The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-22
THE ADVANCED GRADES.


Mr.. Bamberger offered resolution in the
School Board on Friday night ''that the COM
mittee on High-school, with the superintend-
emit of schools, and principals Of the two High
schools, be instructed to inquire into the
causes Of the small percentage of boys gradu-
ating from the High-school, and report what
changes are necessary In the system of in
struction to secure better result; that u.s. q
greater per cent. of boys.
The reasons seem plain enough to an OBJ
server Of city school systems. First is the
fact that a smart boy Of fourteen to fifteen is
worth from $40 to $50 month in clerical
work; many are so employed by railroads. A
girl Of the same age only commands from SO
to $12 as house-girl, nurse, or in store, shop or
factory work. This is probably the reason that
in so many families in cities, possibly in Mr.
Bambergers own family, the girls stay in
school and graduate, and the boys 60 into
their fathers shop or store. It is so in all
cities. Besides, the girls who graduate in
high-schools are prepared for teaching, particu-
larly if they add to the High-school course
the short normal course Of one year.
Teaching is a profession that is almost
closed to young men. Perhaps, with one or
two exceptions, there is not male graduate
Of our city schools teaching in them. About
half the High-school female graduates are
teachers, and over half, nearly three ffths, of
our city teachers are High-school "girls'-or
were once, at least.
Another reason is that more boys than girls
60 to college. Our High-school is constantly
sending boys from its junior and senior
classes to Rose, to Purdue, to DePauw, to
Butler, to Wabash, and Earlham, and quite
goodly number draw off to take the class
ical course with Professor Sewall, and so en-
ter the Eastern colleges year, or even two
years, earlier than they could do by first TAX
ing the High school course. From twenty to
forty boys each year escape the High-schooI
by these various college doors, entering either
as freshmen, or preparatory.
Statistics published in the city papers in
June, 1882, show that previous to 1875 the
High-school had graduated 60 pupils The
class of 1885 numbered %; re, SO; ~, %;
rs, 80; 10, 4S; 80, 81; 81, 60; 's2, 6S. Up
to and including the class of june 1882,
there were 297 girls and 132 boys graduated
on full four years course and about so in the
two years Commercial course" which has
since been abandoned.
AS to the loss Of pupils from the schools at
the age Of twelve to fifteen, Mr.. TasbUll said,
in his report for 1881:
cit is due to the following causes: With
drawal to prepare for confirmation in churches;
many parents losing control at this age; the
home verdict that they have had schooling
enough, being already in advance of parents;
lastly, the withdrawal of pupils to work at
home or in the mills and shops or other places
where juvenile labor is in demand. When a
boy has completed, or nearly So our grammar
grade he is old enough to 60 into store as a
clerk; he reads intelligently and with avidity
all things to his taste; he can write good
letter; he has learned some history and geog-
raphy, with a little grammar; his mathemat-
ical training is sufficient when rendered prac-
tical by little business experience, for all
ordinary business transactions, and his money
making father thinks it time, or yielding to
the solicitations Of the boys ambition to be
earning something, decides to give him
practical education-teach him what it is to
do business"
The number of pupils in our schools over
sixteen in 1879 was 1922 and in 1881 it was
Az. These figures show that the schools are
getting better hold upon the pupils than
few years ago. that they keep them longer
within their influence, and therefore, do them
more good. In any case Mr.. Bamberger will
find that our higher grammar grades, and our
High-school lead other Western cities in tho
per cent of attendance of youth of both
sexes.
All this in explanation of Mr.. Bambergers
inquiry, and without in any degree giving ex-
preston to what the Journals view might be
upon proposition to remodel the present
system so as to lessen somewhat the expense
and effort put at the top for the beneft'of the
few, and strengthening and broadening the
work at the bottom and in the middle for the
advantage Of the many.
The county committee has fixed the date
for the convention to nominate trustee for
Center township on Saturday next the pri-
maries to be held on Friday night. The Jour-
nal again calls the attention of everybody to
this matter. A good nomination on Saturday