The Hawaiian gazette., 1878-05-15
Biennial Report of the President of
the board of Education, TO the Leg
iSIatIVe Assembly.

In referring to this able and satisfactory re-
port of the doings of the Board of Education
of the Kingdom, for the two years ending with
the 3lst day of March, 1873, we purpose to be
brief for want of space. We have read this
able report with real satisfaction, because
from it we gather the fact, that the Board of
Education have through their officers and
teachers been diligent in the discharge of their
high trust and have been constant in and out
of season, in their endeavors to infuse into the
minds of the people the necessity of educating
the rising generation, upon whose shoulders
must rest the responsibility of perpetuating
the race, and arriving at that degree of efici-
eucy so essential to qualify the rising genera
tion for the discharge of all their duties as
good citizens.
From the tables of statictics given in the re-
port, we gather the following: Number of
pupils attending schools of all classes at the
present time in the Kingdom is 699l. The
number in 1876 was 69sl, showing small in
crease, which is a gratifying result. The
decrease from the years 1872 to 1874, was 532,
and from the years 1874 to 1876, it was ia.
The Board says: "The number now attending
our common schools shows an appearant de-
crease of 4S6 pupils since 1876; but this de-
crease is more than counterbalanced by an in
crease of 496 pupils in osr select and English
schools The tables of statistics also show in
our schools an excess of 99l boys over girls,
whether it is owing to an excess of births of
boys in the Kingdom, or the retention of girls
from our schools, is question of vital impor-
tance, which as yet, does not seem to be salts
factorily explained. The same disparity in
the sexes ofpupils appears in previous reports. :"
The schools of the Kingdom are classified
as follows; Common schools l69, with total
attendance of 1918, of both sexes. Government
boys boarding schools 3 !; attendance l27. Gov
erhment English day schools 8, attendance BIG.
Independent girls boarding schools Z; atten-
dance 255. Independent boys boarding schools
5 attendance l09. Independent day schools
80, attendance 1881. Giving the total of 222
schools with an average attendance of boys
of 1891, and girls 5000.
The Board express regret that parents do
not seem to take the interest in the education
of their children that they should, but are
hopeful for the future in this regard. Educa-
ton in the English language is urged upon the
Nation, as of more value to the people than
their native tongue, and the manual labor sys-
tenn as auxiliary to acquiring useful knowledge
commended.
The report takes up each school district,
and gives the details of the present condition
of the schools in each, os well as those schools
that receive aid from the public treasury, as
those independent of such assistance, which
are highly interesting. The Museum is next
noticed, showing that large accessions have
been made to the collections in that institution,
and recommend an appropriation for the same.
1t being the duty of the Board of Education,
by law, to make a complete census of the
Kingdom, to carry out which an appropriation
will he necessary the present year. This is a
matter that should be provided for by the Leg
islatnre, so as to have the work carefully done
in all its details.