The record-union., 1896-01-07
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF THIS CITY.
A Department Of Which the People
Are Proud.
Annual Report OF President Win. j.
Davis OF the Board of
Education.

The following annual report Of Win
]. Davis, President of the City Board Of
Education, was submitted at last
nights meeting of that body. 1t is a
careful review of the condition Of the
school system of the city, and will be
found of much interest to the COM
munity:
AN AUSPICIOUS YEAR
To the Honorable Board of Educa-
ton of the City Of Recommendation
tlemen: With the close of the nrst
Presidential term of the Board Of Ed
ucation under the new charter, and the
termination of my Office, / submit the
second annual report of the President.
The year 1895 has been marked with
auspicious events for Sacramento City.
On September 9th, our people cele-
brated, with an elaborate carnival, the
incoming of the electrical energy de-
veloped by the great water power at
Folsom. It then became, for the first
time, an established fact to the world
that power could be successfully con-
Quoted for long distances by the unex-
plained agency of electricity. There
was opened up for Sacramento cheap
and unlimited means for the production
of power, light and heat; and what the
future result will be is hardly problem
aticaI With rail and river transporta-
tion to the interior and to the seaboard,
with a surrounding territory of un-
rivaled fertility and capable of diversi-
fed production, and with an unlimited
supply of cheap power, the city is des-
tined to become the seat of manufact-
ures and commerce, and the home of a
large population.
This board, as representative of an
important arm of the municipal gov
ernment, fully appreciating the situa-
tion, has maintained the educational
department in front rank with modern
progress. Our school training has be-
come more and more practical. The
aim has been to discard studies OF
doubtful utility and to give promi-
nence to those which will be Of decided
advantage to the pupils.
INTEREST OF PUPILS IN EDUCA-
TION.
It is gratifying to note the increased
interest of pupils, particularly boys, in
education. The boy Of to-day realizes
that without a reasonable share OF
learning he win be seriously handi-
capped in the race Of life, and that his
success will depend in a large measure
on his education as well as his abili-
ties that, in fact, an educated man has
the advantage over one who depends
only on natural talent.
The percentage of boys leaving school
at the close of the grammer course is
now very small as compared with that
Of four years ago, and so also is the
percentage of those who leave the
High School before graduation. Here
tofore the number Of girls graduated
from the High School largely ex-
ceeded that of the boys. For the first
time in the history Of the city the grad
uating class in that school now con-
tains more boys than girls. There is a
like demonstration Of this desire OF
boys and young men for advanced
education in the increased attendance
and interest in the night schools.
With the beginning Of 1895 the -four
kindergarten schools that had beer
conducted under the auspices of a pri-
vate Board of Lady Managers, became
a portion of the public school system
They had been maintained for several
years by subscriptions, and the in
creased pupilage made their mainten-
ance too great burden to be borne by
private support Accordingly, a con-
ference was had between the kinder
garten managers and the Board Of Ed
ucation, and it was determined to pass
the control of the schools to the public
authority,
This step has been of marked advan-
tage to the schools, and they have sc
increased in attendance that during
next year another school will be estab-
lished. A petition has been presented
by parents asking for the erection an6
maintenance of a kindergarten schoo
on our lot on o street, between Ninth
and Tenth, formerly occupied by the
colored school, and the understanding
is that a suitable building viii be oon.
structed there.
THE SCHOOL FOR CHINESE.
On September is, 1894, the first schoo
for the exclusive education of Chinese
children was opened, with Clara F
Parsons as the teacher. Shortly before
that time q considerable number o.
children of that race applied for permits
and most of them were admitted into
the Union Primary School, at Seventh
and G streets, the only one in the dis.
trict covering the Chinese quarter OF
the city. Complaint was made by white
parents that their children should no
be compelled to associate with Mongo
lians, and in some instances complaint!
were made that Chinese children hat
been mistreated by the whites.
Under the State law this board mus
admit children Of every race into tht
public schools, except that it has power
ito establish schools for Indian chill
dren and for children Of Mongolian OF
Chinese descent" and when such sep.
arate schools are established, Indian
Chinese or Mongolian children mus
not be admitted into any other school
When the Chinese School was estab
Iished in the Perry building, on I street
between Tenth and Eleventh, there was