New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-08-30

good Instruction Gtf0ruS, coinDineu WV"
healtbful moral influence that children must
carry with them from such schools into their
wretcbed homes. would abundantly recompense
the State for all the cost and labor devoted to
tbo svgtam The direct and incidental sanitary
.sect Of well ordered school on destitute and
neglected children, by the cleanliness and tidi-
ness il would secure, and the material reliet IL
might furnish, would also be pubic pehe-
faction and noble charity. sr..
A fair objection may probably be MADE
against the proposed system that 1t would III
troduce into our schools number OF children
of y;c;ous disposition and uGtidy habits. This
would form a grave obstacle, but it Is one
easily obviated. The religious and benevolent
interests of the CITIES of this State, and es-
peciaiiy of New York, have made suitable ana
suficient provision not only for the educatloh
of the class Of children referred to, put also
for their clothing and maintenance, 80 as IN
every respect, to qualify them for admission
IN a yell-administered school. These instltu-
tions are able and disposed to give at least
such an amount Of education as has been IN
dicated to every child of this city who Is not
n suitable inmate of the public schools. Inc
Board of Education could to-day make an en-
gagement of that nature with perfectly COM
petent and responsible parties. This arrange
ment is suggested as the feature and speciai
excellence of the proposed compulsory
law. It involves no disruption and
readiustment of the present excellent Pub
lie School system. It is merely the enlarge
ment of the present corporate School Depart
ment by which certain religious and charitable
institutions receive from the Public Scho0
fund tho price of the tuition of the actual
average attendance in their schools, on condi-
ton of submitting to the supervision OF the
Board Of Education.
Thirteen of such organizations, with an
average attendance of 1861 pupils, have main
tanned relations of this nature with the Board
during the past year, and their number ana
capacity might be indefinitely enlarged. Inc
religious and benevolent interests OF this city
and State, with abundant and assured re-
sources, are fully committed to the mantle
nance of these institutions on any scale OF
enlargement that the necessities of the case
may require. The small State subsidy OF the
ascertained cost of tuition is all the expense 10
the State of such an amount OF education as
its public necessities actually demand, and
whatever sanitary and material aid this edu-
cation involves. The Children's Aid Society
one of the corporate schools of the State-gave
during last year instruction and material aid
10 3.702 children, receiving from the State
S22 IS less per capita for the average attend
ance than was given to the Public Schools for
tuition alone, for their average attendance. If
n similar arrangement could be made for the
education of all the destitute children of this
city, it would prove an excellent financial thing
for the State-a boon to these poor children,
and the solution of q hitherto ineXtucable
problem. An arrangement like this, by which
every child is brought by the compulsion of law
under instruction, must determine and develop
the intellectual resources of the State. Such
intellectual gifts are distributed with impartial
equality to rich and poor alike. During the
progress, and by the completion of this legal
reading stage of education, the intellectual ca
pacities Of all could be fully tested thus en-
ablng all the parties interested to determine to
what further stage of advancement the educa-
ton should be carried, and what direction it
should take. BY such opportunities. some gems
of intellect mag be- discovered and stimulated,
that would otherwise have lain dormant Some
born To poverty and bred in orphanage. whose
minds are wrought in the finest mold and
formed for Immortality, may be brought out
and started on a career of virtue and patriot
ism that shall enable them, at some public
crisis, to grasp the destiny and sway the fate
Of the nation. Such schools would prove intel
lectual nurseries, from which higher nsttu-
tons of learning may select their beneficiaries
and form the intellectual heroes Of the race.