The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-26
How to Snre on SCHOOLS.

How can considerable proportion Of the
money expended for public instruction be
saved without damage to our system Of FREQ
education, and even with benefit to it; Let
us examine some % the details Of cxpcndi-
turo by the Board Of Education and see
For tie present we pass by that costly
excrcsccucc, the College Of the City Of New
York, which. as IL stands, is no moro lc-
gitimatc part and q logical continuation Of
our school system than an academy Of
sculpture would be- We also refrain from
criticism 81 tine Normai College. whore 50
many young women get u polite education
ut the public expense. The opportunities
for saving in those two institutions arc
worth considering by themselves
Take first the allowance for the pay 81
iantors in ward schools alone. For the
present year it was Slo3cO0-a very heavy
sum 10 lay cut for the care OF the school
buildings, especially when, in addition, the
people furnish the jauitors with cXccllant
quarters in which to live without cost for
rent, provide them with gas and iucl free,
and put other perqu-itcs in their way.
Counting the number Of grammar schools
Ms 20, and OF primary schools rs AZ, this
gives the ianitors an average Of about $3.50
year each in money. That, with the incl
dentals, Is a very large salary for these
days-pay above that earned by the major
lty OF professional men, and too great for
the services hired. II the average was re-
duced 10 500 year. the jauiturs would bc
we'll paid, and for that salary plenty Of
good, competent and intelligent men could
be got; they would jump at the chance.
Here we have saving Of over S3o,O00G year
Tho evening schools are a heavy Charge
on the fund for public instruction, but ever,
one familiar with our free educational sys-
TEN is aware that all Of them, with the eNccp-
ton Of the Evening High School, are nliscr-
ably managed and not worth their cost In
ls777s, the high school omitted ont OF an
enrolment OF scholars Of 1889 only 1865
were actually taught. This made the cost
per scholar in attendance for salaries alone
nearly $50. II Instead Of 20 slip-shod even
ing schools we had eight or ten really
thrifty and energetic schools where solid
work was done, the wants Of the city would
be satisfied and the gain to the scholars
would be great, whilc the saving to the
people would be $4,000 year. The even
ing schools now are n butt Of ridiculc
among teachers, and are frequently little
more than asylums for the care Of INDECENT
tedagogucs.
Next get rid of the supernumcraries in
the schools. 1t is surprising how many Of
these are pensoued off on the public by
friendly or crotchety Trustees aud Commits
sioners, and it would takc II good while TO
weed them out; but "a sharp Board could
find them all, and the majority of them can at
once be named. In many schools not merely
the Principal, but the Vicc-Princpal and
the First Assistant also, are what are
called iiOatcrs; that IL, they do general
duty, and have no regular classes They
Rr3 at clerical labor, rendered obligatory by
the cumbersome machinery Of the Board Of
Education, or fussinF over the fancy studies
imposed by notlonal Trustees, or working
out the crotchets OF eccentric examiners.
They stand in tho way Of really valuable
instruction, and tho schools would gain by
parting with them. On these lloatere and
the suDornumerary class as n whole at
least $4,000 year could easily De saved.
Another great expense Is tho City Super
iutcndcnt's Office, which cost for salaries
alone in 1878 nearly $4,000, one chief and
seven assistants, besides two clerks, are
here at work making business for the teach
ers which kccps them from their proper
task of instruction.; and, so far from tie
efficiency Of the school system gaining by
the growth Of the superintendent Office,
more work was done when the furco there
was smaller Assign some Of tho assistant
superinteudputs To- the schools, simplify the
examinations, trust moro 10 the discretion
Of the principals and $1,000 year..yes,
twice that, c0iiG he saved here