, 1885-03-11
R E P O R T
ON THE CONDITION OF THE
SCHOOLS AND OF INSTRUCTION
IN ST. CROIX IN THE
YEAR 1884.

bIdib 4CdIbAOo NOHPANSN0 ~ bAO OHN
year.
The School Board has pleasure in report
ing that it cheriShes the conviction
that the changes introduced are Just as
many improvements, and that therefore
it also cheriShes the hope that the results
in the direction of the children'S progress
in knowledge and mental development,
which as vet have only appeared to Il very
limited extent, will not be wanting.
In the beginning of 1884 there were the
following public schools in st. Croix; the
Burgher School in ChriStianSted the
so called L.ancasterian Schools in Christian
sted and Flederiksted and the Country
Schools at East Hill, La Princesse, Peters
Rest, Friedensfeld, Diamond and Two Will
ANS. Of these the first named, the Bnrgher
School at ChriStianStrd was already closed
before the new School Ordinance camr INTO
force. The girls division, in (which Mrs. FinIay
and Mrs. LOrentz were appointed as teachers
and Miss JUL as teacher by the hour, was
closed on the 31st of March, and then mum
bered 6 pupils. The Preparatory Glass,
numbering 8 pupils, was closed at the same
time. The boys division, of which Mr..
Bruun was frst-teachpr, and Mr.. Shaw Sc
cOnd teacher, was closed on the 10Th
Of June, when it numbered ID pupils.
During the last ; months, Mr.. Stewart,
first teacher in the FrederikSted Free
School, acted as first teacher, leave OF
absence having been granted Mr.. Bruun
for q journey to Europe. The total mum
Der of pupils in the Burgher School at the
time of it's closing was, Therefore, including
the Preparatory Glass, 50, a number whose
smallneSS might Of itself awaken doubts as
to whether the continuance Of the school
was warranted, even if other circumstances
lad not pointed to it's closing.
The new School Ordinance came into
force on the LIST of July. From the same
day Mr.. Bache, School Director from ST.
Thomas, was appointed as Inspector OF
SchoOlsi in st. Croix, and the former Inspector,
Mr.. Quin, as Sub-inSpectOr, and the control
of the schools was taken over by the Board
appointed in accordance with the Ordl-
nance, consisting OF the Inspector as CHAIR
man, and Chief Justice Andersen, Coun-
cillor Faber, Mr.. Nelthropp, Mr.. PaIudan,
Miller and the Sub-inspectOr as members.
The first month was occupied principally
in making preparatory arrangementS-the
appointment of teachers, the arrangement
of The school building in ChriStiansted, the
improving of the school furniture, the pub
LEGATION OF the most important provisions
of the new school ordinance &c, and 1t was
not until the LIST of August that the schools
could commence work under The new COndl-
TONS.
Of the public schools, that in which the
change was most thorough, was the Free
School III Ch%ristiansted. This school,
which had been kept on the lowest floor OF
the building, the two remaining floors OF
which were occupied by the BurgherS School,
numbered at the beginning Of the year 222
pupils, who were taught by Mr.. Grove and
Mr.. Cruise in two classes, a boys class and q
girls class. In March Mr.. Cruise was re-
moved back to his former post in Frede-
riksted Free School, and from that time
to the 1St of August the school had only
one teacher, with a former teacher in the
Burgher School, Mrs. Lorentz, as Temporal
ry assistant. AS it was forpsepn that the
compulsory attendance introduced by the
new school ordinance, and not hitherto ex.
listing so far us the town schools were con-
cerned, would make a considerable increase
in the number of pupils i'll this school, 1t
was determined to establish not less than
s classes, 4 for boys and 4 for girls, each
of which should have Is hours instruction
a week, so divided, that the 4 lower class
es, two boys and two girls classes, should
be taught in the morning, and the fur
higher classes in the afternoon, and to ar
range the public school building, now to
be exclusively used for the Lancasterian
school, or Free school, as ii is called IN
the new Ordinance, so as to afford sufh-
o;o,t co.,D, for tho cnbOOl Tins AuIarO-