The Hawaiian gazette., 1890-07-15
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION

To an observing person great
activity in educational matters must
have been evident during the past
two or three years. This activity
has been apparent not only in the
schools, but in such material affairs
as the repair of old school buildings
and the construction of new. The
report of Hon. Charles r. Bishop,
President of the Board of Educa-
ton for the two years ending March
81, 1890, shows in what lines edu-
cational efforts have been directed
and what has been accomplished.
Friends of education will be made
hopeful and sanguine by reading
this report. Those who believe that
it is the duty of Government to
furnish an educational foundation
for the people, will be more than
pleased and gratified at the results
shown to have been obtained. The
report is both creditable to the re-
porter and honorable to the nation.
Perhaps the two most prominent
features observable are the great
increase in the number of scholars
and the change of the so-calIed
common into English schools. The
increase in the number of scholars
over 1888 has been 1886, the num-
Der now enrolled being 1O,OO6. Of
these 7343 attend the Government
and 1868 the Independent schools.
Only 718 of those In Government
schools are in the schools taught in
the Hawaiian language and as stated
in the report this branch of the
school is, or will soon become, prac-
tically extinct. Nine thousand two
hundred and eighty-eight of the
scholars are between the ages of
six and fifteen years. There are
81 teachers in the SO common
schools, 1913 in the 81 Government
English and 1876 in the 48 independ.
ent schools. OF the scholars 7172
are Hawaiians including half-castes;
1913 are Portuguese; 262 Chinese
and the remainder is divided among
other nationalities led by 259 Ameri-
cans. A convenient list at the close
of the report gives the names and
addresses of all Government school
teachers. Very minute and COM
plete tables throughout the book
give all desirable facts concerning
all of the schools in each district of
the Kingdom. The facts include
the financial statement and show
that education in the Hawaiian Ian
guage has cost $40, 1913 while Eng
lish education, including aid to prl-
vate schools, has cost 1851, $40.
Boarding schools mot Government)
have received $4,000 for permanent
improvements. The building and
repairs of school houses has cost
S45, 900 within a dollar. The Re-
form school has cost 1925. The
school tax has realized s131, 16O or
S155,12 The former amount is
the sum of payments by tax collect
ors to school agents. The second
is the amount received from tax COL
lectors, as stated in the report. The
Hawaiian geography cost the very
reasonable sum of S2,353.
There are 178 schools of all
classes in the Kingdom, with 1853
teachers of whom 1913 are women;
26.6 per cent of the scholars attend
independent schools; ~ per cent
only are in the common schools
and 65.7 per cent are in Govern
ment English schools. The change
since 1888 has been marked. At
that time about 80 per cent were
in independent schools, with over
Is per cent in the native schools.
1t is interesting and encouraging |
to notice that the number of Ha
waiian children in the schools has
increased by 279. In addition to
the number reported in schools a
considerable number of children
receive home instruction ONLY. A /