The record-union., 1897-07-11
EDUCATION IN. CALIFORNIA.
LIBERAL PROVISIONS HAVE
ALWAYS BEEN MADE.
California May Well Congratulate
Herself on the Educational
Outlook of the Future.


from the pen of Professor Martin Kel-
logg. President of the State University:
This State was settled by intelligent
people. AS soon as the first rush to the
mines was over, men began to re-es-
tablish their homes and to care for the
welfare of the children. Private schools
were opened, then public schools. The
first Constitutional Convention looked
far ahead, and even made forecast for
university. Californians were proverb-
tally generous, and as need required the
public schools were placed on a solid
basis 1t is nearly fifty years since the
immigration of 1S49; What has the
State to show for the important inter-
est of education? Let us begin with
the common schools.
In all the cities and larger towns of
the State, and in most of the country
districts, good schools are maintained
during the greater part of the year;
usually about nine months. For the
school year 1896 the funds from the
State apportionment amounted to over
three millions; from local taxes, to
more than two and a half millions;
from all sources, to more than six and
a half millions The teachers receive
a fair compensation, and the teaching
profession is held in high esteem. OF
course most of the common school
teachers are women, and, as a class,
they represent a good degree of gen.
eral culture The avenues of admis-
sion to the profession are carefully
guarded A large number of these
teachers have received diplomas from
graduated from high schools; some
have pursued the higher range of stud
les found in the college courses of the
universities.
The standard of excellence in this
profession has been much advanced
within the last ten years University
courses have prepared teachers for the
high schools better high school and
normal school instruction has given
better teachers to the grammar
schools. Three normal schools exist al
ready situated at San Jose, Los An
geles and Chico. A fourth was eStab-
lished at San Diego by the last Legis-
lature, but is not yet in operation. The
principals and teachers in these schools
have ranked high in their profession.
San Francisco has a city normal
school, to which high school graduates
are admitted for a years additional
work In addition to our own supply
of teachers, we have received continual
accessions from the normal schools,
high schools and colleges of other
States. Teachers find it easy to drift
across the continent in search of a
milder climate or more hopeful field
or professional activity.
Mention must be made of provisions
for children below the ordinary school
ages (the school census includes chill
dren between the ages of five and sew
enteen). Kindergartens sprang up
many years ago in San Francisco, es-
tablished and fostered by such wealthy
and large hearted women as Mrs. Le-
land Stanford and Mrs. George Hearst.
Mrs. Sarah 3. Cooper became kinder
garten apostle for the city and State,
and devoted a large share of her re-
markable activities to this work. The
purpose of the kindergartens was at
first charitable, to rescue the waits of
the city streets from the evil influences
about them; but as this instruction
proved its value for all young children,
the kindergartens have ceased to be
looked on as missionary enterprises,
and paid kindergarten schools are now
patronized by all }classes of society.
They are to be found in all the chief
towns of the State, and are recognized
as a permanent factor in the education
of the children. In more than half a
dozen cities or large towns they have
been incorporated into the public school
system. San Francisco has not yet
adopted them, but there is a strong
movement in that direction.
The regular public school system is
organized into a series of eight or nine
grades The lower grades are desig-
mated as primary, the upper as gram
mar grades In some cases the lowest
grade is subdivided, especially where it
is over crowded with newcomers of un-
equal attainments. Ungraded schools
are now found only in the most scat
tered populations of the country dis
tricts. The studies of this graded sys-
tenn are ordinarily expected to occupy
nine years. AS some schools are in
session fewer months than others, the
years are not always parallel in results
In all such schools there will be un-
even progress, owing to differences in
ability, home training, in health and
in favoring circumstances But the
graded system is best for the average
pupil, and is sufficiently elastic to allow
free scope for the most forward
High schools receive the scholars who
wish to go beyond the grammar grades
In all the larger communities the coun-
try over high schools are supported as
a necessary part of an educational sys-
tenn. In California the State Constitu-
ton let them out, and they depend
entirely on local support. But subse-
quent legislation has provided methods
for their establishment by local pro-
cedure
The cities and larger towns organize
them as a part of the city or town
system; others are established by dis
trict or by county action. Much in
terest has been developed in this direc-
ton, and the number of high schools
has increased rapidly during the last
few years. There are now a hundred
of these schools in the State.
The teachers in these schools are
largely college graduates. 1t is a rec
ognized principle that teachers in any
school must be much in advance of
their pupils. In the grammar grades
the least that can be asked is. that
the teachers shall have taken the high
school courses. In the high schools
the same principle requires that the
teachers have the advanced culture of
the college courses. From our own
universities and colleges, and from
Eastern institutions, a good supply is
found for the teaching work of the
high schools.
One important function of the High
School is to prepare students for the
higher college courses. It is a neces-