The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-03-29

ENNft $3.50 Hff@r VtLtrIE1
each pupil In each grade was Obliged 70
spend for such necessaENxpOokS sand 1StAz
tfonery as WereSnot suIIs1fsd by the A!c4ftygf
and another statement xsfp WING lAe 1Auai
of such expenditures IA ,4M.~
1T appears from these that at the low
est possible calculation the pupils OF our
while the city Itself spent only $le,,1ls;2o.
The average per pupil spent by the clty
was .S16, while the average spent by eacn
p pupiis w We're 81: almost an wholly s1 FOR penciis, pa d
per, pens. blank books, copy books, draw
Ing books. pads, etc. They were pur-
chased by them at retail, IN al cases Ply
ing at least so per cent. more than tne
prices at which contractors nave oltsrsd
to supply them TO the city. It is wifhln
bounds to say that the city could haNe
furnished these supplies 10 pupils sipr
$40. 600.
Your committee has given special atten-
ton to the use of states. We find tnat
for some time there has been a strong
that this tendency is growing stronger,
and we believe that, If the appropriation
permitted, no states, would be used Al
present, among the grammar depart
ments, two use states in all grades, four
use them in some of the classes, and
eleven do not use them at all. Among
the primary departments, eleven use them
in all classes, nine use them In some
classes, and seven do not use them IN
any class.
Very strong, and, in our opinion, con-
vincing reasons may be urged against
their use. Although principals and teach
ers use all e to keep states clean, it
is very difficult, If not impossible, to 90
so. No matter how ~scrupulous teachers
and pupils may be, the states retain evil
dences of filth. Their use is always ac-
companied by Gathering noises which are
distra citing to pupils. It Is not easy TO
keep slate pencils we'll pointed. They
are, therefore, usually so blunt that It is
impossible for pupils to write we'll. To
Wit ruffh a c1afa p6nPil he n1lD1i -mnSr.
of course, acquire a certain habit OF
adaptation of hand and fingers, and must,
in order to write properly, learn py
practice what pressure to give. 1t will
which attend the use of lead,pencil. or
pen and paper are very, different from
those attending the use of a slate pencil
and slate. 1t is apparent sthat9the pupil,
who has acquired the habit of writing
well on a slate, must not, be expected TO
show the same skill in the use OF lead
pencil or pen as he used the slate pen-
using them, and the pressure necessary
are so different thai he must really ac-
quire a new habit, in other words. learn
again how to write. Very often he fails
to do this and continues to use the lead
pencil or pepn as he used the slate PEN
Gil. AS a result, he does not become a
good writer. Furthermore, 1T should be
our aim to use means n devices which
the pupil will be expected to use after
he leaves school, in order that pupils
may have as much practice in their use
as it is possible to give. Inasmuch as
pupils will probably never be called upon
to use states in business or In every
day life there is no need for their use
On the other hand, if they are used in
school, pupils lose practice in using lead
pencil and pen, which will always be in
~dispensable tools.
In this report we cannot elaborate these
arguments, but must only refer to them
briefly. In connection, however, with
other reasons which might be given, such
as arise when the subject is viewed from
the standpoint of the teacher, or from a
consideration of the circumstances and
in teaching, these nave convinced us not
only that there is no need for the use of
states, but that far better results can be
secured without them. AS has been in
timated, the principals try to avoid them,
and as a rule, only use them because
they feel that the appropriation does not
justify the use of other materials.
An inspection of the statistical reports
to which your attention has been called
shows that the principals differ material
ly in the purchases made by means of
the official appropriation. There Is one
general policy, however, by which all are
guided. The public money is used as a
rule for the purpose of securing books of
permanent value, or which can be used
quired Ito purchase paper, pads and note
books or supplies which use destroys.
Your committee has also carefully con-
sidered the prices at which supplies are
furnished this city by contractors, and
has carefully compared these prices with
those at which other cities purchase the
same supplies. We find that the prices
charged are as low in this city as in
other cities. and, in some cases, even
lower.