The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-01-03
JERSEY I%LLlTERATES.
Superintendent Matthews Shows
That Their Number Has Been
Exaggerated-Facts and
Figures.
speciol to The JERSEY City Nevs.

TRENTON, Jan. 3, S93.-John J. Mat
thews, Superintendent of the State
| School Census, has submitted to the
Governor an interesting tabular state
ment about the children of the school age
in New Jersey who attend no schools.
When the Blair Education Bill was be-
fore Congress, Mr.. Blair. in the course OF
one of his many speeches, said That there
were about 150, 900 children in New Jer-
sey who, though of the age when they
should attend school. were growing up IN
ignorance. This statement was read by
| Superintepdeut Matthews just after his
appointment TO office. and ne determined
to make an Investigation. He had heen
for many years interested In the pubic
schools. having been a member of the
Elizabeth Board of Education, and mad
found no evidence in that city OF the state
of affairs of which Mr.. Blair spoke.
THE CENSUS PADDED.
Part of the large number were ac-
counted for in the census OF 1872, winch
showed that in Hudson, Essex, Camden
and a part of Mercer county, the enuin-
ators had padded the census In order TO
increase their fees and thus returned
about 40.0 600 children in excess OF the
| school population. But there were SILL
49, 85 children of school age returned this
year, who had been attending no school.
Superintendent Matthews went carefully
| over the figures from each school dlstrlc5
| and the result he has now made public.
He finds that of the nearly 9O,0W children.
16,627 are between the ages of 5 and .
wears, which many parents think TOO
Young to begin to study; 9,615 are only 6
| years old, to which the same explanation
may be given. The number decreases
up to 10 and II, when the num-
bers are 1,106 and 1,105 respectively.
At 10 and after the number steadily IN
creases as follows: At IL, 1.S47; at IL,
3.205; at IA, 1907; at Is, 1929; at 10,
1850; at II. 17.868, The large figures OF
the latter years are accounted for by the
fact that many boys and girls leave
school aud begin work at the age of IL or
ID. and the number increases until the
age of II. Mr., Matthews has figured out
the percentages the number OF attending
no school bears to the population,
which is about $4,000. The per-
centage of the above is as follows:
At 5 years, .1s5; at 6, JOY: at z .o47;
at s. .021: at 9. OBS; at 10, .ol2; at
II, ol2; at 10, 900; at Is. 036. at ID, .07S; at
is. JIG; at 16. .152: at II. .199.
THE SUPERINTENDENT POE
The children throughout the State who
attend no school. according - Superin-
lows:-Atlantic county, /, s: Bergen,
1925; Burlington. 2.s8s; Ca lden, CABS;
Cape May, 1872: Cumberland. 1851;
Essex, 16, 1877; Gloucester, 1,09l; Hudson,
90. 1906; Hunterdon. 997: Mercer. 4,766;
Middlesex; 1866; Monmouth, 1886;
Morris, 1907; Ocean, 412; Passaic, S,505;
Salem, IA. Sussex. 1,474; Somerset. 1856;
Union, 4"740; Warren. 1,65S. Total,
SO, 6S5.
Below is given a tabulated statement of
those children in the cities of the State
who do not attend school. rhe figures
show those between the ages OF eight and
thirteen, and the total gives the entire
non-attendance of the children.