The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1900-11-13
EDUCATION N TIE
TERRITORY Of HAWAII
YxTRAcrs from THE REPORT
OF THE coHNIs-
sIoNKR-
Brief History Of Work Hare To-
eether With Valuable statissi-
cal information on Pro-
Rress Of Schools.
IstaH Correspondence The Rep3bIicsa.l

IsfaF Correspondence T-ke Repz5l,cam
WASHINGTON. Oct 2s--The an
nuaI report of the Commissioner of Edu-
cation 10 the Secretary Of the Interior.
which was made public here yesterday.
contains the following on education mat
ters in the Territory OF Hawaii:
Ii appears that the first missionaries
in Hawaii in 1870 taught the natives
the alphabet and many of the latter
Language was reduced TO written form
After this was effected. before the end OF
1S-4. 1000 people had learned 10 read
in their own languages and a system OF
schools was extending over the islands
the people were eager TO learn reading
and writing and ar length nearly the
whole population went 10 school. After
this early enthusiasm had exhausted IL
self. in 1881 high school was organized
for training teachers. This was the La
hainaluna seminary, which is still in ex-
istence. Hilo boarding school for boys
dates from 1886 as well as a boarding
school for girls. and in 1899 an indus
trial school for boys was opened. Nj
from time 10 time. Other institutions
which have had influence are the Oahu
Charity school t1S,3). which became
finally the Honolulu High school. the
principal function of which was TO
teach the half whites English; the Royal
school (1S40) for chiefs. which subse-
auently became school for all Hawaiian
boys and was the leading school for teach
ing English. and .Punahou school (1S41l
for the children of missionaries. which
was chartered as Oahu college in 1858.
In 1899 the Roman Catholic mission
aries established their system of schools.
In 1910 the first comprehensive written
laws were published and they included
a compulsory school law with penalties
for both parent and child for non-cori
pliance with the law. The. law provided
also that no illiterate man should hold
office over any other man" nor could an
lister of public instruction was among
the functionaries provided by the new
law
In 1855 board of education was es-
tablished in place of the minister of pub
lie instruction. and in 1860 an inspector
generalship of schools was created. In
1876 the reciprocity treaty with the Unit
ed States ushered in the modern area of
commercial progress. The influx of for
egners, especially of English-speaking
English more and more the language of
business. and the necessity of teaching it
in the schools became more and more
apparent English. therefore, became the
language of the two principal schools
and its use soon spread to other schools.
In 1884 there were II day schools. with
100 teachers. in which English was the
language of instruction. In 1883 the St
Louis College for Boys was opened I'M
der the care of the Brothers of Mary
who had come to work in the Roman
Catholic schools. This college had 245
students in 1884 At this time English
was essentially the sole language of the
private schools. employing log teachers,
but was used in less than half the public
or common schools. In 1888 all govern
ment schools were made free and the
attendance rose TO S,O5G, the total num-
Der in both government and Independent
schools being 11.307. Since then nearly.
all the common schools. in which the
Hawaiian language was the medium of
have been converted into
schools in which English alone is so en-
ployed. 9S per cent of the children being
at present instructed by teachers who
use English.
The following table shows the Stats
ties of schools in 1899
Number of Schools