Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-02-19
NOTES ON EDUCATION.

The school expenditures in Michigan
last year were So, l09,9l5 IA.
Under President Potter's administration
Union College has secured endowments of
about $500, 600, and the number of stu
dents has more than doubled.
Dartmouth College has during its exist
ence conferred the degree Of B. a. upon
4 275 persons, 2, 40 of whom are now
living
A retiring fund for Harvard's professors
has now been fairly started. Twenty-one
thousand dollars have already been con-
tributed.
The permanent school fund of Iowa is
now estimated at So 484 All, and 1t will be
increased by further sales OF school land.
The length of the school year in that State
was last year las days.
School attendance in Georgia has had a
remarkable increase. From 40 1910 IN
1871. it ran up to 226 627 in 1879. OF
the latter number 70, 435 were colored
children.
The University of Berlin has now more
than 1000 students-the largest number
ever yet reached by any German university
1HS ~ VI b-oSl ieto Ot'c 7SASASAASS5
twenty-five of whom are Germans.
One of the beliefs stated at the recent
meeting of the Rhode Island teachers was
that the time has come for deposing arith-
metic as the most important study for
children, and substituting the study of the
English language.
The educational progress made by Ten
nessee since 1872 is described as wonder
full. In that year in some of the counties
there was not single school, either pub
lie or private. In 1873, thsre were 3, 942
schools in the State; last year there were
5,522. In 1875, the average daily attend
ance was 1876, 805; last year it was l9l, 46l.
The Indiana Legislature is now consid-
ering bill making education in that State
compulsory This bill orders that In the
common schools only the following branches
shall be taught: Orthography, reading,
writing, mathematics mot beyond algebra,
geography, English grammar and the his
tory of the United States; provided that
cities and towns may have graded schools,
in which additional and higher branches
may be taught.
The resort to Harvard has grown wider
during the past sixty, or particularly dur
ing the past fifteen years. The percentage
Of students from outside New England has
increased; the resort from the Southern
States has fallen off, but the increased re-
sort from the Middle and Western States
has more than made good this loss (; the
medical school is, as it has always been,
essentially New England school, and the
resort to the law school has somewhat mar.
rowed of late, chiefly in consequence of a
loss of students from the Southern and
Middle States.
Professor Bancroft, of Brown University,
in a recent address, commended the thor
ough study of the English language to
schools He said that pupils should be
Taught composition upon careful plan {;
the foundation should be laid by giving TO
the pupils the works of the best authors,
and also clear idea of what he is expected
to do, making him understand and FOLLOW
out the plan in the simplest matters OF
composition. Many teachers, he said,
think that the way to write is to write,
ard he added that indefinite aims never
accomplish anything but indefinite results.
Lieutenant Governor Fay. of Rhode Is
land, has been making sensible speech in
which he advocated the establishment of
scientific schools, and the providing of in
dustrial education III all correctional insti-
tutions for youth. He pointed out the
absurdity of keeping boys eight or ten
years in Reform School, cane-seating
chairs or putting heels on shoes, and then
sending them out into the world with no
trade wherewith to earn an honest living.
Mr.. Fay suggestion as to the establish
ment of scientific schools for industrial
education is one which cannot be made too
often.