, 1876-07-13
ouR EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS.

An interesting feature Of the first days
proceedings Of tho Nntional Educational AS.
Bociatiou, now In session in baltimore, Was
the portion Of tho opening addrcss by tho
President Of the Association, WILLIAM E.
Pug1ps, OF Winona, Mimi, devoted TO COM
rarative statement Of educational progress
during tho past hundred years OF our history.
A resume Of his stato,nent will DO valuable
forreforcnco. In 177G there waro but rino col
lcges in tho United States; now thoro aro A0o
colleges and universities, with 81, 900 students
and 3,7O0 Professors and teachors. Then
little or nothing was done for the education
Of woman now there are 200 female sem.
inaries, with rs, 445 students and 2.2s5 teaoh-
ers. At that time professional schools were
unknown; now there aro 322 professional
schools, with o3,280 students and 2,490
teachers Then thers w%o no normal
schools; now thoro arc 124, with "a, ,405
students and 9GS toachors. Then there
were no commercial colleges; now there arc
TT, with 25,8o2 students and 677 teachers.
The secondary and preparatory schools wero
almost unknown then; now there aro 1,1"2,
with 10O, ,593 pupils and q, ,1G3 teachers. The
school population Of TINT day is unknown,
but at present it Is moro thnn IL, 600, coo,
and the school enrolment now amounts to
5000, GOO. Tho total income Of tho public
schools at present is $s2, ,000, 900; expand-
iturcs, $4,000, 900; value Of property,
$1C5, ,oo0, 900. The figures above given are
very eloquent as showing what has been ao.
complishcd, but tho following extract from
the report Is quite as eloquent In showing
TINT much yet remains to bs done before
tllo whole fold Of education is fully occupied
and Developed. Tho report says: -...
Tho number OF lIfltcrates BY tho ccnsna OF 1870
aboye tho ngc of 10 years wns, in round numbers.
$500, GOO. OF these moro than Z, 900, COO wero
adults; upward Of 2, 000. 600 moro wcre from IL
to Il years Of age and 600, 900 wero betweon 10
and 15 years oil. OF tho number between IL and
II yenra 1t IN cstiulatod that about half have
passed tho opportunity for educaton aud, since 1t
iswell understood that large proportion OF tho chill
drcn In this country cnVc tho schools perhaps at an
Average ago Of 10 II years tho conclusion Ia IT.
rcs!stiblo that tans OF housanos Of those who arc
reported rs llitcrates beswecn 10 and 15 ycass OF
arc vii! forever 1omaln 90. OF the D30, 600 Tilt.
crate pcrsons between 1t and q ycars Of ago who
| havc pnBsel their opportunities for instruction.
1877, 600 arc in the Northern Statcs 1t, 600 In the
| Pacific and 778 600 IN tho Southern.
The great majority of illitcrato persons in
tic South-oyor threo-fourthB-empha
tho point 80 often made by 1'nE Ou10Aao
TRIBUNE OF tho influence Of ignorance in
restraining the material growth Of tho South
and continuing tho anarchy and disorder that
hAvo prevailed in some sections since tho
close of tho War. Going still further into
details, tho educational reports from tho
South, summary Of which was printed in
tho juno number Of the atlantic M0nthly,
showed TINT tho lowest standard of education
prevailed in Louisiann, Arkansas, Mississippi,
Texas, and South Carolina It adds to the
force Of the argument that these States have
boon tho principal locality Of blood
shed, terrorism, and anarchy, and that
their industrial and general mate.
rial growth has been excessively
sn,nll, as compared with the other Southern
States, where some attention has been paid tc
education. Thoreports from Georgia showhc,
educational standard to bo the highest. Hcl
moral. aocial, industrial, and commercial
standards aro likewise the highest. Thu
Southern social philosophers may find foot
for thought In those educational statistica