Evening star., 1898-09-19
AGAIN IN SCHOOL
Forty five Thousand Children Resume
Their Studies Today.
INTRODUCTION OF KINDERGARfENS
Superintendent Powell's Discussion
of the General Outlook.
HIGH AND NORMAL SCHOOLS

A combined assault upon General Igno-
rarce and his most of supporters and allies
was begun this morning by Superintendent
j. w. Powell, commander-in-chief of the
Army of Young America in the District.
The school year has begun and the thou
sands of youthful voices take up the song
OF civilization at the point where they
left off early in the summer. Last year
the attendance was not over 1900, but
this year there will be, including the night
schools, at least 5000 enrolled.
The most important fact in this connec-
ton is that not one child of school age
will be refused admission because of lack
of accommodations. There are 115 build
irgs in use, and LIB teachers and princi-
pals direct the forces of the host of hope
fuls. This is something to be appreciated
by the fathers and mothers here. when it
is remembered that 5000 children in New
York have been denied school privileges
this year owing to inability to provide Tor
them.
This year is remarkable in this city for
another reason, and it is that it marks the
Inauguration of the kindergarten schools as
a part of the educational system under the
school boards jurisdiction. Congress has
appropriated $4,000 for this purpose, and
twelve SCHOOLS VIII be 2StdblSned IN lne
eleven school districts; in fact they are in
process of formation now. The hnadquar-
ters of these schools will be:
First division. DennisOn building; second,
Henry building; third Peabody; fourth,
Potomac; fifth, High street; sixth and sew
enth, not located eighth, buchanan; ninth,
tenth and eleventh. The coIored divisions,
not yet located.
Number Enrolled.
There will be from twenty-five to forty
children in each of these schools, under
teachers who expert in the work. Sew
eral days ago Superintendent Powell in
structed his supervising principals to have
their kindergarten teachers begin the work
of discovering and enrolling the children of
proper age in the various districts. The re-
suit is that several of them are in shape to
begin at once and the others will BE- ready
in the future.
Il regard this as the most important step
taken in school work in this city," said
Superintendent Powell to The Star re-
porter today. 1T amounts practically to
dipping down two years into the mind of
the child. These schools are in exact line
with the system of education adopted here
and they are actually the beginning of the
work of manual training.
1T is a consummation long and ardently
hoped for by all who are interested in the
development of educational work. Kinder
gartenS draw out the powers of the child
two years earlier than the primary schools
They interest the children in exhibiting
their natural qualities in an environment
that is absolutely perfect. This environ
ment actually takes the place of the home
and in providing teachers mentally and
morally equipped for the work, together
with the proper implements and conditions
the task Of making good citizens and use
full members of the community becomes
a much simpler one because of the extreme
youth and impressionable quality of the
pupil Inc earlier the childs powers of
observation, reflection and conclusion are
drawn out and intelligently shaped and di-
rected, the better the result for child,
teacher and country.
Very soon." continued the superintend-
ent. we shall have $50 to 200 kindergar-
tens here. In fact. there will be as many
as there are of first grade schools There
are not many cities where they have at
present been made part of the general
school work, and, therefore, 1 am proud
that Washington SO early adopts the
method and becomes one of the pioneers
Boston has done very little in this direc-
uon. and 1T is to St. Louis that we turn
now for knowledge gained from that city's
experience. l do not know the amount of
money st. Louis spends but she has a kim
dergarten for every first grade school
plan OF permanent organization for the
twelve started here has not yet been COM
pleted, but the aim is to euuip them as
thoroughly as means and experience sug-
geSt
Schools in General
we began brlght ana early today" said
Mr.. Powell, speaking of the schools in gen.
eral, 'and of the 1900 pupils this year
nearly all are those who We're regularly
promoted last year. These began their
studies this morning. The ticket pupils.
as We call them, that is to say, those who
must procure tickets of admission, number
only about 900 OF course the first-erade
children are entirely new
washington IS far in advance of many
cities with regard to the proportion of chill
dien in schools to the total population 1t
averages from 10 to II per cent and is
therefore, very large. In New York city it
is but 10 per cent OF course in smaller
cities, where the school system has been
perfected. the average may be greater, be-
cause the obstacles are fewer, but Wash
ingtOn, among cities of the larger kind
ranks with thu first in this respect Con-
gress has been very liberal in lis appropri-
ations and citizens of the District have
every reason to be proud of the advan-
tages their schools afford. The citizenship
here is OF the very first quality and is due
in great measure to the fine public schools
established by the authorities"
On Patriotic Lines.
MIR. Powell was asked If any special at
tention would be given this year to studies
tending to develop the patriotic spirit of
the children.
Yes he replied, I'VE do encourage and
develop patriotism by teaching the pupil
the source Of his liberties and their cost to
his ancestors and his country. This makes
them intelligently IatriCtic, and they battle
when called for with the proper knowledge
of the principles at stake. Education
makes and does rot unmake patriots"
The increase in the number of pupils this
year is entirely normal. There is one teach
er to every forty pupils. and this is the
proper proportion. The ticket scholars do
not begin study until tomorrow.
The High Schools and Normal Schools
also began operations. In the former the
day was spent in examining applicants ma
tives of other cities, who have come here
To live and who desire to profit by the su-