The evening times., 1900-03-02

William B. Powell Superintendent of
Public Schools, said to reporter for The
Times today that in order to abolish the
present halliday system prevailing in the
lower school grades there is need for
twelve or fifteen new school buildings in
addition to the eight already called for in
the bill now before the sub committee CT
the House of Representatives. Mr. Powell
said that he has contended for years for
the abolition of halliday schools as no ad
equate instruction can be given children
unless they are given the benefit of
whole session.
Superintendent Powell will submit his
annual report to the Commissioners of
the District some time during the early
part of next week. Mr.. Powell and the
Board Of Trustees will lay great stress in
this report on the Importance of having
the schools inspected at stated intervals
by medical experts appointed for that pur-
pose. 1t will be contended in the report
that such plan would prevent the spread
of contagious disease. The report will
state that the appropriations for free text
books and supplies are inadequate. Funds
are also said to be lacking for the estab-
lishment of night schools in various To-
calities. The night school system will,
however, be considerably extended during
the forthcoming year. Reference will be
made TO the difficulties OF obtaining able
and competent teachers to conduct this
branch of public school work.
a special feature of the night schools
the report Will say, "can be made possible
by the decrease of elementary schools and
the extension of the cooking schools. These
have been crowded and are, / believe, very
valuable The average number Of white
pupils attending the night schools was $50,
whereas the number attending the cook
ing schools was 100, being II per cent OF
the whole number"
The necessity for knowing the number Of
children of school age in the District will
be alluded to in the report and the Sugges-
tion Will be made that in the forthcoming
decennnial enumeration these facts be as
certained. 1t is desirable TO know the
number of children of school age in the
city. and also the number outside Of the
city lines but in the District. the white
and Colored census being taken separately.
During the year" the report will say,
the beginning of radical change in our
schools was made by the opening OF few
kindergartens This step was made pos
sible by a provision in the appropriations
act Of Congress for the support of the pub
lie schools for the year. This item is as
follows.
For kindergarten instruction, S12,-
CC0.'
In compliance with this act sixteen kin
gartCEs were opened eight OF which were
for white children and eight for cOlOTcd.
These were located where vacant school
rooms were to be had it being necessary
to rent but a single room. 1t was und r
- .;ar,
was made that this was to he the initial
step in the incorporation Of the kindergar-
ten work with the public school system
and ii was further understood that the eX-
pertinent should be made in as many To-
calities as was possible. The Board of
Trustees caused a kindergarten committee
consisting of Justice Job Barnard. Mrs NJ
G. Terrell. and Mrs. ". u. TullOch The /
Board of Trustees fixed the age of adrnis- /
sion to these schools as five years al :
though the kindergarten idea. as under (
stood by its advocates contemplates the be- /
ginning OF the training Of children younger /
than five years.
There are now Ia frst-grade schools in
the District. and most OF the pupils IL .
these schools more than 90 pr cent, will .
be moved forward another year. Whether
the extension CT the kindergarten priyi-
leges will demand as many kindergarten
schools as there are now frst-gr2Ge
schools is a problem yet to be solved The
Board of Trustees viii urge their increase
to the extent that every child may find a
place i'm a good school of this character.
Superintendent Powe,rs report viii al
ude to the comments which have been
made during the last ten years on the
public school system. and will say:
These contentious have been. in part.
hat the schools are formal; that the stud
es and methods are disciplinary rather
han nourishng; that mind nOuyishing
studies are not found in the cuTricGla in
heir Just proportion. BY many medical
men the schools are held accountable for
ne impairment of the health OF the chill
lren. This latter criticism is perhaps the
most important that has been made at
east 1t has led to more unrest than any
theT because il more Immediately affects ,
he happiness of the home II is not diff
Mt to believe that the most important
movement that has ever affected human
ociety is now taking place-a revolution
n the process of educati0G-as also in the
of the purposes of education"
This M. Powell attributes to the atteG-
ion scientists have bestowed upon child
fe. The report alludes to the immense
alue Of manual training schools. and !
alls for further extension OF this branch /
education Two new manual training
chools are provided for in the pending
i'll for school appropriations but Super /
atendent Powell believes that there are
lore needed. According to the report
-hich will be voluminous, the educational
utlook for the ensuing year. while it calls
Or some improvements, is extremely ;