The New York herald., 1876-01-31
The Public Schools.

The relation which education holds to our
national life makes everything that bears
upon the instruction of the young of grave
moment to every citizen. We are justly
proud of our public schools. but we know
that only the most jealous care can keep
them up to the desired standard of excel
lence. AS our city expands fresh needs
arise and new problems present themselves,
and hence that our system should occasion
ally fail to meet all the demands. upon it is
not surprising. Elsewhere we print
copious digest of Superintendent Kid
dies report of the condition of the
New York schools during the past year, and
although he finds much to praise, yet the
points wherein he is moved to censure or
complaint should receive careful attention.
The most important point is the insult
cheney of accommodations in many of
the primary schools, particularly in the
growing districts of the city. The packed
and therefore unhealthy condition of some
of these where the very young are taught
should be remedied by dividing the districts
and erecting new buildings on the most
to accomplish this will not be grudged by
the city. The working of the Com
pulsory Education or Truancy act has
not been satisfactory, mainly, we believe,
because it has not received proper attention.
We fear that the difficulties in the way of
enforcing this act in large city like New
York have led those responsible for its
execution to form a theory which is not
likely to help the bringing of the unwilling
to school. This may be put as follows If
the children who are kept away by dissolute
parents, or who stay away from precocious
depravity, could be brought to school they
would prove most undesirable addition to
the schools, and would require an expendi-
ture of money and effort to keep them at
school which would bring no re-
turn of credit to the schools or
good to society. We do not say
that this theory has been laid down in
so many words but traces of it may be found
among the teachers and others at the head of
affairs. The matter is little too serious,
however, to be dismissed in this manner; for
the rescue of those children hanging on
the verge of what may be termed juvenile
delinquency, for want of better phrase, is
worth all the trouble that can be bestowed
upon it. Undoubtedly in many cases they
will furnish the teachers with stubborn ma
terial, but that is not sufficient excuse for
neglecting them. We are glad to see that
Superintendent Kiddle recognizes this in
the patience which he enjoins on teachers
who have "hard subjects" to deal
with. 1t is pleasant to note that
only one expulsion was made from the female
schools during the year, and we are sorry to
observe that in the colored schools the per-
centage of excellence is so much lower than
in those attended by white children. Why
is this9 Is it racial inferiority or defectivein-
struction2 The evil of ''cramming" children
to push them forward in their classes is sub
versive of true education, and we hope to see
it discouraged. We do not think that hard
study is injurious, but concentrating the
intelligence of child on what will shove
him up grade without reference to the
whole structure of his education, is indeed
raprabaneihIa