Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-11-16
NATIONAL Ed CiTIUNiL INTERESTS

NATIONAL Ed CiTIONiL INTERESTS.
The annual report OF lion. John Eaton,
United States Commissioner of Education,
Is a very complete and interesting document
crowded with valuable facts AID statistics.
1t appears from the statistical summary that
the school population is. for thiriy-cirh,
ola'cs, lo,0Ol,2l3; for tcu Territories, 2lS,-
2V8. Tie number enrolled is, for thirty
eight States, 0,737, l16; for ten Territories,
l.o,loI The number in daily average at
tendance, is, for thirty -four States, 3 .5g5.
SEQ; for nine Territories. C9O27. The
number Of pupils in private schools is, for
twenty States, 5G4, 300; for two Territories.
0oOJ. The total number OF teachers in
thiriy-cight States is 2s5, go; in nine Terri.
tories, $780, The number of male teachers
in thirly-six States is 1850; in seven
Territories, lois. The number .! female
teachers in thirty-six States is Us 5Ss: in
seven Territories, 1905. The public school
income III thirty-eight States is $50 .4Gs. 149 ::
In ten Territories, ST ca, $50. The public
school expenditure in ihirir-oiuh S,o,.s il
SS3, 6Ol 1877 in ten Territories Sl,jlO115
The permanent school fund in thir,y.four
States is S123. OS3, 1856; in two Territories
Sl,OS9,0l5. One feature Of educational wor,
to which special attention is called ia The 70.
port is theactive dgrowing opposition in ali
parts 81 The country to the district system IF
schools. There is a general belief that the sy.-
lem mas ou'lived its usefulness preventing as
ltdoes, economy in the use of funds, efficient
supervision, the advantageous location of
school buildings and equality of school
privileges. Local interest IN school, i. of the
first importance, but experience shows that it
need not be sacrificed by tie adjustment of
the district system.
The report has much tosay on the question
OF illiteracy-a question of great and nrow
Ing interest. Gen. Eaton, in his treatment of
the subject, divides the country into three
groups, the States north of the Missouri
Ohio, and Potomac rivers, from the Atlantic
10 Kansas and Nebraska, being considered
inc Northern group the District Of Colum.
oia and the States south of those rivers, In.
cluding Missouri, Arkansas and Texas heinz
considered the Southern group, and the rest
OF inc Union constituting the Pacific group.
observing that generally and for each group
the white female minors we're less illitcra,e
than the male minors, the COMMISSIONS
shows that the ilteracy of white males he.
tween 10 and IA years old was for the North
crn group 4 per cent for the Southern proun
nearly 32 per cent and for the Pacific rroun
more IMAM " per cent of the male population
OF the same age, and that the llitcra,e female
minors OF the Northern group were about 8
per cent, oil the Southern group about 81 per
cent and OF the Pacific group nearly per
cent OF female population of like age.
The illittrate white males between IL ord %
years old were more than 0 per cent in the
Northern group, more than IS per cent in
INC southern group, and nearly per cent in
inc racine group of the population of
The same Hgc. The illiteratc white fc.
males were more Than % per cent in ibe
Nor'hern group, more than 1G per cent in
inc southern group, and about per cent
Id INC l'aclfc group, compared with the DOB.
uia''on Oh similar years. Comparing these
percentages with those of the colorcd litter.
acy, the commissionerIdrccts attention to fine
enormous difference between the two races.
showing that for the Union us whole the
coiored minor illiteratc percentage is in OK.
cess OF The white minor illicrate percentare
90 In 100. Coored ilitera,cs between 10 ond
IA years old were, to the colored population
oil tue same age, 16 per cent in the Northern
groups more than COY per cent in the South
ern group, and nearly 40 rer cent in the Pa.
CHIC group. Colored illitera,es between IA
and 20 years of age were 10 per cent in ,bo
northern group, G7 per cent in the Southern
group and 334 per cent in the Pacific group.
compared with the colored population of like
age. Out of 1880, 531 white persons between
~ ana IA years uIan the Union, $40, 1914, or
n nearly IL per cent, were unable to write of
oo4' 700 colortd persons OF the same age
ooS'"l, or more than GO per cent, were una.
Die 10 write. OF 5,295, 607 white persons be-
tween 10 and 20 years old, 3s3, 493, or more
IMAM per cent, were ignorant, and of 500
8l1 colored people Of all ages, $50 9O7 or
nearly % per cent, were SO.
These statistics show that the greatest edu.
cational problem to be solved In the imme.
diate future Is that illteracy In the Southern
States and while the report shows that great
progress has been made in this direction Il is
evident that much remains to be done. The
fehool statisticr for the Is Southern ST., 5