Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-08-20
POPULAR EDUCATION.

1t is reported that one fourth of the pub
lie schools of New Hampshire have an
average attendance of fewer than seven pu.
pills.
The Siberian University at Tomsk is to
be finished and opened to students next
summer. The museum and library are
already being organized in neighboring
buildings.
The University of Georgia has now IT'S
Students large increase since 1877, when
it had but 80. The institution is thor
oughly well equipped and is in prosper
GUS condition.
The Sheffield Scientific School has nearly
200 students, and is in an excellent condi-
ton. It's thermometric bureau intends
hereafter to verify thermometers for all
who may wish such work done.
President Chadbourne, of Williams Col
lege, in his recent address before the Bos-
ton Alumni, said that more attention
should be paid in the college course to
the business affairs of life more of prac-
tlcality should be interviewer in the In
struetion and life of the college.
The plan of supplementing the ordinary
work of the schools by supplying extra
reading matter and by directing the read
good books, is said to be working at
Worcester, Mass, as well as In other
places, with excellent results.
Virginia has 1854 public schools, of
which POS are graded. In these schools
900, 1856 pupils are instructed by 4.S73
teachers. The total expenditures for 1880
were 1916, l09, the support from the State
being SG37, 100. There are ,256 colored
schools, in which 5000 pupils are taught
by 7S5 colored teachers.
Britain may rule the waves, but she is
lamentably behind the United States, Ger
many, France and Holland in secondary
education. There are endowed grammar
schools in many towns, and sometimes a
corporation establishes high school but
there is no systematic scheme whatever for
the secondary education of the middle
class
Girton, the Woman's College at Cam
bridge, England, is more used by the
clergy for the education of their daugh-
tiers than by any other class. Conserva-
tive as they are, the English clergy be-
lieve in giving girl as much education
as she has brains to take; and they do
not seem to limit her mental capacity to
any small measure of individual or popu-
lar opinion.
During the eight years in which the St.
Petersburg School of Medicine has been
open to women, 796 students matriculated
The course of study occupies five years, so
that only the first three classes have had
graduates These number Ill. During
1879 % per cent. abandoned their studies,
this large per centage being due to the
fact that the majority of the students
while studying have to earn their living by
literary work, teaching, etc.
In Wisconsin, as in every other State,
too many pupils are assigned to a single
teacher. Superintendent Shaw, of Madi-
son, says that in some parts of the State
IS or 100 pupils-and even more--may be
found in charge of one teacher. Even in
Madison one teacher has over 10 pupils
and three others over 60. Naturally no
man or woman can do justice to such
number of restless young spirits. There
will be semi military system of obedience
and mechanical recitation, but how much
keen and intelligent comprehension of the
branches taught?
1t IS complained IN Buffalo that the
public schools are entirely under political
control and it is related that one city
Superintendent was go besieged by infu-
entail politicians for their friends that he
had at one time between forty and fifty
superfuous persons on the city pay-rolls.
1t ought to be unnecessary to point out to
practical Americans the monstrous stu
pidity, the dangerous folly of giving over
their schools to be the playthings of
selfish political traders; but the records
of many city show that If the people
see the evil they care little about it.