The New York herald., 1877-09-23
EDUCATING THE YOUNG.

THE VALUE OF CENSUS OF THE SCHOOL Chill
DREN OF THE clTY-A SYSTEM NEEDED.
To THE EDITOR OF HERALD
In the report In the HERALD OF this morning of the
proceedings OF the Board Education appears that
in one ward alone OF the city there twelve
hundred q, ,273) children who have been refused ad-
mission nto the public schools Of the for lack OF
room. This is a great wrong to the children, and
wrong that is without excuse. The taxpayers do
not rcluse to pay any taxes necessary 10 pro.
vide education for all the children the city.
Between $4,000 900 and $4,00o,000 are now
nuay expended by the Board Of Education. II
money is necessary to provide schools sufficient
accommodate all tho children 1t will DO freely paid
whenever the necessity for IT is shown by the proper
authorities
80 SYSTEM
Seventy Eve years ago free schools established
this city, simply for tho purpose OF educating the
children OF paupers and criminals. Out of this char
itablo beginning and with It's peculiar defects have
grown the present muniAcent public schools Of this
city; but the system, lack Of system adopted sew
ehty five years ago, Tor few small charity Schools
substantially the Same system that is now pursued by
our Board OF Educaton with It's threo or four millions
OF annual expenditures and 800 0Oo children.
system that Will wel Tor three or four small
charity schools breaks down utterly when applied
the children Of million people
Tho Board OF Education have under their manage
mont something like one hundred and fifty schools.
covering territory averaging about twelve miles In
length by miles IN width, with population OF
1,lOO ooo- The ''happy go lucky method, want Of
mothod, should now be dropped
ANNUAL CENSUS
Tho first step for the Board to take in order pro.
vide the children OF the city with sufficient school
odaton is 10 learn how many children there are
the city to be provided for This taey have never
done. They don't know how many children thcro are
in tho whole city or in any ward or district Of the CITY,
They mover taken of the school children,
and make provision or attempt whatever for taking
such census.
SCHOOL DIS rRIcTs.
The city is Lot laid out IN school districts, but each
chd the whole CITY has right 10 present himself
on any morning at the doors OF any public school OF
his grade any part Of Tho city, and demand ad-
mission. Ono school may have u crowd OF 100
children at It's doors demanding admittance after
every scat is fun, whilc IN the very neigh
borhood from which these 100 children came
there may be public schools OF the same grado and
equally good empty aud awaiting pupils. One ward
may have double the school accom- modation required
Tor all the children IN tho ward, and ano.hcr may not
have half accommodation enough Tor It's chill
drcu, ana yet tho Board OF Education DO
entirely ignorant OF The TACT and have no
means OF learning beforehand what tho wants
OF each ward are II school IN one part OF the city
becomes popular pupils rush 10 1t from all parts. II
school anotncr part OF the city, although equally
good has not acquired reputation its bencnes may DO
nearly or quite empty. The Board OF Education take
enectuai steps " prevent such owls remedy
them.
THE BOARD HAS POWER AND MEANs.
The act oi 1873, creating the Board, IN section T.,
gives IT 'Iu control OF the public schools and public
school system" OF the city. The public treasury pays
the Board between three and lour millions Of money
annually TO expend in exercising this control.
Duty
II would seem to be the PLAIN duty OF the Board
FTst-To take census OF the children OF tho school
age in each ward then they would, Tor tho lrst time.
know for how many children thoy may be caed upon
10 provide.
Second-lt would seem 10 be an equally plain duty
for tho proper management Of tho school system that
the city should be- like tho of the State laid out
school districts OF CONVENIENT size for the chll-
drcn OF the district
Third-rhe Board should see that each district Is
provided with reasonable school accom- m modaton for
the children IN that district
Fourka-Atter such school accom- modation ,s pro-
vidcd the children each district should IN the
instance, be required TO attend the school OF their
district, and SO prevent overcrowdng OF other dis
tricts.
Ftfh-somc proper officers should lie authorize by
the Board of Education under suitable regulations
restrictions TO grant permits 70 children to leave the
school ner own district and io attend that IN somo
other district
The primary school districts should be small, while
the grammar school districts would be comparatvciy
large, aud the district for The New York College and
the female Normal school would each cover the whole
city.
II this done ana the aDnual census Of the school
ch1rcn In the city Of New YORK taken, as II is now
tak on the months OF SeptemDcr'and Octooer IN the
rural parts of the State the Board Of Education would
have difficulty IN determining beforehand whether
they had school accommodation enough ivr Inc
children, aud, II not, In what localities IL was
deficient, and TO what extent and provide II ucorc
twelve hundred chdron in single ward are lett out
IN the street.
They would also bo able TO estimate with some de-
gree OF intelligence the amount oi money required 10
carry the schools properly Tor the coming year, ana
10 state wnen they Apply to the Board OF Estimate
and Apporlionment for money. &C, why tue amount
asked Tor required instead Oi only beng able 10 give
a reasonable guess rs heretofore
RIGHTS OF TAXPAYERS AyD CHILDREN.
The Board composed Of some oi the most cstiina-
bic gentlemen in the city. They give their timc gr.-
tultously But having undertaken the higny re-
sponsibe and important duty OF managing the public
schools at least 900 600 children ana being pro-
vided with between f3OOO,000 ana $4,000. 0UO with
which to do IT, the taxpayers who furnish the money
and the people VINO have the ch idren have right TO
demand vi them reasonable system aud intelgent
management OF so great rust
Annually they are asked TO furnish the Supernend-
cnt OF Public Instruction Of the State Of New YORK
with the number of school children within the school
IN the city, and annually they confess their IN
ability to do II, aud send him nero estimate or guess
OF the numpcr.
IL certainly Is to take the census oil 3UO, 600
children, all within the small compass ol
tho city, than II 10 takc that of 1,OUOOOO chill
dren scattered widely over tho rurnl dstrcts, ana
yet the census OF tho million ~ annually taken and
reported 10 the superintendent oil Puuic Instruction.