Omaha daily bee., 1888-09-16
inefficient School iinnrls.

Omaha was not the only city in the
country which at the opening of the
present school year was not supplied
with adequate accommodations for the
increased number of children who ap
piled for entrance to the public schools.
In a number of cities, notably New
York, Philadelphia and Chicago, thous-
ands OF children had to be excluded
from attending school because sufficient
provision had not been made for them.
To large number Of these children,
particularly those who have been
compelled to forego the invalua-
BILE privilege Of n free education
until far past the school ago,
it is a serious misfortune to be
deprived of a year OF instruction, and to
the great majority it must prove an IT.
reparable loss. Their time for acauir-
ing a documentary education is limited
at best, and to reduce it a year is u
very material matter. The loss is also
a public one. The common schools are
maintained in the public interest for
the training OF citizens, and to the ex-
tent that their failure to do this. wrongs
individuals, the state also is wrongcd!
In the cities of New York and Philadel.
phia the want of adequate school ac-
commodations is not q new difficulty.
In the latter city the statistics of last
year showed that twelve thousand chill
dren were excluded from the schools
because they could not be provided for.
and undoubtedly the number in New
York was not less. Is it not a fair pre-.
sumption that hundreds of these chill
dren, having no instruction Or restraint
from either parents or teachers, have
already fallen into ways OF vice that
will lead most of them to prisons? The
ranks of crime are recruited chiefly
from the youth who get the least OF the
advantages OF our public school system.
and the statistics OF the increase of
crime appear to show that the number
of these is steadily growing from year
to year.
The problem of enabling all the
children Of the land to re-
ceivo a r~udimentary education
is not in itself so very
difficult, but the trouble is that
the great majority of those who are
charged with its solution are either in
competent for the task or do not con-
scientiously apply themselves to it. A
New York paper, in referring to the
condition OF affairs in that city, saws:
1.-The trouble is not that there is not
enough money spent, but that much of
it is diverted from its legitimate use
and m~isspcnt." The application of
this may safely be made general. There
are intelligent, judicious, careful men
in all school boards, but quito generally
the majority of these bodies is composed
of men who have neither the
ability nor the experience to
wisely perform the very important
task committed to them, even
if in all cases they had the concern aud
the conscience which men in such u 20.
sition should have. The politician:
who push their way into the schoo
boards usually control them, aud it is
hardly necessary to say that such con
troll always means money misspent and
practices not in the interest OF the pub.
lie nor in harmony with the true pur'
pose OF the schools. The evident fact
that the public school system of tn,
country is suffering from the general
inehiciency OF school boards, and thai
the trouble is growing worse yearly
cannot be too strongly urged upon
public attention, though unfortun
ately the labor of doing thi,
is rarely rewarded with much attention
from the public. The obvious necessit,
for reform may be readily Acknowledged
but when the opportunity for effectini