundred pupils have
been added TO the schools. Our relatively
small per cent. of attendance is owing, rs was
then stated. to various causes. Primarily, for
number Of years. To a tax 30 insufficient that
the Board were unable to pay teachers and
Seep the schools open more than four to five
months in the year. second, and resulting
rom the want Of public school funds. our
itzens patronized literally the we'll conduct
I'd private, UNCONVENTIONAL and commercial
.chOOls and seminaries Of the city. BY aiding
heir enrolment 10 those in the public schools.
he number attending school in tho city last
| year, exceeded live thousand pupils. In sew
raj Of these cities II Il known there are very
| few private schools; the attendance being al
most wholly in the public schools.
IL is obvious, also. that there are. between
| the ages of six and twerty-one, in the city, "A
sery large number whose school days are over.
md now are engaged in business for them
elves. still, after making due allowance for
| Ill the above causes. there yet remain ts0 many
Il suitable age who ought 10 be in school, but
IRE not. The Board can not be responsible
for the carelesSness, ignorance. or want Of su-
thority Of parents.
This year (and II is hoped hercqfter) the
schools will continue open ten months, which
| fun school year.
This correspondent. "w. 20 is nothing il he is
rot critical" says: In the same remarks. the
Doctor spoke of the thirty schools Of the city
| Why did he say thirty schools" when we
ave but nines Simply for the reason that "A
/ room with school furniture and apparatus,
With sixty or more pupils. engaged in educa-
| tiOnal exercises, with \ teacher, is q school,
whether this amusing writer thinks or not.
And We have thirty such public schools in this
ity, all connected, harnonized and assorted
nto grades. making graded system Of schools,
'rowned and completed by the High School.
The anxious inquirer asks
" What has our school Beard done within
| the last four yesrs % provide room and in
>truction for the children az this ciryg How
many more are accommodated to-day than
there were four yesrS ago. How many chill
lren have been turned away for want of
roomr'
These questions are pertinent. The Board
has provided room and instruction during the
time mentioned for eight hundred pupils.
There are eight hundred more children in the
public schools than there were four years ago;
six hundred more than there were two wears
ago, and four hundred more than there were al
any time last year.
Since the beginning Of the present year the
Board have advertised for pupils; all who have
- Vet applied have found room. and none have
,een sent empty sway-nOt one. The schools.
however, are now quite FULL and with little
additional pressure they would overflow.
Several Of our present school buildings are
bsdly constructed. lily ventilated. inconveni-
ently situated, not commodious, unattractiye
and unpopular 10 the student, that many citi-
yens viii not send 20 them. Still for want OF
| funds We have had ITO make them do" Now
a limited increase Of the special fund. and the
necessities arising from the growth Of tue city,
| nave made II imperative 10 provide Tor their
accommodations. and the Board Of Trustees
lre building i've new aut substantial school
houses. one on the corner II Vermont and D.
wilson streets. and the other on the corner q
Michigan and Blsckford streets. which togeth-
CT viii accommodate over one thousand pupils
IL j. expected that both these buildings Will
&c completed and furnished IN time for the
opening Of the next school year IN september
next
In the management II "A -s-haos system -
large A. our; IN the selection 81 the rtie>t
teachers from multitude u candidates. IL the
removal. promotion and change Of teachers
and in the enforcement II the proper authority
II the Board or IL 0lhccrS. II Is unN oillble
that individuals shall occasionally feel Az
sricNed. And 10 l. my oi'>erE alton that nearly
All the injudigioI, criticisms on the streets and
in the new spapers comes from persons thus
disaffected. or from their friends.
Personally, | 10 not object 60 this. 80 fir -
il does not tend 20 impair the usefulness and
prosperity u the schools
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