The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-19
WAS A SUCCESSFUL YEAR.
sUPT. AsHMORE ON THE CONDITION
OF THE SCHOOLS.

E0ucanOn-Lust ear an EVENT.
full One-The Enrolment For the
Year Large-More AecOmmOda-
lions Needed-The Normal Glass
and Its WOrk-The Teachers Lii
/ brary-Prospects For the schools
Encouraging.
The annual report Of supt Otis Ash
( more was submitted to the board Of edu-
cation at its meeting last night. 1t is
the thirty-second annual report that has
been submitted of the schools OF the city
and county.
supt. Ashmore said that in many re-
| spects last year was of critical interest
TO the schools. Aside from the import
ant duties that devolved upon the board
itself. the general administrative and d.
receive forces in the internal work and
mana cement of the schools were in a
large measure placed in new hands Be
sides change in the superintendency, four
new men were brought into the system
and installed as principals of the gram
mar schools. Two important changes
were made in the force of teachers at the
! High school, a complete change in the
district lines Of the city. and the conse-
quent reasslgnment of teachers and pupils
to the several schools was necessary on
account of the opening Of the Anderson
Street school. Many other circumstances,
the superintendent said rendered the sit
alton one that demanded careful and con.
servative action in planning and prudent
and tactful management in executing.
The attendance in the schools during the
year was dwelt upon. The total enroll
ment in the city white schools for the
| year was 1887, and for the city colored
schools 2,1s9. making a total enrolment
for the city of 6l46. In the county there
were enrolled in the white schools COZ,
and in the colored schools 1895. The grand
total for the city and county was thus
| s,419. The superintendent stated that a
careful examination of the school Stats
tics for several years shows that the av-
! erage annual increase in the attendance
| is about 300. This was noted as an inn
portant fact for the consideration of the
board, and for the grand jurles in pro-
viding school facilities for the children.
! The question of accommodation for the
/ children was taken up, and the steps in
! dicated that had been taken for the pro-
I
! opening Of the new Anderson Street school
| relieved the pressure TO a great extent,
| and it then became necessary to make
| transfers of a number of children from
| other districts TO that school. The estab-
! lshment of two extra classes for small
! children at the Henry Street school per-
| mitted the restoration of about all of
! these transfers to their proper school.
| The colored schools were crowded TO
their utmost limits, and it was said that
quite a number of the colored children
| could not secure places on account of the
| lack of room. The superintendent said
| that it Is clear II the demands upon the
| public schools continue to increase at
| the same rate as for several years past
additional facilities must be provided for
the education of the children.
OF the county schools, II was said that
during the year there were maintained
| thfrty-six schools in the country dis
| trcts. of which twelve were for white
| and twenty-four for colored children. The
| work and general character of some of
! these schools were reported as being very
| good, but the peculiar environment and
the general condition of many of them is
| far from satisfactory. Some of the schools
are situated in sparsely settled and al
! most Isolated sections, making it difficult
! to obtain competent teachers for them
| and a regular attendance. With but few
| exceptions the condition of the buildings
| occupied is deplorable, and the facilities
| for doing good school work are very poor
| The superintendent said that a more lib
eral policy should by all means, be adopt
! ed toward the country schools, and it IS
| to be hoped that means for their better
| ment will be placed in the hands of the
| board at a very early date.
| 1t was thought prudent for several rea-
| sons to continue in the main course of
| study followed in the previous year. and
| but few changes were made The exist
I've N1..f,v Il,
| for the present educational needs and for
| tn symmetrical development of all the
mental faculties. The chief aim is to i'm
| prove the methods of instruction Trans
| fers of certain branches of study were
made during the year from lower to high
| er grades, and in their places were sub
| stltuted other branches. The work in some
| of the branches was greatly extended and
made more thorough. The results of all
| the changes, the superintendent stated
hive been very satisfactory, and he sadl
that he felt sure that they were all based
| upon correct educational principles.
The advantages of the objective methods
of teaching were discussed and it was
| clearly shown that the introduction of
| more apparatus for the purpose of practl-
cal demonstrations of the subjects being
taught would be of great value to the
schools.
Fortunately, our schools" said Supt
! Ashmore, ARE supplied with a number Of
these means of illustration and our teach
ers are constantly using them in their
work, but we still need several important
means of illustration which would l am
| sure, give large returns upon the invest
| ment made There should be In every
! school a complete set of weights and
measures and means should be provided in
! the course to give the children abundant
| experience In using them. The cost would
| be very small. and l recommend that they
| be provided. Much of difficulty which chill
| dren encounter in arithmetic arises from
| their vague and uncertain conceptions of
the real value Of the terms used In the
| weights and measures. How, 1t may be
asked, Is a child ever to know how much
| yard, gallon, a cubic foot, or a pound
| is unless he is taught 1t by actual
| experience? And he must learn it
! by experience if he learns it at all. No
| amount of rote repetition of tables, or
mechanical combination of mere figures
will have any rational or related meaning
to him. At the corner grocery. by chance
| home experience, or in the school, must
ha Loo