Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-09-24
THE CITY'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS
THE REPORT or sUPERTSqEN-
DENT HARLAN.
ltae Number vt SUliOoi-laouses, Sit
iings, Pupils Enrolled. Average Al
tendance anh Other Interesting
Statistics ana sscnernT T1ais-rs.

| Superintendent Harlan Thursday hight
| prosecuted his annual report to the Bollti
of Education for the school year entihn
| July 3lst Inst. The following details att.
extracted from the report The 1unfhcrS
of school houses in use were % and tl4
number Of sittings Z 1928; the whole nnill.
ber of teachers was 161, of which thofe
was but one male. The whole numbef of
pupils enrolled in the schools was 3. 74a
average number belonging, 6,6G3. Tho
average Of boys ut graduation is III, Of
girls, l8.
The report states that inquiries con
cerning the ages of the pupils arc fire.
quently made. To answer these, tables
are given showing the number of pupils
OF each age in every grade. AS the course
OF study now stands pupils who ere il
lheir tenth year ought not 10 be lower
than the sixth primary grade those IN
their 18th year, not lower tlian the tenth
primary grade; those in their 18th gear,
not lower than the fourth grammar Qls,aa.
and those IN their 10th year, MT lower
than the second term OF the junior y,air
in the high school.
The report gives a very interesting lis
tory of the tests applied by tLe anperu.
tendent in the various branches OF study
during the term, ms well as n number Of.
recommendations suggested by them
Two evening schools were open during
the winter. They were held from to VI
O'Clock five evenings each week. They
were in No. 8 and No. 16. The latter
was for colored youth. The teaching of
mechanical drawing was new featire in
the management of evening school No y,
''and contributed much to its success.
More liberal provision should be made
for teaching this branch in future win
ters. The Wilmington Institute gave frea
tickets for one year to each Of the follow
ing pupils in this school; Louis i. Beck,
Frank Chalfant, Edward Ehler, Charles
Shull, Frank Welsh and @. L. Walker.
Schools Nos. 16, 1S, 81 and 90 are the
schools tor colored children. The build
ings for Nos. l6 and IL are substantial
brick houses, in good condition, and well
furnished. Nos. 2l and % are rented
frame buildings, and are too small for
school rooms. These schools are nil
taught by colored teachers. The reeu-
larity of attendance has been greater tllau
in past years. especially in Nos 18 and
q. Three pupils of No. 16 completed
the ull course of study for the grammar
schools, and were given certificates to
that effect. They were Lizzie Williams,
Louisa II. Parm and Rhoda Robinson.
In the colored schools the number OF sit
tings is SAG. teachers, IL; number of
pupils enrolled, S38; average number be-
longing, 5l2. Three more rooms and
teachers are needed for colored children.
By the end of the present month there
will be probably 130 children Whiting for
seats in these schools.
The superintendent includes reportof
the progress of the boys high school
written by the late principal, w. W. Bird
sail. In the course of Mr.. Birdsall's re-
port he says that ''the course of study is
certainly as heavy as should be required
of boys of the age of our pupils. The
restoration of the study of Latin TO the
course, will, think, be a great assistance
in fostering accurate scholarship, and
together with the Introduction of the
study of physiology makes the course in
my opinion, much nearer approach TO
the ideal that it has heretofore been.
With the transfer of the school
to the new building many of the difficulties
in the management of the school will
disappear, and it ought to be possible to
do better work in nearly every direction. -
Owing to reasons which he gives Mr..
Birdsall recommends that as soon as
it may be considered feasible geutles on +,
be employed to teach, principallyts, d. I
natural sciences. Continuing, he gland 2,
"our graduates have stood high wherever
they have gone; whether in pursuing
higher course at college, as several are
now doing, or in any of the various
occupations intos which as young men
they have naturally entered, their
standing has been the very highest.
Referring to the number of pupils who
Withdraw before graduating, Mr.. Bird
sail says ''It is always to be remem-
bered that while the pupilthus withdrawn
is deprived of much That he might receive,
since by far the greater number are not
graduated, the work of the school is by no
means to be measured by the size Of its
graduating classes, but by the total gosd
done to all its pupils"