Evening journal., 1889-08-27
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
ANNUAL REPORT OF SUPERlNTEN-
DENT DAVID W. HARLAN.


ing.
The annual report of David W. Har-
Ian, superintendent OF the public schools
Of the city of Wilmington, for the year
ending July 81, 1889, is in the hands Of
the Board of Educations Committee on
Printing, for publication
The report is unusually complete and
exhaustive, and in addition 20 the usual
statistics contains some timely recon-
mendations for the Improvement Of the
schools and courses Of study
The report shows that there are now
twenty five school houses, an increase
over last year Of one. (No. 13) The total
number Of rooms is 1853 and the total
number Of sttings 2, ,952, an increase of
434. The schools are divided as follows
High Schools for boys and girls, l each
boys grammar schools, 2 ; girls, 3 com
bined grammar aud primary schools, 2
primary schools, 10. There are now l68
teachers All are women but one. Pro
fessor A. II. Berlin Of the Boys High
School The salaries run from
$500 to $1,000 year. The total
number Of pupils enrolled during the
year was s, ,99f, an increase Of 800. The
average number belonging was G, $50,
with an average daily attendance Of 6, 1873,
and per cent. Of attendance to the
number belonging Of 906.
Interesting Statistics.
The school having the largest seating
capacity is grammar and primary school
No. 49, which has 52S seats Primary
schools, No. 10 and 20, ycome next, each
having 432 seats. The smallest is No %,
attendance, days Of school, etc. FOR each
school is given in a table The Girls
High School shows up the best for
promptness at the sessions, there being
bat ten cases of hardness for the year.
In Girls Grammar School No. ! there
we're 4S cases of tardiness. In Boys
Grammar School, No. 1, with an average
attendance Of 1873, there were
III cases of hardness. In primary schools
Nos. 3. II and IA the cases of tardiness
outnumber the attendance by about 100.
At school No Is the ~ scholars must
have gone in when they pleased,
as there were 258 cases of
hardness. No corporal punish
ment was inflicted at the High Schools,
girls' No. / and No. 4; No. and No. %
Remarkably good children attended these
schools. At No. 10 40 scholars were
whipped at No. TO- 80; at No. 3, 35 and
at No. only B.
Five schools, Nos. 49, IS. 81, %. and
% are for colored children and they have
| teachers of their own race. There are
s02 sitting in the five schools, and seven
| teen teachers The average daily atten-
dance was 6S3. an increase of 70.
Schools Nos. and 16 were open dur.
/ trr. sl,o ,r~ar,fpfr fro,, Oafahar fn ba an a
of January, the former for white boys
and the latter for colored girls and boys.
| The enrolment at No Q was 55, with an
average attendance Of % Tne enroll
ment at No 10 was 81, with an attend
ance Of 49,
After giving tables showing -the at
tendance at the High Schools, the size OF
the classes. and ages Of the graduates
the program Of the commencement exer
cises last June is given, with the list OF
the essays awarded.
Superintendent Harlan then expresses
himself as follows:
New schools Needed.
'sIn 1876 school No. 8 on Walnut abov,
Twelfth street was built for a primary
and grammar school As the grammar
department grew, the primary depart
1
time there is large number Of little
children in the vicinity of No. that can
not get into school anywhere. No. 2
No. -, No. 20 and No. are full, anC
the other schools are too distant for littl'
children. AS early as possible Their
should be another primary school pu
near No 5.
"In the western partof the city there 1
a considerable population of colored peo
Pile For schools for the children o
these there are two rented rooms severa
squares apart, neither of which is hal
large enough for a school room. II /
very desirable that building Of not les
than four suitable rooms should be Sc
cured in this part of the city in which {
gather and grade colored primary pupils
"a good room is also needed for Nc
20 the colored primary school in tn
Ninth ward. The rooms in which thi
7 school has been conducted are entirel!
I unfit for school rooms
New Measures.
1.-The year Just closed was all around
8 good year for the schools of this city
Harmony prevailed in every department
. More new measures were adopted than /
the Eve previous years. A year ago | IT
r.
sons be added to the course of study as
/ stood then and that the course in draw
o ing be revised and put o
! the same footing as other studie
Also that certain changes be made in ii
1 high school course Early in the ye,
! favorable action was taken by the Boar
Z on the first and second of these recon
. mendations and the third was referred
! the Committee on High School, by whoa
v after consultation with the 2rincipa
4 and teachers of these schools, the chang
recommended wers made as far as Il
! number of teachers in that school wou
/. permit.
@The teachers Of the primary schoo
took highly commendable interest
the object teaching, aud did good woi
for the first year. Form study receive
the most attention, and the direct adva
& tage of this study as a preparation boi
tor drawing and practical measurement
, will soon be obvious.
sIf for a time the schools, in makil
models OF the geometrical forms, wer
as one expressed it, turned into b
81 factories. some excellent work
eve and hand training was done, al
e something out of the old routine was /
n troduced. If bones, bugs, butterflies al
queen bees were made subjects OF obse
! vation. and The basis of instruction tn
!. was not in a high degree scient ifc,
. terest was aroused, thought stimulate
aud degree of newness brought in
is school work.
ID Course Of study.
Continuing. Mr.. Harlan gives the G
st tira coursa of studV for all the schOO