Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-03-18
THE NEEDS OF THE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.
Ueport OF the school Board Committee
to the Congressional Commission.

REPORT Of the school Board Committee
90 the Congressional Cemsssission.
The following report, made by the committee
designated by the school board to answer the in
Qury OF the Congressional commission, supplies a
large amount Of information In regard TO the con-
dtion and needs of the public schools OF the Dis
trct or Columbia:
y. s. Fittings, MD, Chairman Congressional Com
SIR: Your communication requesting Informal
lion as To the condition, needs, &, OF the public
schools Of the District OF Columbia, having been
referred by the school board to the committee on
buildings and repairs, with instruction To furnish
the Information, we have To report as follows:
The very limited time allowed has prevented
that full and thorough examination which the
Importance OF the subject demands, but the FOL-
lowing statement OF facts viii serve to convey at
least general Idea OF the condition OF affairs In
relation TO our schools:
In order TO properly understand the subject, it
Should be borne in mind that the present system
of public free schools can hardly be said To have
had an existence here prior to 1892 and IN fact to
Dut a limited extent prior To the war; Although
as early as 1904 a law was passed to create a
school fund by tax slaUes dogs sale OF liquor,
DC, very little appears to have been done In the
way OF establishing system OF public schools
until long afterward.
The acts OF 1916 and 1870 confined the benefits OF
The public schools entirely To the "poOr chdren;n
and In 1910 a sum previously raised by lottery
authorized by Congress was set aside for endOw-
Ing two ''charity schools"
In 1872, Mayor Seaton IN hts message strongly
advocated the Introduction OF what he denom-
mated the "New England system OF free schools :"
but so strong was the public sentiment against
pubic schools here at That time, that In his mes
sage OF the following year, he was obliged to mod
fy his former recommendations, although stiI adj
vocating their Introduction
The first OF our principal public school buildings.
the Wallach, WIS erected in 1862. and from that
time on they nave been increased to their present
number.
There. was no such thing as a public school for
Congress OF May p, 1869 The first building for a
colOred school In the District was erected in 1907
as si0reS In Maryland and Eirgina,-GeOrge Bell
Nicholas Franklin and Moses Liverpool.
The laws of the District, like those OF the south
ern states, generally prohibited the teaching OF
slaves to read or write, and consequently the ben
eft Of the private schools confined to the free
cOlored children. It is but Just TO the coOred resi-
dents to say that they have ever evinced the
strongest desire to obtain an education, Is shown
by the facts that although deprived of any aid from
the public funds, hampered by prOhbitOry laws,
and opposed by strong public sentiment, still the
free colored residents provided one school house
Tor their 44 children, at q time when the whites
had but two schools for the 4.0sS white children in
the District
In 1895, mob. excited by an insurrection, real
or imaginary, OF some slaves In Virginia, burned
and destroyed nearly all the coi0red school build
tngs OF the District, causing the teachers and
tive friends OF the colored schools TO flee for their
lives Even as late as 1851, when that noble heart
ed woman, Miss Miner, established free school
for cOlOrod children, and supported it by donations
from friends at the north, she thre tened with
all sorts OF vengeance and in 1857 the then mayor
or the city-Lenox-oppOsed the establishment Of
~
tiOrdl I,teliigence1' over his own signature, said
that "it was raising the standard OF educa ton
among the cOlOred population" and declaring that
the white population of the District would not be
just TO themselves TO permit the continuance OF
Institution which had the teInerity OF extending to
the cOlOred people "a degree of instruction far
beyond their social and political condition." which
condition he said muSt continue in this and every
other Slave-hOlding community"
On the other hand. there were many noble eX-
ampleS OF generosity on the part OF individual
residents ani strangers, among the whites, in aid
of the colored schools. All these matters are now
happily, but part OF the past history OF the Dis
trct and are only referred to here for the purpose
OF showing briefly the adverse circumstances IN
der which our preSe Mt school system had its birth,
and has grown to its present improved condition.
AT the present time by the laws OF Congress, the
white and cOlored schools stand on a perfect
eQuality-the law requiring the same expenditure
per euptta for the cOlored for the white chill
dren, both as to buildings and teachers, and IN
TACT Tor supplies or all kinds. Since the COnSOlidsl-
ton OF the former separate school boards the
board or trustees, composed OF both colOred and
white members, and the same committees act for
both the White and cOlored schools. The same
books are used, and the same branches are taught
In bOtn- Each has its own buildings and its own
superintendents The present system is found to
work admirably, and under IL the cOlOTed schools
have made progress unequaIled elSewh here in this
country. II not In the world It Is believed that the
best interests of both the White and cOOred schools
ent system For further details as TO the history
OF the public schools OF the District see special re-
port: Henry Barnard, Commissioner Of Education,
published by act OF Congress in 1871. Also report
OF the School Board for 1s.4-,5, PIP. 1924
1.-THE details Of the halt day schools FAR as we
have received returns are as follows, viz:
Schools. Rooms.
LIST DIVISION ..--------..----..O 10
81 dIVjSiOn-- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
-. ulsLsIoi- *
4tn uISiSi on
80 - :, 20 -