The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-06-29
OUR PUBLIC 5. .HOQLS,


The nfty.nrst annual report of the Board Of Con-
troliers OF Public Schools OF OF the First district,
which embraces the city and county OF Philadelphia,
has just been printed. From it we take the follow
ing interesting facts:-
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TIE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
In the year 1916 society was formed in this city
by some young men OF social and literary distinction
devoted to social science. The name Of this ele-
mentary association was "The Pennsylvania Society
for the Promotion OF Public Economy" One OF its
standing committees was charged with the subject
Of public education: This committee having M fully
OF October, 1911. The following extract from 1t will
be very interesting.
under an impression OF the extent and Importance
OF the inquiry they entered upon the duty assigned
them with solicltude and dii1idence." The COM
mittee then presented their views under the three
following heads:-
I'll. The practicabiity of instituting a system
'fastiy. The effects of such system in Europe"
The report then shows that in 1776 the Government
OF PENNSYLVANIA recognized free education to the
Constitution Of the State OF 1890 emphatcaly directs
the Legislature to provide by law for the establish
ment of schools, "that the poor may be taught
gratis" In the year 1909 law was passed, but the
report says it was utterly napplcable to the dense
population OF Philadelphia"
in the year 1872 a supplement was passed giving
the County Commissioners OF Philadelphia County,
under the approval Of the City Councils and the
Commissioners of the several districts in the county,
to establish public schools, etc.
The County Auditors in 1916 report that during
the year the schools cost the city and county
s22, 12969, and for this enormous sum- about 2oOO
children are said to have been taught The report
of the committee then concludes that the school
system existing is not only injurious to the
character of the rising generation but benevolent
fraud upon the public bounty The committe then
give their plan for reform and the establishment OF
proper system. The report was signed Roberts
VauX, Chairman; attest, Jonah Thompson, Secre-
tary. This report was the origin of our present
system. -
An IN a IN a AN
Public Expense, within the City and County of Phi
ladelphian = in March, 1s19 further supplement-
1921
Under this act the Controllers of the Public
Schools created, and organized on the 9th day
Of April, 1slS The first report OF the Controllers IS
dated second month February, 1919 Roberts
yaax was President of the board and continued in
report to the CONTROLLERS %s by
him who, for fifteen years, devoted his time and
talents to administer our public school system.
The whole number of children at school in ISIS
1S1e by the first report of Mr.. Vaux, President of
the Board of Controllers was 2S45. s2s,O49S5 was
part of the year. OF this sum 5,oo1 was paid for
lot Of ground each child cost, 1aat year, sSo S
o4msf saEns system d scRRoos snn
worthy of consideration, interesting to those
who are now engaged in popular education, the first
fifteen reports OF the Controllers should be reprinted
the cost would be but few dollars and the history
of our school system would then be perused and
of the year 1862 contanedthree hundred and eighty
public schools with daily attendance of eighty
one thousand pupils, instructed by corps of over
fifteen hundred devoted and intelligent teachers.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS DURING 1862
The schools under the jurisdiction Of the board
are classified as folows:-
Boys Central High School ........... '........
Girls Normal School. l
Grammar SCHOOs %
Coz solidated Schools 33
secondary Sch0os. i0o o
Urinary ScnoOs. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 'loz
Total number Of schools. ols.....................9s $50
The number OF teachers and pupils are shown in
the following:-
Male teacners. 0O
FeInale Jeacners..... 400
Total teachers. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 1895
Male pupils. II 069
Female pspllS 4U,zl4
Total pupils. S02S3
Average number of pupils to each teacher. 81
Pupils added during the year. 3T15
Children waiting admission. .................. 1000
The amount appropriated by Councils for the
t,a f.a1 lxuac h