The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-12-21

From the detailed reports of these
schools we present the following figures
Eurollment for the Observation-Disclosures
90, Madison %, Clay 81, Union Sc, Web
ster l22, Richie 30, Colored Al, total
40. Average Observation-Disclosures
81, Nation IL, Clay ", Union Gl, Web
ster 81. i;ilchie 81; Colored IS, total 3Ol,
Branche' taught and number OF pupils in
each arrliing i79, reading 40, writing
4l6, m"u,al arithmetic 426, geography
II, grammar II. Per cent of attendance
on enrolment 50. Amount paid for in.
struc!iun in evening schools 1887.
Ia tie Washington evening school, a
spirit OF characterization upon the part
OF the Implls, al also some tendency to
detaCe property, had reached such point,
that wi,h the concurrence Of the local
commissioners, we closed the school on
Tucsd'! evening, the 18th inst. Beiev.
iae l,.G the continuance Of the school
under such circumstances would be PRO.
dWctivc ii lasting injury to the pupils
Themselves, and ascertaining also that il
was beginning TO have bad influence
upon the pupils Of the day schodH this
cOurse WAS taken from clear dpcipli.
nary measure.
In sorne visits during the week we
found tue other evening schools TO be
quietly Hnd efficiently ut work. The at.
tendanG' Tor this month 40 far does not
equal II numbers the reports herein con.
tanned ipr the month OF November, Where
this reduced attendance is likely to be
permanent would suggest that the local
commissioners having charge OF any par
ticulaT 'choOl, or majority Of them, be
empowered TO adjust their teaching force
to the reduced patronage.
The department OF SuperintendAnce of
the National Educational Association
met ut Washington Cilyon Tuesday, the
lIth inst, and continued in session three
days, holding two sessions daily.
The Convention was composed OF forty
or fifty representatives from twenty
States, with somA prominent educational
officials vi Washington, also members Of
Congress who have taken special interest
In this subject.
The various topics brought before the
Convention were discussed in a fair, frank
manner, from Il practical standpoint, the
test OF public necessity or OF public
utility bring applied in each case.
1t was Justly claimed that those having
charge OF the school interests of the Coun.
try are To he held responsible for the
successful working Of the school systems
until there il some radical defect in the
plan itsrit, which defect they ought to be
able to point out.
1t WA agreed that the general pur-
pose or design Of \ public school edn-
cation was two-fold; lat, to qualify the
people Ia become good citizens, so that
the institutions OF the country may be
safely iutrusted to their keeping; %, to
prepare them for commencing tho bust
ness Of lie, go that they may go out and
enter the general fields OF skilled labor
aud make for themselves and those de-
pendent upon them comfortable living.
Subsidiary to this great thought, they
took up successfully the following topics:
"rhc hcst system Of education for
STATE" The best system Of education
for aciiy," "rhc relations between men.
tai culture and skilled labor and a
"prncticnl union OF education in both di.
rcclion-,' 30 that pupils may go forth
from the ichOols with taste and skill
for labor, and an inclination to it, instead
OF being required to serve II long and dis.
tasteful apprenticeship with a mental
bias nghin4t it.
1t was asserted that ignorance il the
most expensive product for any people,
and that therefore public utility and pub
liCsAfGty require that the INhoring masses
be helped both to n higher level Of men
tai culture and to grCuterskill in manual
labor.
The Convention favored the idea Of
creating permanently invested school
fund, arising from the proceeds Of tho
sales Of the public lNndA, the income from
which should he divided for public
school PURPOSES amongst the several
States upon some equitable basis.
Some other matters came before the
Convention, but not being Of no much
practical importance, they were omitted
from this statement.
The deliberations of the Convention
were watched with interest, and good au.
dienccs assembled to hear the more for.
NAL papcrs prepared by Gen. Eaton, on
"Whnt hAs been done by the general Voy.
Crnmcnt in aid Of CdnCa;ion;" by DR..
LOrinE, Of Massachusetts, on tho "Scorc
Of n Common School Education" the lee.
turC Of DR., Kunkle, President Of the
Boston School Of Technology, on tho are.
Sults OF Combined Mental and Manual
Instruction." a. Nlso tho lecture Of Seorc-
tary Thompson, Monday evening, on the
"Origin aud Influence OF the English
Language"
With thanks for tho opportunity Of
attending the Convention, the foregoing
report is respectfully admitted.
JonN c, HrHvEY, Supt.
The HlVpCgIiOn Of tina Sunori nInnIruI |