Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1890-02-15

The average attendance in the public
day schools is about l35, 900; in additiol
to whtch there is an average attendance
Of about 5000 in the evening schools,
$500 in the Normal College and Training
department., and l0, ,50n in the Corporate
Schools; the whole making grand total
of 10000. Allowing that the average
attendance is only four-tifths of the total
enrolment-in other words, that the
average absence of enrolled pupils is
twenty per cent, of the whole, which is
a very high tgure-the total number of
children and youths of all ages taught in
the public schools is less than 300 900.
The exact number of those who are
taught in private and parochial schools,
according to the investigation just made
by the Board, is 43, 800.
We thus have total possible maximum
number of about 244, 600 children and
youths of all ages receiving more or less
education, az against total population
of $50, 900 children between the ages of
6 and IA.
The conclusion is therefore warranted,
that there are at least 100 900 children
between the ages of 6 and Ia who, under
the present school system of New York
city, are allowed-nay, actually COM
pelled-to grow in complete ignorance.
Point 5-Twenty thousand children
actually applying acere turned aaooy last
gear; $500 children already admitted
acere turned out because IN erceSs of dc-
cOmmOddttOns and the attendance uas
actually less than IN the preceding gear.
A bylaw of the Board of Education
requiring certain floor area and cubic
air space was enforced though no new
accommodations were provided; certain
'nfamously unwholesome rooms were
closed by reason of public agitation and
these two proceedings left no alternative.
Hence $500 of NewYorks children were
deliberately turned into the street al
though several million dollars of bonds
were available for the express purpose
of furnishing school accommodations.
Point 6-The primary schools are the
peoples schools par excellence, therefore
there is fragrant discrimination against
the primary children and in tapor Of the
children acho attend The higher grades.
According to the report for the schcol
year ending Aug. 30, 1888, the whole
number of different pupils taught dur
ing the year IN the Grammar and Prim-
ary schools was 1876, ,5S9. OF this number
56,022 were registered in the grammar
grades; 81 ,12S in the primary schools;
the primary pupils exceeding the gram
mar pupils as to 4. For the grammar
schools there We're provided / 60S teach
ers; for primary schools III teachers.
Thus, although the primary classes con
tanned So 106 more pupils than the gram
mar classes they had but 1863 more teach
ers allotted to them.
The average cost per scholar in the
grammar schools exclusive of special
teaching was SOIL; in the primary
schools it was $l5.7l. Thus there are
nearly as many pupils to the teacher in
the primary classes and the expenditure
upon them is but half as much
The schools opened since the aforesaid
report was published are believed rather
tOaggravate the disproportionate advant.
age given to the grammar school pupils.
Point 7-DeSpite the efficient work done
by the primary teachers their salaries are
the forrest and none Of the teachers haze
q pension such as is granted to the Police
aud Fire departments.
Here again there is sharp dscrimin-
alton against the primary schools.
Thus, of the total enrolment of the
schools 63.4O per cent. is in the primary
grades and 36.4O per cent. is in the gram
mar grades.
Yet there was paid for instruction, ac-
cordlng to the report for 1888, for 80 $50
grammar pupils 81 ,5O4 092, and for 81, ,562
primary pupils but 81 ,245, ,720. In other
words, for nearly twice as many pupils
a quarter of million dollars less was ex-
pended in instruction in the primary
schools.
As we have already seen, the larger
sum paid " mmar school teachers is
divided amc K a smaller number of
them, so that the salary of the primary
teacher suffers still farther by comparis-
on. This is one of the most disgraceful
features of our whole acknowledgement
of public education.
Point 8-The Compulsory Education
bill nor before the legislature is practjc
ally oc0thleSs for the folloring reasons,
stated in the report Of a subcommittee
Of this Conference, IT n erumined it care
fully.
lit compels too little. The only children
that the author Of this bill pr poses to Ike. . In
schO j throughout tie 81 hool year are the lit
tots from To II years of ag-. From the time
a child is II year old, Il weeks of day school,
or 2S weeks Of night school. re by this bill De
clared sufficient Now, the facto Y Law f,n bids
work before the age of a. and instead Of
strengthening this law.the proposed bill delibCr
ately op ms the way to violations oil It. by set.
ting whole army Of children aged II. u and
l3 free from school attendance iue onths in
the year ii they att-nd day school Ia We ks, aud
the whole year II they 60 t. night school The
notOriously shameful Law of New Jersey is bet
ter than this; for that undertakes to compel
attPnf ance tlFOua hduf the sphno, wear Ia \ ba