Evening star., 1901-10-16
INCREASE IN PUPILS
Statement of the Commissioner Of
Education.
Is TO HIGHER GRADE STUDIES
Policy Pursued in Newly Acquired
Territory.
HIGHER GRADE STUDIES
AG GRICULTURAL COLLEGES

The annual statement of W. T. Harris.
United States commissioner Of education,
to the Secretary of the Interior was made
public this afternoon. From this statement
it is learned that the grand total In all
schools, elementary. secondary and higher,
public and private for the year ended July
1, 1900. was 17,O20,710 pupils. the same
being an increase of 2S2 ,34S pupils over the
previous year. OF this number the enroll
ment in public Institutions supported by
general and local taxes was 15,443,462.
Counting In special institutions, such as
evening schools, Indian schools. schools
connected with asylums, reform schools
and other institutions more or less educa-
tional in their character. increases the total
number by half million pupils.
About 21 per cent Of the population Of the
United States attend some public school
supported by the taxes of the state or mu-
nicipality. Besides this attendance on pub
lie schools there is still further an attend
ance on private schools of per cent OF
interest is the increase of public high
schools. In 1890 there were 1926 public high
schools in the country, and these increased
to COOS ten years later. 1t is interesting to
note that this increase of public high
schools has gone on in all directions of the
country. The north Atlantic states in 1880
reported 7S6, but in 1900 they reported !. .44S.
While the south Atlantic states had only
115 high schools in 1880, in 1900 they had
449. The south central division of states
showed still greater ratio of increase,
their public high schools being 156 In num-
Der in 1890 and 675 in 1900. The western
1890 and 21O in 1900. The north central df-
vision of states has long led in ~ number
of public secondary schools. Both in 1880
and 1900 those states reported more than
schools
the increase was from 1876 to 3,163 public
high schools.
Increase of High School Pupils.
The increase of high school pupils has
been so great that the average quota to
each school is larger than it was ten years
ago. The nation enrolled. in round num-
bers, 2O3 900 in 1890 and $40, 200 in 1900. Not
withstanding this great increase in the
pupils at public high schools. private
schools of the same rank as these high
schools increased their enrolment from
94,931 to 11O797.
Besides these regular secondary pupils in
high schools and academies there are many
normal schools and colleges and in manual
training schools. These students in special
secondary schools numbered in 1890 as
many as 100 students, and in 1900 had
increased to 80, 1893. Reducing the popula-
tion of the United States to groups of 1900
600 each, of the sixty-two groups in. 1890
each had 5,S72 secondary pupils, and In
1900 each of the seventy-six groups had
8. 449 secondary pupils.
These facts show uniform consensus OF
public opinion throughout the nation In
favor of providing secondary education at
public cost. If we add the totals of higher
education to those of secondary schools. in
order to see what the country a whole is
doing in schools beyond the elementary, we
find that in 1890 there were S,O53 in each
million of population who were pursuing
loo ody tha orr do Of fha
elementary schools. and that these S,O55
had increased in the decade to 12,5SS.
OF Still more interest Is the record OF
studies pursued by secondary pupils. Ten
years ago the office of the commissioner Of
education began to ask for statistics re-
garding the studies pursued by students
said to be in the secondary course of study
Latin, Greek and mathematics are the chief
items required in preparation for colleges
and universities. The modern languages,
French and German, as being necessary to
original investigation on the part of stu
dents, more and more required in the
conditions for admission to higher institu-
tions, especially to institutions which fur
nish technical education in engineering,
commerce and the industries.
Physics is an important requirement, in
asmuch as 1t furnishes the student with a
knowledge of the forces which pervade ma
ture and the machinery with which those
forces are controlled for the use of man.
General history also Is necessary for any
just survey of civilization. In the public
high schools ten years ago there We're TO-
All students in Latin. The number had in
creased to 1852, ,167 In the past year. The
number of pupils in Greek had Increased
during the same period from 6,202 to 14,S13
"a large absolute increase. but really a
slight decrease in the ratio Of all second
ary students.
Students in French and German show a
considerable increase, something over 30
per cent each. The number studying al
zebra and geometry has always been large
In cod II, ~.
ten year. Strange to note, the lumber in
physics has decreased somewhat in its ratio
to the entire number.
TT, the same will be noted OF chemistry.
This decrease Is due, the commissioner
says to the attempt to introduce advanced
laboratory methods into the high school, q
thing by no means advisable inasmuch as
the first studies Of nature should he ra ther
OF a qualitative nature than exclusively
mathematical. Mathematical calculations
should begin, but should not be carried far
unln the student reaches the university. In
general history there Is noteworthy in
crease. namely. from 27 per cent to :,8 per
cent OF the entire number.
In Newly Acquired Territory.
1t has become the established policy to
encourage education in newly acquired ter
ritery and to organize new schools where
none has existed before.
The commissions that have been appoint
ed to govern Porto Rco and the Philippine
Islands have laid great stress on the
schoois which they have inaugurated as a
means of preparation for local self-govern-
ment in harmony with the national political
ideal. In view Of this national policy, 1t
seems important that provision should be
made for the esta blishment of schools in
all places under the United States flag
The commissioner suggests a recommen n
dation to Congress that the commissioner
of education be empowered to provide
schools for Samoa and for Guam, and that
small appropriation for the beginning OF
the work be made In the sum of S., 900 for
each island, the same to be expended under
the direction of the Secretary of the In
terror.
During the year there were maintained in
Alaska twenty-five public schools, with
thfrty-one teachers and an enrolment OF
1851 pupils. In addition to supporting the
above public schools the office pays the sal
aries Of five teachers In the Sitka Industrial
School, which has an enrolment of ISL
pupils.
Agricultural Colleges.
The reports of the presidents of the agri-
cultural and mechanical colleges show a
decided increase in instructors, students,
property, income, etc., as well as the in
auguration of new lines OF work. con-
siderable number of the institutions have
established short courses ranging from four