Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-01-25
X TELLS MORE FACTS
About How the Schools
are Run.
A VERY CAUSTIC LETTER.
Points That Could be Cleaned Only
From the Inside.
Editor OF the Tribune:

nditor OF the Tribune:
lNoTE.-In one paragraph of the following
article certain names are left blank. The
writer does not wish to call special atten.
tion To any person, but only to show the
errors and W weaknesses OF the system, with
view To correction. The names therefore
are not given, but can be, I'm every instance,
TO anyone entitled To know them.l
Considerably more than the ordinary
amount of attention has been given this
year by the tax payers to the action OF
the City Council, as regards the appro-
pristions to be made foi carrying on the
varioos departments. A strong and very
general feeling has prevailed that, while
some good work has been done, there has
been altogether too much that was mere
ly theoretical and experimental at the
sacrifice of essentials and necessaries, and
that the visionary and impracticable has
In too great degree superseded and
driven out earnest, effective, valuable and
Legitimate school work. In the discus
sion OF this question In previous art-
cles by the present writer attention has
been called to this aspect of the matter,
and the suggestion has been made that
the best and only way to stop the evil and
bring about reform lay In refusing any
longer to pay for 1t. AS the Council, by a
very emphatic vote, and In manner not
to be misunderstood, has seen fit to act
In agreement with this view, while at the
same time showing q readiness to do all
that Is really needfui for good results, 1t
Is perhaps not out of place, and may not
be wholly without interest, to present a
few more suggestions and a few more
"facts and figures" to prove that the OBJ
tanning of all good and really desirable
results In school management for the
coming year Is still possible and easy, and
that the retrenchment and "cutting
down" so much decried IN certain quar-
ters are to be done only I'm places where
they will be positive advantage and i'm
provement. The writer does not for one
moment imagine that his suggestions,
even II they should prove to be good ones,
will meet with an especially favorable
reception from those who have had placed
In their charge the administration Of the
schools, nor is he unmindfui OF the old,
and rather chestnutty, saying In regard
to a certain class of people who are al
ways ready to rush In where angels fear
to tread; but erthelsss, having certain
somewhat definite ideas on the subject
gat hered from a long and intimate ac-
quaintance with these important matters,
he is at least not afraid to say what he
thinks, ano let 1t 60 for what 1t may be
worth.
schools, properly so called, In which the
ninth grade, or the highest of the pre-
paratory grades and the one Immediately
preceding entrance upon High School
work, Is taught. Four OF these schools
L.. Ia Nf hnn
ceive 81 10000. q year, and one, Fl 200 90;
and all four also have assistant teachers
receiving from $4,000 to s560.0O a year,
making the salaries paid In these four
schools vary from Il $4,000 to $4,000 a
year; yet the average attendance in no one
of thesa four schools exceeds 45, and is
generally very much less. 1t is true that
some of these four schools have 2 grades
but so also do 80 or 40 other schools In the
city which are taught by women receiv-
Ing only $560.00 year, having no assist
ants at all, and much larger average at.
tendance. Moreover the fifth grammar
school, doing the same work, teaching &
the same grade, the ninth, and sending
Its children to the High School, precisely
like the first named four, Is under the
charge and management of a woman, and
and has no assistant. 1t may be urged,
N is the fact, that the four male princi-
pals do little II any teaching; that, when
ever there comes pleasant day, they put
on their bats and coats and go out to din
spect" and "supervise" other rooms and
other buildings than their lown, leaving
the direction and work of their rooms to
be done by their women helpers. But on
ka hav hsn hn nj is yf a
Iibsrally for "ipspection" and "supervi-
sion" to be rendered from another quarter,
for which there IL ample time and oppor-
tunity, and which, IL properly rendered,
must of necessity be superior in quality
and results to that specified above. Be-
sides, II one woman, at $4,000, can
run one grammar room successfully and
satisfactorily, land the writer has never
does,) why could not four other women
each at $4,000, (not 81 10000 and an as
sistant,) run the four other grammar
,roomsf Now the writer would not sug-
gest nor recommend the latter course. He
believes that there should be a male
teacher In each grammar school, for the
reason that children 13 to 10 years old
will yield to male the respect and obe-
ulcnCo tuSy w
(not to say that they ought to do so, but
that they will do SOY, and that discipline
/. I'D control, other lthings being equal
lii Ne better maintained under the for.
,rer than under the latter. He does not
man to ..v hat man always makes q
peter teacher han woman, for he
knows the exact OPP O' nu, su naVe "n,v ,ne, pee'
true In great many cas-, ou. only tnat
speaking generally, 1t Is m, Te l,kely TO pe
30 than the reverse. But he I'oeS ,nInk
and he does not hesitate to say 1t openly
and without fear of successful contrs 'ic'
tion, that when the male teacher IL en-
ployed, he should stay in his own room,
do his own work as we'll as he knows
how, not interfere with other teachers as
competent In their own spheres as he IL
In his, and leave "inspcction" and i"super-
vision" where they rightly belong, and
in these circumstances he won't need sny
assistant at si4O 90, s56O0O, or any other
salary. Here alone may he effected a
saving OF some s1 400 90 OF u 500 90 year,
with a positive increase OF benefits and
decided Improvement in results.
Again take the Training School, (as