New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-03
WORK OF THE CITY SCHOOLS.
SUPERINTENDENT JAsPERs REPORT.
sPECrAL PROMINENCE GIVEN TO LANGUAGE Les
SONS AND MANUAL TRAINING.


spECrAL PROMINENCE GIVEN TO LANGUAGE Les
SONS AND MANUAL TRAINING.
In view Of the charges which have been maao
against superintendent Jaspers administration Oh inc
Schools his annual report, which has Just been pre-
sented, will have more than usual interest Iherc
are now 500 schools and departments under tho super
,.ston NJ the Roand of Educ aton with average at
tendance of nearly $4,000 pupils while the whole
number of pupils taught in the was over 3ooooV
The increase Of pupils last year was less than the pro
ceding year owing to the fact that no new buildings
were opened In the upper district where the population
s growing fastest In reference TO the school accom-
modations, the report says:
7, these buildings now recommended ready for
oeeupancy to-day most OF them would be crowded with
punss within one rear and oil Of them. matter whore
situated would full within two years After tne'e
buildings shall have been erected, IN ORDER ths' 'ie
school accommodation shall keep pace with the increase
In school population It will be absolutely necessary 70
erect each and every year least three new sehoo'
buildings OF the largest size.
The studies and exercises OF language lessons are
brought into prominence by the report as follows
In the six primary grades found reading neiuu
INC the words and phrases as they are useo "
the read phonetics spelling and punctuatoh'
object lessons including forms coiors and familiar oo'e
The object conducted with thrcefoid purpose
the developing the pupils power Of observation 'ne
enlarging their vocabulary and the cultivation OF
speech In the eight grammar grades the course ne1
reading together with the meaning OF selected "ous an"
terms a, they are used in the reading lessons the y
tenatlc correction Of errors in speech fre-eHihsn' "
permanent value all the studies ana exercises VI ~
schools reading No other element OF school ~ofk mas
been so frequently written upon NO other suolec' mas
forth so varied so proigous array OF school
textbooks But notwithstanding all this, it is at least
doubtful educational systems Of the DAY make
full use Of the opportunities and materials or meet 'he
needs OF our times
DISCUSSING MANUAL TRAINING.
On the subject of manual training the report says
In view Of the vague and conflicting ideas this sub
jec has been made with conservatism ana
with responsibility Two years ago the
subject referred to special committee The ques-
;Ion had arisen whether this method OF Instruction
should be made part the Of study in the common
schools Of the city II what kind OF exercises should
constitute the work of the proposed new branch! What
part the schooline should be assigned 10 them' HOW
could this found without increasing the amount OF
work already required pupils and teachers and without
adding the time already required
After an examination methods OF all the leading
training and trade schools In the United States
report made by the superintendent 10 the committee
Among many inquiries made three OF leading I'M
portance Is the discipline Of manual training protaoy
applicable various grades OF pupils In the common
schools its advantages necessarily confined 70 the
limited number who reach the highest grammar school
grade and the high schools and colleges? What effect II
any, the introduction Of this new subject had upon the
proficiency pupils other departments OF instruction
additional be
would IL add unduy 10 the cost Of public instrucohi
The answers TO these questions in every way en-
cou-agng and the committee after many ana carefu oe-
alterations made full report the Board in June 1887
This report outline of tho history OF manual
training I'm Europe and the United States full statement
OF its objects and principles and OF its radical differences
from the training in the mechanic arts such as IS given
schools and it particularly emphasized the act
that the character and the fierce OF the discipline thus given
10 the intellect every way more important than inc
they may be- 1t also shown that this new STEP
II TAKEN would only Of long series by which our
ing the quarter OF century the common schoo s
TEN had advanced perfect methods ana that inc
great improvements had been made poh'eu Clearly
10 still further improvements
ORDERING A TRIAL TO BE MADE.
The report adopted by tho Board OF Education ana
It directed that trial should be made in limited
number OF grammar schools not to exceed six male depart
nents and six female departments together with those
primary schools and Departments only that promote to the
same reasonable time be allowed for the expert
mcni and should not be introduced
any school except application by the trustees Oh
tie ward In which said school is sitIascd
The time assigned the manual 'lnng exercises Is
one per week for the primary schools and
three lower school grades and two hours per
the upper grades For the more definite un'
derstandng Of the working Of the present course OF stu
and the possibility finding time for the exercises
the following statement is made;
The five schoodays Of the week afford nominay thirty
school hours one hour each day Is allotted to the noon
recess. remaining twenty-five hours the open
ING exercises caisheDic assigning OF lessons
preparation for dismissal take about three hours week.
leaving about twenty-five hours for aetna! instruction
Board by general reeua piescribes the minimum
time given each group Of exercises The
OF these minimum times is about twelve hours
and half per The remainder, forty-three per
of the actual is left to be distributed at the dis
erection OF the principal those studies which he or
she may think be in special need Of more time From
six and per cent only OF the work
ing time is required for the clement When 1t is con-
sdered that the drawing and large part OF the object
lessons included manual training 1t Will be
that the time actually taken from the other studies
forms but small part OF the whole
The register of 1887 shows the whole number OF
pupils under six years to have been 5.l3I, over
fourteen years 6O2 and Of the last 515 were males
and 400 females. During the year 1878 will
graduate from tho schools. The whole number of
teachers in the schools is 3,946, making average
of forty-two pupils for each teacher