Omaha daily bee., 1893-12-10
HIGH SCHOOLS GOOD POINTS
Come Features Respecting 0maha's Excel
lent Institution Not Well Recognized.
IT BEATS THE CITY IN RATE or INCREASE
How II Compares with schools OF Same
class In other Cities-0bjects Aimed
At In Instruction 49, Course of
Study-its Cost.

One OF Omaha's most prominent and sue
cessful citizens said not long ago:
"a good High school is the most valuable
institution that this city can have. is worth
more for the prosperity aud growth of the
city than railroad shops or smelling works. ="
Probably almost every intelligent citizen
would agree with him, yet it is doubtful
whether, excepting those who have children
in'thc school, the interest felt by the public
in the High school is at all common suratc
with its Importance. In the view of the
many it is aluxury such rs American cities
are won't to afford and which Omaha
should support for the sake of its rcputa-
tion. Hence they favor n more or
less liberal support OF u high school.
but take no interest in its efficiency on in the
kind of educational spirit that rules IN 1t. A
good high school, however, cannot be created
by a good corps of teachers, a good superlu-
tendent and an efficient school board. While
1T must have these, it needs much more an
Intelligent, Interested, critical community
that Will appreciate what is good and help
to reform what needs correction.
Mark FOR Criticism.
Every high school suffers now an d then
from Il stupid, Vandal criticism that in a
spirit of wantonncss attacks it at it's best.
points, Il criticism not based upon any ap-
probation of the real purposes of education
and not designed to help to any improve
ment.
Many Omaha people probably have very
little knowledge of the work done in their
High school, and care very little whether it
is well done, whether the school is large or
small, or well or i'll supported. They arc in
when told that it has outgrown It's
present quarters and that there is hardly
another city IN the country that makes so
poor provisions for its High school. Its
growth has been much more rapid in recent
years than that of the city. Ten wears ago
only u little more than ~ per cent of the
school population was enrolled in the High
school. Last year, when the enrolment
reached SIS. this was increased to about az
per cent. While the High school is not so
large as 1T ought TO be and would be if SUIT
able accommodations had been provided for
1t for the last few wears, still il ranks well
when compared with the High schools of
the principal cities of the country.
4 Favorable Comparison.
The following table, compiled from the re-
ports of superintendent for March. 1893,
should be of interest. The table was de-
signed TO include al cities in the United
States having n population of more than
lOO, 900, and Il few others which are well
known for their excellent school systems,
No answers were received from several
cities, hence they are omitted from the list.
The first column shows school population;
the second, limits of school age: the third,
number enrolled in all public schools: the
fifth, percentage of whole population in
High school; the sixth, percentage of mum
Der enrolled in all public schools enrolled in
High school: