Morning journal and courier., 1885-09-05
THE PuRLIo SCHOOLS.

Gleanings From she Annual Report
 Which Was Submitted Las Evening
 The school Census-New Havenss
 Population Now About 76,OOO-The
 Condition of the SchOOls-Changes.
 Etc.
 From the annual report of the superinten- dent of schools submitted last evening to the Board of Education, gleanings are extract ed as follows:
 An interesting and important matter is the showing of the large, continued increase of
 New Haven's population, based on the re- cent census of the school children of the city -a pretty safe guide in the matter. It is as follows:
 RATIO OF CHILDREN TO POPULATION.
 The number of persons between the ages of
 was : ,ssi 1e,S Sss
 The ratio of the number of children between
 and 16 years to the whole population of the city was in 1880 as 1:4416.-.......
 supposing the ratio to I be s the ; same nSw' % the
 mated thus: The number of children emu;
 meFsted in the s school district %Iitigitss dP t
 city district st jet for the year 1885 i Ca e 1s,7ssf @
 4l6,a Al 11O; Add @ for Westyille and Soat9 the whole town is. 76ooO PROPERTY vALUATIoN-sCHooL ACcoMMoDA- TONS.
 The report further shows the property
 valuation for 1884 (approximate) to have
 been $49, ,953, ,8S7, from which deduct the
 assessed value of property in Westville and
 East district (not in the city school district)
 and the balance is: Total assessed valuation
 of the city" S47, ,504, ,590. The inventory of
 school accommodations is as follows:
 School buildings-Number of school
 houses occupied and owned by the district, 30; number of school houses occupied and rented by the district, 5; number of orphan
 asylums where shools are held, 9; number of
 school houses occupied by the district, 37;
 number of school rooms occupied, 23O; 1n- crease, l. number of seats, II 344; increase, S1.
 Teachers-Number of male teachers now employed in the day schools, including teach CTS in music and drawing, one each, Is; number of female teachers, 251; number of teachers employed in the day schools, in cluding drawing and music teachers, 269; increase, G.; number of male teachers em- ployed in the evening schools for young men, 10; total number of teachers employed in the day and evening schools, 279.
 Number of pupils-Whole number regis tered during the year, IA, ,O67; average num- Der registered (belonging during the year, 10, 249; increase, 72; average number in daily attendance, 9,623; increase, 76.
 On the subject of the condition of the schools the report says: ''There is strong evidence that the patrons of the schools rec ognize the excellence of the work that IS be- ing done. During the year multitude of parents have expressed their confidence in the methods pursued and the spirit in which teachers conduct their work. Moreover, it is rarely. that a complaint has been brought to the office of the Board regarding the treat ment of children, either as respects lnstruc- ton or discipline. The few exceptional cases of this kind were found upon examination to reveal the lack of 8 mutual un- T 4I1 1orS of rent and teacher rather than any fault on either side. Although we'll aware that in bestowing emphatic praise I do it at the personal risk of being charged with bias, still should perform only half my duty did I not, when recording other facts, pay deserved tribute to the studious care, the self-denying earnestness and the consecrated skill of a large number of teach CTS in the New Haven schools. The lntelh- gent enthusiasm of these will, in due time, it is to be hoped, pervade the whole corps. 'Among the evidences of good work and advanced interest may mention that reading is more matter of thought and understand ing than formerly. Where pupils were per mitted to pronounce words without the exer- else of thought, they are now required to think first and then read. Sentences are seen and read as wholes. The pupil being constantly required to restate in his own words what he has read is compelled to pay the closest attention, and so forms habit of the greatest value. Closely allied to language. Drill in the use of numbers is more logical and better sustained. The teaching of geography is being lifted from the low plane of drudgery to that of interest and curiosity. History is extensively read and enjoyed, not only in the eighth grade, but to partial extent in all grades. As a natural result teachers and pupils are more of one accord. Cheerfulness and even pleas ure are almost universally written upon their faces. Few children care to stay away from school except in case of sickness, so that no vigorous measures are needed to secure 8 good attendance.
 SCHOOL BUILDINGS. ENo new houses have been erected during the year. The pressure for more rooms has been yreatest in the Winchester district. An at ,empt, made in September, to transfer a num- per of children from the Dixwen school to the 3offe street was failure. The old preju- lices against that school were strong enough o lead some parents, who could not secure tickets to the Dixwell, to send their chil- lren to private schools. The inferior and sven unwholesome condition of the Dixwel school has come to be well understood by the Board. The purchase of lot on Gregory street, and the erection of modern school house there, will doubtless create demand Or equally good accommodations in the whole dlStr1Ct, a demand Wllcn IS CerIa1Dly ounded on justice and equity.
 ''The houses in the Skinner district are fuk | md steps will have to be taken during the l ,nsuing year to provide more room in that l Iuarter. l 'sThe numbers have been such in the Woes l CT district as to make the use of one garret oom at the Fair street school a necessity. As the Eaton school has few vacant seats l t is unlikely that much crowd:ng will occur | n that section. "The Welch school was attended during the | ,ast term by upwards of four hundred chill | ren, taken during the past year from the | and Webster districts.
 ''The two remaining rooms just finished at | he Welch school will be fully occupied be- ore the close of the coming school year. lad they not been completed the interests of he school, both as regards the children nd the training of teachers, would have | 'een somewhat impaired.
 ''The needs of the High school for more oom in some of it's departments are so well understood that little need be said bout it. The supreme need of chemi- al laboratory where each individual tudent can learn by doing is ecognized by the Board, as evidenced by an ttempt to find suitable quarters for this de- in the basement The report of he Committee on Schools against the plan, n view of the difficulty of lighting the place, | uestion of enlarging the High school must oon come before the Board.
 ''Some desirable improvements have been nade in the Webster school house, whereby he light and ventilation of several class ooms are greatly improved"
 During the year and at it's close the follow ng teachers withdrew from the service of he Board: Hattie E. Barnes, No. 3a Eaton: latie H. Cover, No. 12 Wooster; Jessie M. High school; Nellie M. Cum nins, No. 5 Washington; Emma L. Grant, To. 2 Woodward; Annie E. Hayes, 10. 12 Skinner; E. M. Reed, Welch | chool; Julia E. VanTassel, Weleh school; Hannah M Chamberlain, No. Hallock treet; Livia M Jordan, No. 8 Winchester; lara I. Bradley, No. 9 Dwight; Eleanor A. | 'eck, No. ? Dwight; Sarah E. Porter, High | chool; Charles H. Siebke, High school; | leorge L. Fox, High school. The report | efefs specially to the resignations of Mir. | Fox and Miss Sarah E. Porter from the High \ chool to take positions in the Hopkins | Grammar school; to the appointments of | Ir. Isaac Thomas and Miss Isa- elle Cromwell to the High school; nd to Miss Jessie M. Wood yard, who went to the State Normal school | rom the High school, Miss Jennie l.. Colby | aking her place; to MT. Geo. B. Hurd, of | bridgeport, who becomes principal