Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1893-12-01
Professor Wheaton Speaks of the
Condition of the City's Public
Schools.
About 800 Pupils Now Enrolled and
Still More to Follow in tho
Near Future.
Oepartment Graduation and Bow II
10 Necessary to be Carried
On Successfully.
Our Schools

VAC "o AAu = AeScScoIy W cu&dko btll
another teacher. We have at present
3Ol. and there are fully a dozen in the
city waiting for room to be made for
their reception. Out Of the number en-
rolled IS are not residents of the city;
they are distributed as follows: 4 in
Room No. l (the primary Department.;
3 in No. .; 8 in No. 3; 10 in Ne. 4, and
the remaining Is in Rooms S, 6 and Z.
The rooms where seating capacity is
most needed, and from which the largest
number Of applicants have been ex-
cluded are already filled with resident
scholars. The hiring of the last teacher
Is not, as is quite generally thought,
occasioned by the influx of children from
the nelghboring districts. We have just
that many more little blessings in knee
brooches than we had counted on.
1t is u aim TO use this newly opened
school room for a second, though not
less important purpose, that Of receiv-
ing certain scholars, who, from various
causes, find themselves unable to do the
work Of the regular grades to which
they belong. It's attendance will not be
composed entirely of non. resident pupils;
for q large number Of this class attend
school the entire year, and are in nowise
q hindrance to the classes to which they
are assigned. The number of grades in
it will necessarily be larger than that
usually assigned the others; but it is
hoped that the %expedient will prove as
nearly a success with us as it has with
other schools where similar conditions
exist.
1t is but just to explain the peculiar
conditions belonging to this room, in or
der to anticipate any possible objections
from resident patrons who might other.
wise consider it an act of u~nfairness
to exclude their children from rooms to
which they appear to belong. But a
glance at the conditions which the least
attempt at graduation imposes upon us
will show any intelligent person at once
that it would be decidedly unfair to re.
move q nonresident pupil from a grade
when he fits exactly, and fill his place
with another that upsets the entire class
ificatiop, and calls on the teachers to de-
vote sufficient time to him, individually,
to catch him up with the class. This is
an Injustice to the balance, and 1 have
gone so far as almost to forbid teachers
from doing it. If any who are disposed
to find fault with this arrangement, will
try to make the principle they advocate
work by asking the Northern Pacific
train to wait here a few hours for them
to get ready some day when they wish
to 20 to Fargo, they will be better able
to appreciate our difficulty in complying
with their requests of a similarly absurd
nature in regard to the treatment of
pupils who enter the school at any and
all times, instead Of the proper time.
The rule w have adopted is 1.-THE
greatest good to the greatest number"
and we ask and expect the earnest sup.
port of all interested in building up and
maintaining a good school.
P.J. WHEATON, Superintendent.