Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-30
EDUCATION IN AMERICA.
Facts and Statistics Set Forth in the Report
of Commissioner Harris.

of Commissioner Harris.
The first annual report of Dr.. Harris United
States commissioner Of education, is public
document of unusual interest. 1t covers the
Whole field OF education and includes all classes
OF schools from the kindergarten 20 the uni
versi;y II is rePlete with statistics and in
formation, admirably tabulated, classified and
arranged for ready reference. and has a good
index But it is much more than an exhaustive
compilation OF facts and figures The thorough
analysis. sound Interpretation and mastery dis
cussion Of these cannot fail to interest and hold
the attention of even the general reader. Its
more practical va!us will be to the special
students of education and those having i'm
mediate charge Of educational institutions and
systems as il makes the experience Of all avail
sbls to each
The appointment of DIR. Harris to take
charge Of the United States bureau OF educa-
tiOn was very gratifying to the educators OF
been devoted to the cause of education In Its
many phases. He commenced as II teacher.
was subsequently for many years the superln-
tendent Of the public schools OF St. LOUIS and
sill later the head of the Concord School OF
Philosophy. lie had been prolific speaker
AID writer and his reputation rs a leading au-
thority on educational questions was well es-
tablished both in this country and abroad. 80
that much weight Will pc gwen 20 EIs cOEcluslois
and recomme ndatiOns.
According TO the report the total number of
pupils enrolled in the schools of all grades.
public and private, IN all the states Tor tie
year ending June So 1883. was l3.'26.3I4. In
this nImber is not included the attendance on
evening schools or schools Tor art. manual and
Industrial training. trades, business, or schools
for the defective. dependent and delinquent
Classes or schools for IL hans These included
Tin the aggre gate IS .2c0 pupllsb @oUid s"eu
the total 10 over IA. JC0.GUO persons who were
receiving education IN school Tor a longer or
shorter period during the year. line average
number Of DAYS duri1g which the common
schools were in session was l3i ~ AID the aver
age number OF days daring which the pupils
OF these schools actually attended was eighty
seven and one-h2lf. This, at the rate OF five
school days per week, would give seventeen
ana one-haf weeks for the actual attendance,
averaged by the entire enrolment
In nineteen years the value of property
owned for public schools has increased from
s13O OOO 900 to 1923 000. 0C0, or more than twice
az fast as the population. During the same
period the annual expenditures have risen II ON
$63 OOO 100 to Si32 oOo, 800, and the amount ter
esch man, woman and child has increased from
St.64 to - 10. Thu southern section has more
than doubled its amount per capita Ike an
rual cost of education IN the public schools Is
sl6 81 fer each pupil ID attendance.
In thirteen years the enrolment in colored
schools has increased from 5Il, 5Uo to ,2l3,U@1,
increase OF Ito per CENT NA4iS tOtai
colored population has increased only q per
cent In other words, the school attendance
has increased more than four times as fast as
the population among the colored people OF
the southern states The atteu lance OF the
coiored people on normal schools high schools
and colleges has increased during the same
period of thirteen years previous TO 1880 from
9 total Of ssh &c a total OF z5,5iO almost ex-
sctly three times the former number.
Two huncred ami sixteen mIijIOlr of dollars
have been paid from the pubic taxes for the
support OF the schools, white anu coiOred, dur
ing the period of thirteen years mentioned
The iabors of the superintendeIts in improv-
ing the quality of the teaching forces by InstI-
tues associations and normal schools have
shown good results The increase CT the APP
propriatlons from I'll, 23l 0I3 III 1871 TO SZ3,-
81, $50 in 1889 has reinfoI ced their labors by
attracting higher order OF talent into tue
work of instruction The admirably managed
endowments of the Peabody fund and the
Slater fund have been instrumental IN Improy-
ing the character of instruction.