The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-12-12
TIE PrRLIO NCHOOLs.
The wheeling IntellIgeneef'a Pc
sition Fully Sustained BY sta


The wheeling IntelllgeneeE'a Poo
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tisiics.
wlshlnStOn Pa, Reporter.
How many children in thepublle schools,
after q stay Of two or three years 10 them,
are really good GptllerSI We should like
sone one To give us the exact per cent. II
would be On Interesting item OF education.
al statistics, How many can read intelli.
gently How many can stand thorough
examination In the essential principles OF
arithmetic outside Of the rules and exam.
pies to which they have been accuStomedl
How many can compose o natural letter on
sub ects with which they are familiar How
many can write hand 81 10 form The proper
body Of q characteristic ehirOgraPhy in
after liie9
These are questions that we undertake
not 10 answer. Unfortunately We have no
statistics bearing on the subject. II we
hSd We should end some queer and like.
wise some startling rOyelations.-- Rheeiing
IntehigeneCr.
Fortunately, we have some sLatiStics
on this subject, for q series Of years,
which will enable US TO Judge, with toler-
able accuracy Of the efficiency Of the
schools, both public and private, In all
parts Of the country. The questions above,
proposed by The lNTELLIGENCER are fun.
damental; they 90 right at the subject in
q way that will enable US to ascertain the
real value Of systems Of popular educa.
lion.
The only institutions that we know,
In which thorough and searching exami.
nations arc made, in order to test the
proficiency Of the candidate for admis.
sion. are the United States Military
Academy at West Point, and the United
States Naval Academy, u. Annapolis.
The cadets Ia each Of these institutions,
receive their appointments through their
members Of Congress; each member hav-
ing authority 10 nominate the cadet from
his district, whenever vacancy occurs.
The course Of study, In both institutions,
extends through four years. The cadet
receives ut the rate Of about five hundred
dollars a year from the government, for
his support while at the Institution, and
after his graduation he gets a commits.
sion in the Army or the Navy. OF course
the appointment TO West Point or to
Annapolis, Is sought by ambitious young
men with great earnestneSs. Sometimes,
as has been the casa in this district, the
appointment is made after compe.
titiyo examination Of the young men Of
the district, in which the best scholar
secures the prize. In the Military Acad.
emy, the appointment ia made one wear
in advance, so that the Rppointee has that
much time 10 prepare Tor his entering
examination. The studies upon which
the appoinees are examined are Reading,
Writing and Spelling, Arithmetic. Geog.
raphy, English Grammar, and United
States History. II ia needless 10 say that
the tests Tor admission are thorough.
They are conducted in writing, plenty Of
time being given in every case for the
candidate TO exhibit his greatest prof.
cheney.
The following statistics will show the
character Of our elementary school train.
ing throughout the country, since il may
safely be inferred that these young men,
for the mostpsrt, represent the efficiency
Of the best schools in each congressional
districf. We shall take the aggregate
statistics Of West Point for q period from
1855 10 1875 inclusive. In this term OF
nineteen years, 22S9 appointments were
made, 1920 passed the examination, leav-
ing ego who failed. DedncLing n who
were rejected on account Of physical dis
ability, we have 5S3 who failed for want
Of schOlaIship.
Thus, alter Syear's especial preparation,
a little more than 25 per cent fail in an
examination upon these common branch.
es OF the common schools. In many in
stances, the cadet was found deficient in
several OF the studies, in others in only
one. OF the js3 who were incompetent,
we have IL recorded that 1872 failed in
Writing and Spelling; 201 in Reading;
9S4 in Arithmetic; 23S in Geography; 279
in E. Grammar and 1872 in United States
History.
The statistics from the Naval Academy
embrace The period from 1871 to 1875 in.
elusive. SOC appointments were made Of
cadet midshipmen; OF these 3Ol were
found wanting in scholarship; or nearly
80 per rent. Ofthese 10 failed in Writ.
ing and Spelling; 154 in Reading; 251 in
Arithmetic; l76 in Geography; us in
English Grammar; Is in History. The
only examination in History was held in
1872; this accounts for the small number
Of failures in that branch. Aa the cadets
Of the Naval Academy are only appoint
ed about three months prior to their ex-
animation, the difference in the ratios Of
success may be accounted for in that way.
To descend to particulars, we find for
the year 1875 that 35 appointments were
made to both Institutions from Pensylya.
MIA. OF these IL or nearly &c per cent fail.
ed Ohio had 40 per cent Of failures. In
New York more than SO per cent did not
enter. From Virginia nearly 55 per cent
were rejected. South Carolina had near.
" IS per cent sent home. For the same
year We find that in both institutions
there.were in all nearly 40 per cent Of re.
ections.
The enemies of the public High Schools,
we arc sorry 10 say, will find In these
figures the best argument they can adduce
for their opposition.