The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-11-19
EFFECT OF FREE BOOKS,
School Attendance Increased 30 Per
Cent. by the Law in the Interest Of Uni.
versal lEdueation-D Dangers Of Sectari.
nuiSYr

yersal Education Dangers Of Sectari.
anisn.
by the United Press.
Harrisburg, Nov 1S.-The annual re-
port OF the superintendent of public in
struction Is nuG in the hands Of the
state printer. DR.. Schaefer refers u
the operation of the free text book law
and says it has been the most import
ant step Of progress since 1867. He says
one of the immediate effects was u large
Increase In the attendance: In some dis
trlcts from 70 to 30 per cent. The su-
perintendentsa almost without exception
gives favorable reports concerning the
practical workings of the law. In but
one county did the new act cause direc-
tors to shorten the school term and re-
duce the teachers wages. DR.. Schaefer
declares there is no Justification for this
short sighted policy in view Of the fact
that the legislature added half a million
to the annual appropriation.
Manual training in the school is rec
commended and reference is made to the
improved school architecture. An ex-
tension of the high school system to the
| townships districts is recommended; as
is also a law authorizing directors to use
portion Of the annual appropriation
for the purpose of establishing and
maintaining school libraries.
Training the children for citizenship
and Installing into them love Of our
country is urged by DR.. Schaefer, who
commends the patriotic orders for caus-
! ing Stars and Stripes to be displayed
on school buildings. He says, however.
that the girls and boys should be taught
what the flag stands for.
One of the dangers to the school sys-
TEN upon which the report dwells is the
peril of sectarianism. He says "it Is
clearly not the function Of the public
schools to give sectarian instruction.
The genius OF our state and national
constitutions demands in all schools
supported by taxation, the separation
namely, to employ only teachers OF their
own religious faith or political party or
secret society, cannot be too strongly
condemned"
The statistical summary shows the
number Of school districts in the state
to be 2,4l3; number of schools, 24,j4l
number of graded schools, 1860; mum.
Der of superintendents 129; number q.
male teachers, S,i64 number of female
teachers, T,777; whole number of teach
ers, 26,24l; average salaries Of male
teachers per month, S44l6 average sal
ariess of female teachers per month
$3S.05; average length of school term II
months, s; numbers Of pupils, l,040,679
average number Of pupils, T5S,j60; cos
Of school houses, purchasing building
renting, ETC., $s,S96,SlS,1s; teachers
wages, SSS, ,99S, 1886; cost Of school tex
books, $1,245, ,375.7s; cost Of school sup
, plies other than text books. including
maps, globes, etc, not including Phila
delphia, $3.50, ,23S.42; fuel, contingencies
, fees of collectors and all other expenses
$l,3S6, 1888; total expenditures, Sls,5S6,
, 75l.3S state appropriation for schoo
+ year ending June, 1893, $5,00O,OOO; esti
! mated value OF school property. no
, including Philadelphia, S42679,5Q4. !
I comparison with the previous yea
shows an increase of twenty-seven dis
: tricts, 529 schools, 565 graded schools
p 1922 pupils and S549, ,9067S In wages o
, teachers.