Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-08-27
THE CITY.
Educational.
MEETING OF THE SCHOOL BoARD-EFFoRT TO e.
TABLIsH HIGH SCHOOL.

1 ENeGntllN a..
for principal and interest OF bond about falling
due. Several communications about horses for
fire engines, improved copy books etc, were
/ laid on the table.
Mr.. Atkinson offered the following resolutions {:
ResOiUed, That the Grammar School hereto
| fore located in the upper room of No. School
/ building and the Grammar School located in
the upper room of No. School building bo
united into one school, aud designated the
| High School" OF Wilmington.
Resolged, That the said High School be loca-
| ted IN the upper room OF No. 1 School building
ReSOiUed, That an examination Of scholars be
held by the Superintendent OF Schools, under
/ tho direction of the Committee on Teachers with
Wow to their transfer to tho High School, and
i all those who pass satisfactory examination he
| thus transferred.
Resolued, That Miss Mary Miller be invited
by the Committee on Teachers to accept the
| Principalship of said High School.
Res0lUed, That the Committee on Teachers
be constituted a COMMITTEES to fix and designate
| the grades Of the remaining schools IN the c ty
and to arrange and classify them, as iu their
judgment they deem proper.
| Mr.. Atkinson spoke at some length in favor of
the resolutions. lie stated that III the upper
room of No. is located the highest school in
the city for girls. IL il located at Sd and Wash
ington streets, and is presided over by Miss
| Mary Miller. There are 1856 scholars seated in
this school. To this room girls from the secon-
| Diary schools are promoted, and fromit they grad
uate. Many Of the best teachers in the public
/ schools have come from No without receiving
other education than what they have received
| in this school
/ Tne upper room Of No / in the new school
/ building on French street, below Sixth, contains
/ the boys most advanced school. This room
/ sbats 1872 scholars. Mr.. Loring II. Barnum,
| graduate OF Cornell University, had charge Of it
/ during the last school year. The average at
tendance here for the year was 81 scholars, there
being on an average, 100 vacant seats.
| In establishing this school the Board found
the boys in the schools of the city to fill it, An
/ examination was held which proved the fact
/ stated, and boys who did not pass the examna-
| ton were transferred to Mr. Barnum's charge,
| thus lowering the standard aud essening the
/ efficiency OF the school. The boys OF the city,
| not having the advantages of 30 excellent pub
lie school as that provided for girls, have sought
instruction in the many excellent private acad-
emies and schools within their reach. Hence
the inability of the Board OF Education to
tabl'sh a school OF high grade for boys, and the
partial failure of the attempt made. By uni
ting the schools, and promoting only those who
have risen to high grade OF scholarship, re
| gardess OF sex, most excellent school would
he established, one that would do honor to our
public school system.
| MIR Atkinson stated that prof iect was on foot
| in the Board, and meets with general favor, to
build an addition to No. 4, at an expense of
about $4,000, aud this in face of the fact that
| many seats at No. are vacant, with 10 schol-
| ars to ill them. This expense would have been
incurred the present Fall, had it not been that
the treasury was empty. II the schools are
| united no such outlay will be Necessary ;
nor will 1t be necessary, as it is proposed, to en-
ploy another teacher at a salary of $1,000 per
year.
MIR. Atkinson said there probably would not
be dissenting voice to the adoption of the pro-
posed change, were it not for the question of
sex, Members are unwilling to have boys and
girls to OCCUPY the same ro~ N in the high school
and recite together in the classes. 1t is not pro-
posed to have the sexes together in play hours
any more than at present only in the school
and recitation rooma during school hours. The
testimony of many prominent educators in the
country was quoted to show the mutual advant-
age of educating boys and girls together. The
system is adopted in the public schools through
out Pennsylvania and New York, except in rare
cases, and works satisfactorily, The Teachers
| Association of Pennsylvania, an organization of
twenty years standing, composed Of the veteran
instructors of the whole State met in annu-
al session last week. in Philadelphia This mat
ter was discussed in that body, and a resolu-
tiOu, passed at Reading II years ago, against the
education of the sexes together, was brought
forward, and, on motion, was reconsidered, and
a resolution adopted, unanimously, in favor of
cO-educating the sexes. Turning TO Delaware,
we find the system adopted in Prof. Hark-
ness School, and Taylor and Jackson's
Academy. In both institutions it has proved
successful. President Pnrnell, Of Delaware Col
| lege il a Jealous advocate OF the system and 1t
has been adopted by the Trustees OF that favor
| ite State Institution II is also in successful
operation in the State Normal University of
May nd. Ia short, hundreds OF the promi-
| nenl educators in the land have come over to
its advocacy and support and there are but few
who remain in opposition. ln reference to the
appointment of Miss Mary Miller to the Princi-
| palship of the united school, Mr.. A. said that
| this was better than to appoint an untried teach
or. She is accomplished ed instructor, and has
proved her capacity by years Of successful teach
ing at No. 4, Mr. A. appealed to tne opponents
OF the measure, il thuy had amy argument to
bring against it, to do so.
Dr Wales moved to postpone consideration
of the resolutions until next meeting.
| Mr.. Atkinson declared that such pUrtponement
| would necessarily defeat the measure, as the
+chuels would then be open, and it would be too
| late to act in the matter. He appealed to the
| opposition if they wanted to vote down the res
olutions, to do 1t by square vote and not by
tllbustering. The motion to postpone was lost.
The President decided the reso utiOn la To-
gard to Miss Miller was out OF order.
The mo ion OF Mr.. Baird, to vote ON the reso
lutlons one by one, was lost. Several motions
we're made to lay on the table, but in the couiu'
sion, thoy were not put to vote.
The President of the Board at this point de.
clared all Of the resolutions out of order.
Mr.. Atkinson appealed from the decision ol
the chair. The chair was sustained by the fol
lowing vote -
5 Ayes-T. NJ Cubert, Christian Febiger Jno
L. Frock, Patrick HassOn, john IL. Moore, IL. B
I
DR.. l.. G.. Shortlidge, DIR, John P. Wales--l0.
Nays-Nilmer Atkinson, Charles Baird, NJ. NJ
, | Child, Isaac j. Jenkins, Thomas johnson, WIN
IL. Pierce, Lewis Zebley.-7
And 80 the resolutions We're defeated.
The Secretary was directed to ascertain if the
teachers appointed by the Board would accep
Or not.
The Committee on Insurance was authorized
| to pay certain insurance.
superintendent Harlan then read his annua
report. 1t was ordered to be filed, on motion o
Col. Febger
Col. Febiger, from the Committee on Teach
!. ers, then reported that they had held the exam
ination ordered, aud recommended the appoint
ment of Albert f. Fenney, as Principal OF No
School, at a salary of Il, 200 year The repor
was adopted
Orders were drawn as follows George W
Vernon $40; d. W. Harlan S31 3S j. Bradford
80; r. Morrison Sl.25 same $40; VIII. Foulk
Sl1.14, also 50 30 and S1.56 Thos. II. Hize
S23.75; Richardson Il Hopes 81 go A. Grub
d Co. "a cents S. Rubgy s4 So j. Bradford 81
cents ]. O. Seeds Sl0.59 L. r. 0twell $25
II. f. Pickels $3.50 j. N Ogle 1902; VIM. II
Blllany 80 cents Joseph Jones 81 20 Charlie
Warner Il Co. 81 1923.