Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1899-04-10
ABOUT rHn SCHOOLS.
Territorial Superintendent Baea's Report
for 1873.
VERY INSTRUCTIVE DOCUMENT.

Ihe report Tor 1888 OF the superintend-
q OF public instruction, ton. Manuel
U. de Baca, has been printed and pub
lisbed In n very neat anu readable form
Ia boln English aud Spanish, says the
New Mexican.
The letter piess is in long primer,
printed on heavy calendared paper, anu
the seventy six pages contain numerous
w~eil-executed cuts OF the various higher
educational Institutions Tor which tne
territory Is nOIed, as we'll as the principal
public school buildings, aud The grouping
VI arrangement Of the data Is convenient
and lntelligently done.
la detail tno report includes cuts of
the government Indian schOOl at santa
te. the College OF Agriculture aud Me-
chanic Arts at Las Cruces, the Uniyersity
OF New Mexico at Albuquerque, Tie
School OF Mines at SocorrO, the Normal
school at Las Vegas, tue school Tor the
Deal aud Blind at santa re, the New
Mexico Military institute at Roswell, the
public school at Eddy. public schools al
%S0corfo, five district schools at Las Vegas.
the high school and two public schools al
Albuquerque, santa ke high school, puD.
lie scn0Ol at Gallup, high school ut Ration,
public school az SILVER city, San Mgusl's
college, Academy of LOretto at Santa te.
aud the school OF the Presbyterian mis-
sion at santa fe. The edilces OF the Las
Vegas Normal and public schools, the
public schools AT Socorr0 and the Albu
querque high school. make a particularly
hue appearance. aud Will compare favor
ably with much praised institutions else
where.
superintendent Baca says that lack OF
organic alton and system IL the greatest
source OF weakness In the public schools.
he recommends granting more power
and authority TO the county superintend
enis, who should have the approval OF all
contracts before any pubic school funds
are used, 10 suspend any school teacher
or director for cause and TO have full
control over the schools In his county.
However, In spite OF all disadvantages,
great progress has been made during the
last few years In territorial echoOl mat
ters, especially In the city public schools,
where funds have been ample 10 secure
competent supervision and instruction.
New Mexlc0's city schools will compare
favorably with those OF any city In the
union. The teachers are graduates OF
some OF the best institutions OF learning
In the United States. The territorial in
stitutions are thoroughly equipped and
have made gratifying PROGRESS. The at
tendance Ia increasing IRON year to year,
and that their reputation IL spreading
over the country Is evidenced by the
students who are attending from outside
the territory.
superintendent Baca advises granting
territorial certificates TO teachers entitled
to them, life certificates emitting the
holders TO teach in any part OF the terri
tory. This is a feature found TO be sue.
cessful In New York state. A marked in
crease in the attendance in nearly all the
schools OF the territory Is reported.
Mr. de Baca strongly advises a perma.
nent board OF territorial examiners, be-
fore whom all persons DESTROYS OF teach
ing may appear. The c%ommOdious and
convenient styles OF school houses are
praised, and he IL glad TO note that the
value OF teachers institutes il becoming
more and more recognized. However,
attendance should be by choice, not by
compulsion. The Legislature should pro-
vide for institute work. Mr.. de Baca
advises division Of the territory into live
institute districts; also that county
superintendent have their offices at the
county seats. S~eyenty-nine per sent OF
the people OF the territory can read and
write, leaving only twenty. one per cent
OF illiteracy. A detailed description OF
the different institutions Of the territory
IL given, with tables showing the differ
ent classes OF schools, Catholic. Pfotes-
tant II n0n-3ectarian. The Catholics
have ninteen schools with an enrolment
OF l,6O2 pupils. and school property
valued at t2l7.7OO. The NJ ,thOdists have
thirteen schools, with 426 pupils en-
rolled. and $4,000 property valuation.
The Congregationglists have four schools,
2l9 enrolment, and $4,000 property
valuation. The Presbyterians have
twenty-three schools, with 1906 enroll.
ment and $4,000 property valuation; q
sectarian school total of sixty schools,
$500 enrolment. and $3l3.600 worth OF
property. The Baptists have one mission
school at Velarde with sixty pupils. The
statistics OF the public schools and terri
torlal Institutions are very Instructive,
giving evidence OF gratifying growth.
A tabulated statement Of the total dis
trict school attendance shows 575 school
districts IN the territory, containing 5ll
schools, San Miguel leading with IS
schools. h teachers number 54l, men
3l8 and women 223. The enrolment
shows a total OF 23.06l, girls IL 100, and
boys 9g4l' The average attendance WAS
1855; aud the number OF persons Of
school age In the territory was 45,2yS.
The total receipts amounted TO SlS2,l7s,
and the expenditures $l7S,2l6. san
Miguel county leads with an enrolment
OF 1915 pupils, and an average attend.
ance of 2.l44.
The city schools OF Santa Fe, Albu.
L nnnEnnA 4 m AAEna DaNA- Ogt-.- MA
n SocOrro number thirty.tWO with
thlrty-eight teachers and 3,07i pupils.
u total value OF the school property il
$1,000.
The table for the territorial institu
tons does not include the Las Vegas
normal school. the military institute, nor
The deaf and blind asylum. Ms at the
Time the report was In compilation the
later institution wa temporarily closed
Tor lack OF funds, and the other two
tailed TO send the data necessary for tab
ulated. However, the tabulated stats
TICS for the other four institutions, viz:
The university, Silver City normal. the
schoOl OF mines, and the agricultural
college, show the months OF instruction
TO be tWenty-eight; number Of teachers,
tWenty-siS: enrolment, 1863; average
daily attendance, 1863; total receipts,
fs3, 100; total expenditures, sos. 665;
value OF school property. fiGi.O25;
value OF school property. $6l OPS; teach
ers' salaries, S35,495. There are gener.
allied reports from the Las Vegas normal
and the military institute. showing 1850
students at Las Vegas, and an interest
ing descriptive OF the valuable and ex.
tended resources of the institution. The
military institute report shows lO2 Ca.
diets and a fine staff Of instructors. The
sectarian and Indian schools are given
complimentary write-ups, detailing the
pleasing progress they are making.