The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-03-24
orR puBL1c SCHOOLS.

upon our Public Schools attracted the
attention of our citiz ans, and also OF the
teachers. Among the latter is Superin'
tendent Lehman, who furnishes us some
points that he thinks. very properly,
should be considered.
We pointed out the startling fact that,
while three hundred new school chill
dren were received this year and about
the same number last, and prior to last
year, hundred or more new pupils
we're added each year; yet the High
School, and even the Grammar received
but a small proportion; the most of
them, especially the boys, dropping out
on the way to the Gram mar and the
High Schools. We clnnot do better
than give Professor Lehman's points as
ne drafted them, though it is proper to
say, not specially written for publica
ton:
In comparing the attendance in the
advanced Grammar, and High School
grades with the lower grades for the
purpose of determining the proportion
that drop out before they reach higher
grades, we must compare the number in
any one of the advanced classes with
the number in that class when it was in
the first Primary grade. 1t is not
proper to compare the size Of the High
School and Grammar Schools now with
the number in lower departments at
the same time as the large increase in
the Primary Schools has not yet reached
the higher grades. For instance, when
the pupils who are now in the first or
lowest class of the High School were in
the first Primary the attendance in the
Primary departments was less than half
what it is now; the total enrolment in
the Public Schools that year was 1890,
this year it will be at least twice that
number. We may presume, therefore,
that the attendance in the High School
will be at least doubled by the time
those now in the lowest grade have by
promotion reached the High School.
Some allowance should be made for
deaths from year to year. In manufac
turing cities many of the parents are in
such circumstances that they need the
help oil the older children in the support
of the family. The people are taxed
only for the education Of those who act.
ually avail themselves of the benefit of
the Public Schools. The acCommoda.
tions provided and the teachers en-
ployed are suffi 5ient only for about the
number that do attend. If all pupils
were to remain in the schools until they
had completed the entire course of study
it would be necessary to put up addi
tional buildings for Grammar and High
School departments, and to employ
more teachers and thus largely increase
the expenditures for school purposes.
The enumeration as reported for last
year was, Sept, 1879, between 6 and 16
2724; between 16 and 81, 1884; total, 1861
Total enrolment in Public Sch ,ols,
2453 including the night schools, 2627
Sixty.fve per cent. of all the youth in
this district between 6 and 2l years of
age we're last year enrolled in the Public
Schools, not including the night schools
This was a gain of s per cent of school
population enrolled over the year before.
From the State School Commissioners
report for 1889 we obtained the per
cent of school population enrolled in the
following cities for that year: CinCin.
natl, 80 per cent; Cleveland, 40 per cent;
Columbus, So per cent; Dayton, 49 per
cent; Toledo, 81 per cent; Sandusky, 80
per cent. Hamilton. 80 per cent; Spring
field, AZ per cent; Steubenville, As per
cent; Youngstown, AZ per cent; Mans
field, 81 per cent; Akron, 63 per cent;
Massllon, AZ per cent Adding to the
enrolment in the day schools H. the
number that attended the night schools,
and 45O for paroChjal and private schools
gives 3077 the total number that attend
ed the different schools in tie city, This
is 50 per cent of the whole number emu
merated, and ConClusively shows that
but a small portion of youth between
and 16 years, which virtually constitute
the school population did not attend
any school some time during the year.
A larger portion of the enumeration
reach the High Sch Jol in Canton than in
most of the cities named above. More
than twice as large per cent. of the
enumeration reach the High School in
Canton as in Cincinnati, just twice as
mahy as in Youngstown, more than in
Cleveland, Toledo, Sandusky, Hamilton,
and the same as in Dayton. In Colum-
bus, Steubenville, Springfield, Akron,
Mansfield and Massillon, a larger per
cent. enter the High School than in
Canton. The following is complete
record of the number of graduates since
the organic .tion of the Canton High
Gnhnn'.