The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-03-15
More School Facts.
l;tor of the Press:


schools having received editorial COM
ments subioined to it, and having been
reviewed in your issue of the 18th by Mr..
Webb of the school committee, space is
asked for the purpose mainly of getting
pertinent facts clearly in view and not
obscuring them. A certain condition of
things exists; can it be bettered? The
editorial comments suggest that the pub
lie and not the school management has
demanded an increase of branches of
study in the last 20 years, thus requiring
more teachers; also that the expansion
of our population at the westward end
has necessitated new school houses, thus
requiring more teachers and augmenting
the other expenses.
To the first of thSse propositions the
issue could be raised, were it important,
as to whether the public at large has de-
manded increase of branches taught
The school reports the last thirteen years
within which time the increase of teach
ers pro rata is criticised, reveal plenty OF
new fads that the school officials would
like to try, many of them recommended,
some promulgated for while, then dis
carded and the old, well-thumbed stan
dards, which were displaced, taken up
again. The parents of the pupils Will
also testify that they have constantly
urged fewer branches thoroughly mas
tered In 1891 the curriculum does not
appear larger than ten or twelve years
ago, although some changes have been
made. In the High School more option
al courses have been granted, probably
requiring more divisions or more AL
round" teachers. A first class all round
teacher in that school would easily I'LL
the place of two specialists.
AS to new school buildings necessitat-
ing an increase of teachers. Normally
they should not. New buildings may
attract few more at first, but curiosity
in that direction is soon gratified The
real scholars attended somewhere before;
when they migrated to new quarters
their teachers should have followed, but
it is probable that a very ample supply
Of teachers remained behind and an am
pie supply also was obtained for the new
buildings according to the abnormal
number present in the first blush of their
opening A corps of teachers once es-
tablished rarely, if ever, has diminished
in number Herein we find one cause
for the increase in teachers compared
to that of pupils, for which, in the opin-
ion of many citizens, the successive
school boards are responsible; also re-
sponsible for regarding or shortening
the primary course without reducing the
force of teachers, but requiring an IN
crease in the grammar schools on ac-
count of the change.
The most potent factors for the con-
tinual demand for more school rooms
has not been alluded to, namely; the
substitution of single desks for the two
seated ones formerly in use. and the
| dividing up by partitions into smaller
rooms; both of which use up space to
the extent of requiring at least double
the area for the same number of scholars.
These innovations, particularly the seat
| arrangement, has been costly, and to the
school boards the credit is entirely due.
1t requires no expert to find herein some
| explanation of the naked facts tabulation
| conundrums.
From the abstract of the superinten-
dents report for 1892 published in Fri
| days PRESS and from Mr.. Webb's com
munication it would seem that we have
rather overdone the building business in
one section of the city. Had we not bet
ter stop awhile and take breath before
erecting still more, as recommended in
the forthcoming report?
1t is gratifying to find Mr.. Webb in so
near agreement to the assumption that
an average of 40 scholars to each teacher
| in all the schools would be proper
maximum, as find in 1878. We are apart
| in this: he would limit the rule to the
| grammar and primaries, excluding the
High School, and would. exclude the
principals of the grammar schools from
the count.
Considering that the actual attendance
is from to 10 per cent less than the
number belonging, an average of &C
throughout the schools seems sufficiently
elastic to provide for the case of the High
/ school where greater ratio of teachers
is certainly necessary, but not perhaps te
the extent now existing, and also to cover
those special exigencies usually at be-
ginning of terms when the attendance
may be considerably greater than 40 pei
teacher for brief periods.
There appears no good reason for ex
Guiding principals of the schools in thu
ratio; they are at work all the schoo
hours; in whatever classes they work il
counts as a teacher and they are at libert,
to go wherever needed by excess O.
scholars above the 40.
But excluding the High school entirely
|
mar and primary schools. counting thu
principals and taking the report of 1891
1892? On basis Of 30 we shall find al
excess Of 80 regular teachers who's
names are given in that report. Yieldin:
still farther, to cover all contingencie
and a supposable increase of scholars be
longing since last year, we might wei
conclude that twenty. five teachers coul
be spared and thus save at least $1,000
annually. In all seriousness this appear
practicable and not detrimental to th
schools. Perhaps also some partition
might be knocked out without dire re
suits and better circulation of air ST
cured.
Although this is too long already linus
add something regarding the special ex
pense of the tree text books amounting i
1890-91 to over 81, 900. Mr. Webb mus
be aware that for several years the cit
has supplied free, considerable part
free text books and in addition to til
special $4,000 appropriation that year tn
old regular supply was continued. A
expense for free books will be a regula
expense this year and hereafter, it wa
| IL. 70 If in tho list