The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1894-08-04


school year OF 1890 and ~ Just is
sued, consists OF two volumes having
1,549 pages. Without exception this
report is the ablest one ever issued
by the DEPARTMENT OF Education. and
1t is replete with information of deep
interest 10 the ed ucational world.
We are largely indebted 10 this re-
port for data used below.
VALUE OF SCHOOL PROPERTY.
In 1850 the value OF our public
school property was s343, 900, 600, and
in July OF 1894, s400, 900, 00O A
careful estimate OF the value OF all
the property, buildings and grounds,
Libraries and apparatus, endowInents,
and investments for educational pur-
poses in the United States, inclusive
OF public, private, church and special
schools and colleges, places it auove
5000, 600, 900.
OUR PUBLIC~SCHOOL SYSTEM.
The duty OF the State 70 educate
her youth TO the fullest degree To
which her youth are able 10 receive
education can never be dsregarded
without violation Of the pledges
upon which the State was found d.
As private enterprise is limited by
its private and spec al end 1T cannot
be safely depended upon 70 attend TO
the WORK OF general education. Pub
lie aid and control are necessary 70
prevent hurtful changes and inter
ruptionS The free state can have
no guarantYOf its own life even, save
in the intelligence OF its citiZ ms
The corporate and individual life
must be OF the same kind, as the
State is nourished by the lives Of its
citizens. This is espec cially true Of "A
republic for this form OF civil rule
cannot rise above the best intelligence
OF its citizens The free state re-
quires much OF citizen, making him
voter, a juror, legislator and de-
manding that he shall be useful
and productive factor In society. In
these public demands upon him lies
his claim upon the state for an edu-
cation to fit him for the best per-
formance Of his duties. But as the
individual passes away, his children
take his place, hence the process OF
fitting individuals Tor useful lives or
the process of education must be
continuous one Property, too, is no
more nor less than a creature Of in
telligence; 1t scarcely exists among
savGges, and exists in small degree
I'm unenlightened lands like Persia,
Turkey, and most portions of China
The duty of free State to see that
its citizens are educated Is funde-
mental and cannot be delegated.
Other agencies all lack the means
and motives for doing this work and
are not universal in their operation.
The power and wealth OF the State
alCne can provide and maintain the
machinery OF complete education and
have it, to a proper extent, reach all.
The general education OF the young
is now admitted the world over to be
the indispensable element OF assured
progress.
PUBLIC SCHOOL ENROLMENT.
The following tabular statement
gives the total enrolment Of pupils
in all the public and private schools
OF the country, for the years ending
with June 1891 and 1894:
1891. 1894.
In elementary schools 80. a., liG,t63 1;,4l5,O)O
In secondary schools........ BOA sUe,UOO
In higher schools ............ 1871 l76,JO)
Private schools and colleges en-
rolled IL per cent Of the total
enrolment In the elementary
grades 90 per cent of the pupils
were enrolled in the public schools
and 10 per cent in the private
schools. In the secondary schools,
those Of private character, had 40
per cent. of the enrolment and in
the higher departments they had
20 per cent, and the public
colleges had hut 30 per cent Out
OF every 1000 pupils and students
enrolled, 964 were getting primary
and grammar school instruction, 26
were in the high school department
aud 10 had entered upon college and
professional studies The total Of
our present school population, or OF
all persons between d and Is years Of
age, is 20, 600, 900, or -! per cent Of
our total population Of $4,000, 600.
The school year dates from Septem-
bSl lot W uir iNb' w lhS
calendar year. In the cities OF the
country the school year usually con-
sists OF ten calendar months, the
schools being in session five days in
each week or 200 days in all. The
remainder OF the year is used for va
cations During the past six years
the average length OF time per year,
in which the schools of the whole
country were in session, has been 1873
days 1t was 1875. days in the year
1891 and 1876 days for the year ending
June, 1894. Country schools. as a
rule, are in session from 20 to $50
days during a school year
AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE.
The average daily attendance OF
pupils in all the schools for 1890 was
s, ,l54, 93S; for the year 1891 il was
s, ,329, pa, and for 1894. s, $50, 600, or
about 45 per cent. OF the school pop
ulation between q and Is years OF
age. or 56 per cent OF the total en-