New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-05-01
EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS.

There is no feature of the proposed nc"
Brooklyn Charter which commands more geher" a.'eI
ton aud ELECTS comment than that scctoh "iio
treats OF the composition and powers OF the Board o
Education. In bill which has passed to seconu ie'u
ING and been reported TO the Committee of the Whole IN
the Assembly the present mode of selecting inc boau
OF Education is entirely changed The present boa'u "
Education is abolished and new body, caIeu tno ~
partment OF Public Instruction, IL constituted IL WI"
consist Of Is Commissioners, named In the pii WIN VIZ
be divided into five classes, whose respective terms "
office Will expire Mt the end OF the years lo'S io' ~
1876 and 1871 As the terms OF Office oil THESE eoin
sioners expire now Commissioners will succeed TO the
paces The Commissioners, Board Of Public lnstruc
tion will appoint local board Of five directors TOT een
ward who will likewise be divided into hye oIasseS'
yacatng their Offices annually and at the regular hoo.
ing Of the Commissioners, held In DecemOor VI '"0
wear one school director will be appointed ior eaon
ward OF the city to fill the vacancies occurring Dy rea
Of the expiration of the terms OF Office
There is much opposition to this BILL first on the part
NJ those who favor the plan OF the Committee OF one
Hundred who have expressed their preference Tor
continuation OF the present sYsem and secOhdy' U"
the Part OF those who believe that both plans aIe s
ceptible OF Improvement and that too much power u
concentrated IN the hands OF the Commissioners lno
latter class oppose the present system on inc gounu
that those who constitute tho Board OF Education arc
NOT Generally learned and scientific men, and, WINE
ti business qualifications may lit them for the general
rec,lation and management OF the finances OF the
sehools their knowledge Of the different branches Oh
learning and Of tho textbooks best adapted 10 te un
and wants of tho scholars Is so deficient
and the plan OF instruction best qualified 10 secure pro
6clency in the student far beyond their province ta
the entire plan OF instruction and everything reauhS
thereto should be placed in the hands OF body OF
teachers. instructors and cultured men, composed
NJ the principals OF the schools and persons
in the community possessing the requisite
qualifications also urged that sueh boaru Werc
appointed a higher grade of scholarship would preVa'
In the schools and nobler spirit OF emulation ahouE
the teachers be engendered II s stated that at present
the princpas OF the schools not consulted concern
the merit or efficiency Of the teachers and That con-
seouenty promotions cannot be looked for by the latter
and therefore Indifference to their success preVhls
among the teachers 1t urged that removals are maze
arbitrarily by the Board OF Education, VINO nave eN-
elusive control OF the matter and that iaVotlS u ir
quently the result relatives and friends OF the Boaru
being appointed TO fill the places OF worthy teachers
wbo have been summarily removed 1t is urged, also,
that IL the salary OF the teacher we're made common
surato with his success and board Of competent per
sons were appointed decide the question OF their
merit a great improvement in the capacity OF the
teachers and the atanmeuts OF the scholars would very
soon be apparent.
The members OF the Committee OF One Hundred ana
others who favor the continuance OF the present system
the wises plan the teachers the scholars and the
community The present Board Of Education consists OF
As members OF both political parties They are nomi-
mated for their positions by the Mayor and confirmed by
the Common Council. Their friends contend that to
have the members elected OF the bills proposes
will render the Board partisan in its character and viii
tend to lower the of the department The objection
70 the feature Of appointing board of local trustees
similar in character il being urged that the school ma
chnery will soon in the interest OF party, and
that with the iIitiOnal number OF persons controlling
educational affairs favortsm in the appointment of
teachers will be stimulated. In reply to the charge
that the higher branches not taught in
the schools the friends Of the present Board
refer TO the fact that there are scholar
ships provided from every public school in Brooklyn to
the Packer Collegiate Institute, TO Cornell University
ana the College OF the CITY OF NewYork yet only very
small number of pupils have availed themselves of their
privileges TO prepare them. In addition 10 the regu
lar course public school instruction. there Is supple
mentary course provided for any scholars who may be
disposed 10 avail themselves OF its privileges. In this
course the higher branches including geometry. uni
versal history philosophy physiology, rhetoric, const
tutOna law, algebra, composition, and bookkeeping,
taught throughout 1t is contended that familiarity
with these branches of study will furnish entry TO any
college in the land where knowledge oil the classics Is
The bill which secures the election of Commissioners
Of the Department of Public Instruction = favor by
from his position principal OF one OF the public
schools " alleged M & ANA RSSn S
ican party that favOrs the retention OF commissioner
ships IL the city departments
PROVISIONS OF TUEiSEw ACT.
The act provides for Department OF Public Ins,ruc-
on with powers similar to those now exercised by the
Board OF Education The terms OF office OF the present
members will end days from the passage OF the act
The city divided into five school precincts The First
Precinct will comprise the First Second, Third, Fourth
and Fifth Wards; the Second Precinct the seventh,
Ninth Eleventh. Nineteenth, and Twentieth Wards; the
Third Precinct the Sixth Eighth, Tenth, Twelfth and
Twenty second Wards; the Fourth Precinct the I'M,
tecuth, Fourteenth, Fifteenth, and seventeenth
teenIn, Eighteenth and twenty first Wards. Each pre
cinct will he entitled to five C0mmssioners as follow;
|. Ludovic Bennett, Samuel + Odell, Samuel b. Nc
H. Enos NJ. Taft. John Truslow,' Richard Marvin,
James Niece, Vim. T. Sprague.
Ill VIM Colt, Demas Barnes. James Eschwege, WIN.
Il. Hoyt, A. T. Richardson.
~. John W. Jones, Theodore Cocheu, John Lewis
Collyer. Daniel Maujer, Thomas James.
V. Win. f. Browne, John NJ. Phelps, Adrian suydam.
THESE persons will succeed to and perform all the
duties Of the present Board OF Education The Commits
to the usual oath office before the city Clerk Of Brook
yn and in his presence be divided INTO five classes OF
five each the term OF office OF Glass No VIII end Dec
81 1877; Glass No with Dec 81, 1876 Glass No with
Dec. 81, 1875; Class No. with Dec 81 1874 Class No
with Dec 81 1873. The annual meeting OF the Board OF
Public instruction will he held the first Tuesday OF
January each year. At every charter election there
shall be elected III caCn sluuNl pcClncl one
soner of Common Schools who shall take office on the
first day OF January next after his election ana VINO
shall hold Office for the term Of i've years aud no school
officer shall hereafter nc elected appointed ia the said
city except provided Nv hs act ana no person shall
at the time hold more than school Office; and
every school officer shall at the time OF his appointment
election be resident OF the school precinct or ward
for which he is appointed elected; aud every school
officer removing from the city shall thereby vacate his
Office
In Of vacancy I'm the Board OF Public Instruction.
caused By DEATH resignation otherwise, the Board of
Pu6ic Instruction shall appoint from within the limits
OF the school precinct III which such vacancy exists
suitable person School Commissioner who shall after
qualfy and perform all the duties OF School
Commissioner, until the vacancy Il filled by the election
OF School Commissioner the regular charter