The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-11-05
CITY INTELLIGENCE.
IEOR ApDIrIoNAI LOCAL ITEMS SEE oursIpE rAe
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
An interesting Sketch of their History
aud prouwesa

joining the Academy of Music Edward Shipper,
Esq, the President of the Board of Control, de-
liyered a lengthy address, in which he gave an
admirable sketch of the progress of the school
system of this city. After referring to the edu-
catonal systems Of the aneients Mr., shippen
spoke as follows:-
"1he first English school Of which we have any
record was opeDed IL Philadelphia as early as tne
year 1858, by one Enoch Flower, whose charges toT
ounen1en SnS of tGs day do not know that should
afford an argument 70 the & pmPiostys SAKE must
enlighten you ALL II appears that az neetng Oh thS
Of fOctober 1855 william Penn, Proprietary aud Gov
eInoT beng present the following note was duly
The Govr and Provll Councill having taken iuto
their Serious Consideration the great necessity there
is ofa scol Master tor lustructon and sober Edu-
Tor Fnock Flower an Inhabitant Of the said Towne,
who for twenty Years past hath been exercised In
communicated their minds he Embraced It upon
uaTter to- Learn To- and write 6s by ye quarter to
learn 70 read Write and Cast Ascot IS by the quarter
ing Lodging and Schooling, Tenn pounds Tor one
I'VE may fairly conclude that the diet was plala
and simple, as was Enoch Flower himself IL Is not
most under the above rates some |hSt later IN the
blished The Colonial Records show that on the 18th
of February, 1898 on the first day Of the week, then
Samuel Carpenter Edward shippen. Anthony Morris,
James Fox, David Lyons, and Others their behalf,
ard on behalf OF the people called Quakers was pre-.
sented 70 governor Markham and his C91ncni which,
SET forth that 1T Is much desired by many that a
phia where poor children may be freely maintained,
taught, and educated in good Literature.
asked that "a pnblicF sc6ooie may be founded where
parents euardiaps % aud trustees be wne may
attend The rich At reasonable rates tne p0or TO be
thus granted TaS dhe oVerseers @ OF the
costs and charges the people Of God called ouakers
William Penn himself selected the motto of this
ReSss RfSeSSs which was '0oo instruction Oees 'n"n
Ine 9 on o og & GoegS d 1d Bncfs M fS cocg n "hon men
of the chief scholars Of that early day.
Still later. in 1880 the City Councils unanimously
adopted the report OF Committee appointed to in
qgre into the advantages to be gained by the erection
would receive good education at home, and be also
able magistrates, etc; it would raise able schoomas
ters from among the poor class to be qualified to
the Academy, and thus prevent the employment of
Imported servants, corrupting the morals of the
'Upon the adoption of this report City Councils
msde the first appropriation to education purposes
schools for five years, ana ESQ per annum for the
right OF sending on one scholar annually ann, from the
endowed. built under the auspices and exertons
twas created College, In 779 the Universlty, and in
1897 l. sl fourishes, and has taken new lease of
with the most advanced q IDEAS IDEAS, nov prevailing In this
understand; that at the treaty with the Indians at
Easton q schoolmaster and minister were promised,
and sometime after, in l762, he noted Chief Teedy-
Hamilton, at private conference, thus complained
OF the white mans breach of ialth:-Brothers said
Easton we were promised schoolmaster ana a min
teach us to read and write AS none have yet been
pr IN s 9T In the yST @ e ge1 ad
vertises his private academy free from the noise Of
Mr. Shippen then described the origin f"Poor's
ACademy,D a finishing school for young ladies,
which was established in 1895, and then gave
an account of the foundation and progress of
the "Beck School, now located on Catharne
street. above SIXTH sketch of the history of
which we published some time since. The
spt aker then proceeded TO sketch the history
OF the free schools of the city. He saId:-
"The State Constitution adopted in 1890 LAID the
ner- stone o. present structure, by its direction
provide by law ior cut OF SCHOOLS through.
out the sate in such manner that the poor might be
ever was not made un il 1909 The Legislature then
parents too poor TO pay for their education. The
law failed IN its intent. IL was one OF the Pauper
Phmadephia alone. Like its predecessor, it was of
sie 70 beeve that the Pubic Schools wore uat iSS
scarcely deserving OF the name-almost useless APP
pendages of the City Government.
with the intent OF promoting education In Penn
most S esteemed citizens Of P6adep6ia took a deep
and lively Interest This Society appointed com
qure and report in relation to the then existing state
Committed presented u hghly interesting aud valu.
able report. which made SUCH impression upon the
real and substantial service to the cause. Mr. Vaux
reported among other things, that the public money
education; that the teachers neither qualified
by literary attainn ents by moral character Tor
educstiug youth. The report presented indeed de
poraUe state of affairs IL published on the 10th
OF ofJRnuay 1918, and the Sd of March following the
legislature passed the law referred TO- WheEeupon
and states that this important and bensvoent mea-
Sommitiee on Public Schools. This A Ct established
Philadelphia the First Sch ool District of Pennsyl-
troilers directed that model school should be esa-
blished: that books should be furnished, money dis
bursed authorized the controllers to deLefmine upon
the number OF sehool-houses 10 be bullt, ana gave
them the general superintendence OF the schools"
Mr.. shippen then adverted to the difficulties
which the school system had to encounter in
these early days, and continued as tollows;-
"Ihe life of public school system, by the act OF
June 49, 1886, seemed almost TO turn upon the cast oil
the die. The law provided that upon the question o.
schools the people should vote, and the words
schools or mo schools were inserted upon the
ballot But when the time came, the In diligence aud
good sense OF the community showed the enlght
OF the age. and schools were triumphant. The
same law changed by casual expression, the often
sve terms 10 common schools, and that name has
since. by various Legislative enaCtmens, emerged In
Philadelpha into the more republican term Of public
schools, meRning schools for all the publc.'
After noticing the different school systems
and their respective merits, Mr. Shippen then
referred TO the present condition OF our public
school system, saying:-
I'VE find in our midst army OF $4,000 children in
the Public Schools, about 2OCO0 In our private
school nor employed in useful occupatons, all be-
tween the ages OF six and eighteen years Fourteen
hundred tl4UO) welleduCated teachers marshal,
direct and discipline this grand array in the Public
schools, caring Tor their manners, morals, and Intel
iecEum culture And whlie they @ mus y, ialSniu,iy
unmlndiul OF their own ntelectual culture"
The SPEAKER then gave an account of the orr
GIN and objects OF the Teachers Institute"