The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-08-09
HIGH SCHOOL BOARD
INTERESTING ANNUAL REPORT OF
INSPECTOR ALTON WAS PRE-
SCENTED YESTERDAY
NOTED GAIN IN ENROLMENT


gests That There Is an ODpOr-
tunity for State Architect to
Prove of Great Benefit.
George B. Alton, inspector of high
schools, presented his annual report at
| a meeting of the state high school board
| held yesterday. The document possesses
considerable interest to educators, and
shows a marked improvement in public
educational Institutions during the year
past. A high average increase In enroll
ment is noted, as we'll as a considerable
increase in the number of students grad
uated. The board initiated a movement
to abolish the examination formerly re-
quired from high school graduates for
| entrance to the state university, and ap-
pointed President Cyrus NoIthrup, Of the
state university, and STATE Superintend-
ent Lewis, to devise some method where
| by the dreaded exams" may be dispens-
! ed with. President Northrup agreed to
ask the university faculty 20 admit such
| students from high schools as were able
! to show certificate of having completed
| the full four years course required The
| board reserved the right to require exam
nations in any high schools at any time,
| upon given subject.
Inspector Atoms report shows that the
100 high schools of the state had a to-
| tai enrolment at the close Of the past
school year of HIP pupils. This is q
| gain Of 365 over the figures of the pre-
Vious year. The average increase in en-
rollment the past four years mas been $50.
The number of high school graduates
was 1,429, an increase of fifty-nine over
| the year before. In the same time the
! high school instructors increased from 424
| to 442. There was expended for high
| school equipment the sum of S22,590, di-
Ylded among library, science and grade
reading in SETS This is slightly less than
! the average Of the past four years.
| BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS
Excellent progress has been made dur
ing the year. All the high schools of tho
state, with the exception of those of
| Minneapolis are now on the list of state
| high schools. A number OF the smaller
| schools of the state have added notably
! to their building equipment, among which
| are Marshall, Hastings, Wells, Glenwood.
| Hutchinson and Dodge Center while ST.
James, Fairmont, Chatfield and Waseca
have either built new structures or are
! preparing to do so this year
| The new structures are all OF brick, with
| a notable Improvement in plans over the
| old-style school buildings. The report
suggests that there is opportunity for
/ state architect, at the service of the
| school board. to be of immense benefit
| IN consulting and advising with school
| boards regarding plans. Such a function
! airy, Mr.. Alton insists, would save his
! salary several times over to the state
! In the absence of such a person. the sug-
! gestton is made that the present practice
! OF inviting architects to submit plans in
| competition be discontinued and that a
/ competent architect be employed when
needed to draw the plans.
/ Under the head of enrolment by sub
| Jects the report deals with an interesting
| Phase or the educational problem-the
! trend of the time in the selection of stud
les. There is shown a falling off during
the past year in the number of students
taking Greek, due largely to its discon-
tinuance in the Minneapolis schools
! Though now taught in only about one
| half of the high schools of the state. Ger
man has an increased enrolment. while
! French just about holds its own in the
large cities. English is getting a stronger
mold than ever. Nearly every student in
! the nigh schools is now giving serious at
! tentlon to the task of acquiring an ability
| to use his own language and gaining a
/ 1alr acquaintance with English MASTER
! pieces
! This is a result that Mr. Alton has been
working for early and late, and the re-
suits are peculiarly gratifying to him.
! Political economy and civics still hava
! a small enrolment, being subjects that
usually come into competition with the
| foreign languages. The volume Of work
! In history, both American and English. ia
! increasing rapidly.
| FEW COLLEGE GRADUATES
The report calls attention +o the foot
! that the records of several of the larger
| schools OF the state, particularly those
| OF Minneapolis, st. Paul and Duluth. show
an astonishing Indifference to the adon-
| tlon or college education as the mini
! mum requirement of high school instruc-
! tors: In these schools barely one-half the
! teachers are college graduates, which Is
| an average quite below that of the state
| at large. Regarding state examinations.
| Mr.. Alton suggests that too much stress
| is put upon them. He says:
| Il very much wish that all our state
| high schools might be accredited bv the
| State university. 1 am confident that tbe
small schools would hold up their ends
| surprisingly well If all schools were ac-
credited and the use of state examina-
| lions We're left to local authorities and
| by the superintendent left largely to the
| option of the students. 1 am confident
that local good sense while it might os-
| cIlIate, would make good use of the state
| examinations. By complete local option
| dread would be averted and we should
nave the benefit without the worry.
| The increase of state aid from 500 to
| SS0O comes at very opportune time and
| has already encouraged boards of educa-
| ton very noticeably. Coming at a time
! when state examinations for county GER
uhcates are certain to send many Young
| people into the high schools of their re-
! spect1ve counties, the additional aid is
| all the more timely. I am sure the resuIt
| will justify the liberality of the Iegisla-
! ture'
A new feature of Mr. Atoms report this
| year Is comparative statement of the as
| sesSed valuation and school tax of each
| community having a high school. The LIST
| would furnish interesting reading to tha
taX-paying public of the Twin Cities who
| groan under burdens of 35 and mills
school tax. Thirty-seven Of the one
| hundred towns and cities represented nav
a school tax of 20 mills or better. and in
! lew instances it aggregates 80 mills or
| more. SlaytOn leads all the rest with
| S23 mills. Zumbrota alone, of all tho
! minor cities, ranks with the Twin Cities
TO the amount of its school tax. It paid