Daily Republican., 1883-11-15
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
A GLlMPsE AT THE AHHUAL ne.
PORT OF hUPERIN fENDENT
HABLAN.

was submitted TO tho Board some time
since, has bten neatly printed In pam.
phet form, and distributed through the
city. The report contains some very
interesting statistics In reference to the
schools and education In general, from
which the following IL CLEANED
Number of school houses, 20 school
rooms used for day schools, l3l rooms
used for high school Glasses, 8 rooms
used for grammar and primary school
classes, 1876 f; number Of sittings In all
the schools, 8,7l3.
In 1873 there was 10 echool-h0uses
and 1902 sittings, showing an increase
in ten years Of B school buildings and
2,2ll sittings. There are l32 teachers
employed In the various schools, who
receive from $500 to O., 300 per year, &C
corling TO their respective positions.
During the year there were 1875 pupils
enrolled In the schools, with An average
daily attendance Of 8, 1877. The pamphlet
contains q number Of tables giving the
workings Of each school for the past
year.
There are 141 girls and a boys in the
grammar schools Of 10 years Of age, and
10 boys and girl In the same schools
under Is years. In the primary schools
there are 565 pupils over IL years of age
and 264 under that age, and In conjunc-
ton with this statement the Superin-
dent says: TT Ia common to assume
that the young people found In q school
have gone to school constantly from the
age OF SIX. This assumption enters into
SO many of the discussions, about the
age Of pupils In our higher classes, that
ii is worthy of some notice.
From the start there Ia little cor.
respondence between the ages of the
children and the grade in which they
are found. In the lowest grade there
are always children of Ave and eight
years. In the highest primary grade
they vary from nine to sixteen years Of
age. In the highest grammar grade
are found pupils Of every age from
twelve to twenty. Several boys have
graduated ut about fifteen. One girl
graduated ut this age. The boys In the
high school are younger than the girls,
as they are in high schools generally.
The age OF nearly every pupil that has
been promoted from the primary to the
grammar schools, or from tho lower
grammar schools to the grammar school
3VpdltihCAtS VI tuO ulkh bSuOOlbS AOA VCA
years, has been sent 10 me. Numerous
inquiries, made in different years, cs-
tahlish the fact that the high average
age Of the higher classes Is largely the
result Of the presence In them of pupils
who have been out Of school a great
deal Of time. In the growth Of the
city many Of the oldest pupils have
come from other places and entered our
classes.
In passing an opinion upon the work
o!ihe schools, justice requires that we
should take into account the time pupils
have been out of school, and also that
wc should remember that some chill
Gren who are kept regularly at school
are naturally very dull, and that 9TH
ers Of good minds are greatly indispostd
to study.
The principal upon which pupils are
classified Is that they are to be put into
the highest grade In which they can
learn the lessons thoroughly, without
over work. 1t is a common complaint,
and one for v h ch there is some cause
thatthe youngest girls in the higher
classes have to study too hard. Bright
and studious, they recite WE'LL and pass
good examinations in the lower classes.
Ambitious to be put forward, they
would be greatly discouraged If they
were not promoted the first time they c
made the required average. Under
The PRESSURE from the parents and
friends of the children, that IL upon all
Of us, 10 promote those who have OBJ
talned marks that will permit their pro.
mo'ion, these girls are promoted to
hOttrl that In, fhntr uft,e IN ho ri
i0r children 80 young.
= would in every way be better for
such pupils to remain longer In the
lower calsses Pupils who have fully
oomprehe the lessons Of the grades
below, and are of proper age and good
anlIit experience enough difficulty in
all our grades above the fourth in the
course for the grammar schools. That :
some of the older pu pills are not learning
as much ~ they should is true. Where
the fault lies is not certain. These young
ioIks are usually spoken of as though
Their parents and teachers were respon-
sh.e for their conduct, but in the way
oistudy they do little that is not of their I
own free choice. They are compelled
while IN school to refrain from things
lh"l interrupt quiet and good order, but
Ihe discipline does not always go so
lar as to require them to study rs much
AZ they should These pupils need strong 9
Inducements to study. Discipline more 9
hEorous and reaching deeper than they o
are accustomed to is needed. One Of the 7
oes, things for school IL for the pupils =
70 be convinced that they cannot escape 2
hard study.
Unfortunately, when teachers do try P
push indolent pupils, parents begin II
complain, and two or three noisy !
parents can make things very uncom-
iOFlahle for a sensitive teacher l have
@ked with many Of the teachers on
N ,hia subject and they generally say
slat WI hen they begin to urge pupils h
sstongy to study, they find that the ri
pFncipal result IL the i'll will of the a,
pupils and their parents. So far as h
,ltre Is truth in the assertion that n
public schools spoil their pupils for a
ofalnary work, 1t IL the result of the n
weak discipline which requires little Of h
.Al,e .Ae pupils beyond general good order in II
school. =,
IN referring to the discipline Of the c,
schools the report contains some points h
VI vital importance to all concerned. TheI
| "hu koOu OLuob Az ouA bSAOOlDSI
except In few cases, have been all
!hat ~ need be asked. without securing
smschool such quiet and order ~ are A
ooohducive to study, and such behavior tc
a. ~ marks we'll bred children, no one can {.
Justly claim to be good teacher. N
~ would seem that the only training b.
.l III obedience to authority that some Of
.ul'dren .'n get Is obtained at the public IL
S.lool. Children cannot yield obedi "
once once to the rules, and be orderly and a
w.. MTe behaved in act and word during CT
s.t se hours Of their school life, without Il
os oe'hg greatly Influenced by 1t. Acts
"Nn repeated become babitual.
.. II This obedience is yielded cheerfully, A
Haa "s especially lift is attended by feel. c1
ans, "s mat the things required are right, II
ch. chu lor the general good, the traits of Fl
saaifter snaracter formed are very important to NJ