The morning call., 1894-09-17
SCHOOLS AND PUPILS.

The annual report of the City SupeIlG-
tendent Of Public Schools for the year
ending June 80 shows 6S, 800 children be-
tween the ages Of 5 and II, inclusive, and
an average daily attendance at schouls of
32,940. Thus something over one-half of
the children of school age do not attend
the public schools, and less than One-half
do. The calculation, however, is mis-
leading, as 1t does not take into account
the children who attend privats or
parochial schools, at both of which the
attendance is large-probabyc considerably
over 10000 1t would be desirable. for the
sake of accurate statistics, to require the
teachers of these outside schools TO make
regular returns of their pupils.
According to the school bureau of the
Census Department. there were, in 1892.
in the whole State. 1000 children of the
ages of 8 to IS. inclusive. of whom 23S, los
were enrolled in the public schools, and
an average OF 15S,S75 attended school
The proportion Is thus about the same as
in the city. About one-hslf of the chill
dren who might have been receiving in
struction were not Other States present
similar results in these respects. In New
York two-thirds of the children OF school
age-ssy 1913 900 children-are enrolled in
the public schools, and of these 1913, 900
enrolled pupils, two-ihirds. or Goo. 900,
actually attend school. In Massachusetts
about hree-fourths OF the children of
school age are enrolled and about half
attend school regularly. In ONO the
enrolment is equal TO four-fifths of the
whole, and the attendance is nearly three
fourths of the enrolment. In Illinois the
enrolment is about tGo-thlrds of the
whole, and the attendance three-fourths
Of the enrolment.
Over one-Quarter, or as nearly as posi-
BILE twenty-eight per cent, of the pop
ulstion of the country is under Is
years of age. In the course of ten years,
on the general average, these children will
mature and the males among them will
begin 10 exercise the suffrage. IL is a
desideratum that they should receive the
education necessary TO fit them to exercise
it wisely. This consideration has led to
movements 10 some Eastern States for the
enactment of new and stringent compul-
sorry education laws. Thus far we have
not framed and put in force law like the
Prussian and Saxon laws, which are car
ried out to the letter.
One of the chief objections to an effec-
tive compulsory law is the expense it would
entail. Yet it ought to be plain to every
one that an outlay of $1,000 to enforce
school attendance would be less extrsva-
giant than an outlay of 5000 to punish
crime and disorder resulting from the
neglect of that attendance.
1t should not be hastily assumed from
the figures above quoted that they cor
rectly indicate the true proportion of our
youth growing up without any educa-
ton in schools. 1t must be remem bered
that while about half of them are regular
in attendance at the public schools, and
that many more 60 to private or parochial
schools, most of the remainder have prob
ably gone through the primary schools nd
thence into wage-earning employ ment
AS a matter of statistics nearly half oil
those within school age would be between
II and II years of age. The moral of this
is, since so large proportion of our chill
dren must 20 to work without enjoying
the advantages of the higher grades OF
schools. that the primary schools should
De no ade as effective as possible; to give
the best possible foundation upon which
to build in the subsequent practical activ.
tiles of life.