Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-11-11
BOARD OF EDUCATION.

The City Board of Education met last
evening.
The principals of the two grammar schools
were authorized to readjust the work in arith.
metic so as to lessen the tasks of the fourth
grade, in accordance with suggestions made
by them.
The Committee on Vaccination, by Mr..
/ Hornblower, reported that the Board OF
Health would provide for the vaccination of
! all school children needing it, notice to be
| given to the public as soon as the vaccine
matter arrives.
/ A communication from the Boardof Health
was also received, stating that it was the
opinion of the Board that revacclnation OF
| children ought to be repeated where lapse
| of not more than seven years has taken place
since such vaccination.
! The Board ordered that all pupils attend
ing the public schools must furnish certiti-
cate of physician that they are sufficiently
protected by vaccination. The time within
which this is to be done was left blank, to be
| filed when the Board of Health gives
its notice of readiness to vaccinate. 1t
was understood that the certificate Of
family physicians will be sufficient,
and that children need not necessarily
go to the vaccinators to be appointed by the
Board of Health 1t was resolved that all
principals, teachers and janitors must also
furnish certificates of vaccination. The
Board directed the Secretary to furnish blank
certificates to I'll school children for physi-
clans to sign. Miss Masen was granted two
weeks leave of absence.
The Superintendent offered preamble and
resolution reciting that the tasks in the gram
mar schools in many cases were too great,
and extending the grammar course to five
years, the finishing course TO be called the
Post Grammar Grade"
Mr.. Hornblower opposed the resolution as
he did not believe the recitals of fact to be
correct.
Mr.. Tracy opposed the resolution because
the studies prescribed are required by law,
and the Board Of Education is not response
bic therefor, and because he thought the
resolution Inconsistent with the previous
recommendations of the Superintendent. He
read \ list of studies and the requirements
Hereunder
Superintendent Landes replied that he
held the Board responsible for '' cramming,"
and that examining" consists not in the
number of studies prescribed, but in the brief
time allotted by the Board for completing
them. He read from reports of the educa-
tional departments of other cities to show
that greater time is allotted for courses SINH
lar to those in Sacramento, as to the amount
of work required. He held that greater work
in less time is required than in any other
school department. He alleged that the first
grade grammar pupils have in Sacramento
but from ten to thirty minutes for study, and
are engaged from four and half TO five
hours in Rotations, and must study out of
school several hours in consequence. He said
that out of nearly 5000 children from to
II years in Sacramento, but little more
than half are in the public schools, and 600
in private schools and l, 400 attend no schools
He was replied to by the statement by several
that such children are compelled to work.
The Superintendent reiterated that "cram-
ming" does exist in the Sacramento depart.
ment, and that children do not, with few
exceptions, get the education contemplated
by the system. He cited the proportion
that graduate from the High School in
support. He was replied to that the
proportion here is greater than in several
other cities, and that Rotations of reading,
writing, etc, require no study" prepare
ton. The Superintendent insisted that there
is examining " in this department, and if
the Board did not know it, or he could not
convince them, he should hold himself clear
of blame.
Members of the Board cited the law, did
not seem willing to credit the position of the
toned the correctness of local citations made
by him.
MIR. Rowell of the Sacramento Grammar
School, stated that much of the recitation
period is really oral instruction and saves the
scholar study.
Mr. Tracy said il too long lessons are given
the Superintendent should correct the evil
He read list of names of graduates within
two years who have good positions and are
well educated ard have not been to the Uni
versity, and challenged the Superintendent
to name FIVE who have failed because of de-
fective education.
= Mr.. Hornblower pronounced the preamble
as without foundation, and declares, that it
was calculated to injure the schools of Sacra-
mento in public estimation. The Supe1in-
tendsut read 2 certificate from a number OF
grammar school teachers, setting forth that
greater time is needed for the pursuit of the
studies prescribed. By vote of ayes and
nays the preamble was stricken out. Ayes
Hornblower, Lord, Tracy, Griffitts. Nays
Stalker, McClatchy, Weimeyer. The Board
then ordered the resolution referred to the
committee on course of study. A motion to
reconsider was lost The Board ordered
thermometers placed in each classroom
where there are none now, and that the teach
ers keep the temperature at 20. The Board
ordered that the 18th and 18th instants be
school holidays.
The Board adjourned after lively little
debate of explanations between Mr.. Landes
and members of the Board.