The evening times., 1900-03-02

William p. 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 subcommittee Ct
the House Of Represents tives. Mr. Powell
said that he has conteuded for years for
the abolition OF halliday schools as no ad-
equate instruction can be given children
unless they are given the benefit Of a
whole session.
Superintendent Powell will submit his
annual report to the Commissioners %
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. II will be contended in the report
that such plan would prevent the spread
OF contagious disease The report viii
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-
however. be considerably extended during
the forthcoming year. Reference viii 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 viii 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 l60, being II per cent or
the whole number"
The necessity for knowing the number Of
children Of school age iu the District will
De alluded 20 in the report and the sugggs-
tiOn will be made that Ia the forthcoming
decennnial enumeration these facts be as
certained- II is desirable to know the
number Of children Of school age in the
city. and also the number outside u 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 "A radical change in our
schools was made by the opening Of q few
kiudergartens. This step was made pos
sibIe by provision in The appropriation
act OF Congress FOR the support OF tie pub
lie schools fOr the year This item is as
follows
For kindergarten instruction. $l2.-
Coo"
In compliance with this act sixteen kim
EertCus were opened eight Of which were
for white children and eight for colored.
These were located whert 1clnt school
rooms were TO be bad. it bsiUg necessary
90 rent but a single room. To was under
stood by Congress when the appropriation
was made that this was 10 be tho initial
step i'm the incorporation Of The Einderga--
ten work with the public school system.
and 10 was further understood that the oN-
pertinent should be made I'm as many To-
CalitiOs as was possible The Board of
Trustees caused kindergarten committee
consisting Of Justice Job Barnard. Mrs. ~.
G.. Terrell. and Mrs. " u. Tuiloeh The
Board OF Trustees fixed the age OF admis-
sion to these schools as five Years al
though the kindergarten idea, as under
stood by its advocates con ter.pIateS tha be-
ginning OF the training OF children younger
than five years.
There are now ~ frst-grade schools I'm
the District and most % the pupils Ig
these schools. more than 90 pr cent. viii
be moved forward another year. Whether
the extension OF the Kindergarten privi-
legos viii demand as many k.u1eT@ag,ru
schools as there are now lrst-grale
schools is q problem vet 10 be solved The
Board Of Trustees viii urge their increase
To the extent tnat every child may ma a
place in a good school OF this character
superintendent PUUClTs report VIII aI-
lu5e 20 the commeEtr which have been
made during the last ten years on the
public school syst N. and Will say.
These contentious have been I'm part
that the schools are 70 nal, that the stud
les and methods are disciplinary rather
than nourishng: that mind nOuT.shiuz
studies are not found in the cU-Iicuia i1 F.
their just proportion. BY many medical f.
men the schools are held accountable for f.
the impairment OF the health of The chill
dreu. This latter criticism is perhaps the f.
most Important that has been made; az .
least it has led 20 Tc-e unrest than any .
other. because il more Immediately effects F.
be happiness Of the home. u IS not di7i- /
Crit TO believe that the most important F.
movement that has ever affected human .
society is now taking piaCc-a revolution .
IN the process OF CducatiJI-as also In the /.
conception Of the purposes Of education" I
This M. Powell attributes 90 the 3ttca-
ti0B scientists have bestowed upon .hild /
life. The report ailUdes 10 the immense f.
value Of manual training schools. and /
calls for a further extension OF this branch ;
of education. Two new manual training .
schools are provided for in the peniins .
bill for school appropriations. but Super
intendeut Powell believes that there are I
more needed. According 10 the report I
which will be vOluminous. the educational /
outlook for the ensuing year. while it calls ,
for some improvements. is extremely /
gratifying.