St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-11-28
MINNESOTA lLLITERACY.

There is no doubt but we Americans
are a boaStful people, who brag good
deal about things of which We have no
right to boast. Nor is there any ques-
ton but that in ovPrrating many of our
systems and methods we include our
educational facilities, and hold forth
the idea that the masses are more cult
ured and intelligent than The facts war
rant. Still, we do not think illiteracy
is so common and widespread as Mr..
LAMB. the state StatiStician. figures out
in an article recently published in
Minneapolis paper, and we surely
hope that he has missed his BEARINGS on
Minnesota educational statistics, for
otherwise it would he rather gloomy
picture to contemplate. In straining
an argument in support of system of
compulsory education, the labor statis-
tieian may possibly have leaned too far
to the dark side of the educational
prospect in Minnesota.
LII the matter of school attendance the
United States is below sixteen of the
European powers. The report of the
United States commissioner of educa-
ton shows that the average attendance
in the public schools for the whole
country is GALS, white the attendance in
Minnesota is only 1917, the lowest on
the list of all the states and territories
except Alaska. The state superintend-
ent has undertaken to explain that this
Is largely due to The practice of making
a very full enrolment in this state for
the purpose of drawing appOrtionment.
But we should remember that there
ought to be full enrolment, not a
padded enrolment, but one in accord
anee with the requirements of the law,
which provides for listing all children
between the ages of six and fourteen.
IF less than 50 per cent of the children
of the state who are enrolled attend the
public schools. then we must admit the
necessity for some effort TO bring the
state up to higher standard
of enlightenment. 1t should be re-
membered, however, that a con-
siderable percentage of those who
do not attend the public schools are in
private or parochial schools, and that as
matter Of fact perhaps less than %
per cent are growing up without educa-
tional advantages. We are of opinion
that the apparent necessity for compul-
sorry education would be obviated if
more attention were paid TO elevating
the standard of the common schools.
The school system in this state has
grown top-heavy. Too much of the
money devoted to educational purposes
is being expended on the schools of
high grade, while the district schools
are being neglected. The two or three
months allotted for school term in
many of the rural districts is but little
better than no educational system at
all. 1t is like giving two or three nub-
bins of corn a week to a growing colt.
These country school terms are usually
held in the winter, when it is often next
to impossible tor One-half of the chill
dren to attend. The salaries are so low
that they fail to tempt good teachers,
| and as a result are practically useless.
The wonder is that with such ilI-regulat-
ed educational facilities as we have there
should not be more illiteracy in Mime
sofa. In our opinion il is not as bad as
statistics make it appear, yet it is bad
enough in all conscience, and those in
terested i'm popular education should
put their heads together TO devise some
means of reducing illiteracy in this state
TO the minimum,