Omaha daily bee., 1901-01-13
POVERTY NOT The CAUSE
Why Pupils Leave Public Schools Before
Completion Of Their Course.
RESULT OF INQUIRY IN ST. LOUIS
Money and Results In Education
Prcpondernnce of Girls In High
schooIs-vRrious Educa-
tionnl Matters.

Education OF st. Louis the president OF
that body presents facts to sustain his
contention that poverty is not the cause OF
public school pupils leaving school before
the completion of their course. The report
shows that the losses in attendance come
in the fourth, fifth and sixth grades and
that they occur almost entirely among the
older. the backward pupils. From this fact
the report makes what seems TO be a correct
and just inference.
'It goes without saying" he says, that
the older pupils are backward in their
studies; the reason for which may he sick
ness or slovness or lack of interest
Certainly the older pupils. the retarded
pupils, the dscontented pupils, do not with
draw on account OF poverty | suspect
the excuse OF poverty is often made
cover for criminal neglect on the part OF
a parent or a feeling OF discomfort on the
part of n child
Most probable among the causes for
the falling off in attendance in the schools
are: First. a lack of interest on the part
OF the pupils, and, second lack, on the
part OF parents, of an appreciation of the
value OF an education.
"This inquiry into the question Of school
attendance and analysis OF the causes OF
Withdrawals" comments the st. Louis Re-
educational research The degree OF culture
and education in n community depends not
on the accomplishment OF single individuals,
but on the status Of the people as whole.
The longer the children OF a community can
be kept at school, the higher will be the
educational development OF the community
The statistics OF Boston show amply that
that city has made progress in solving the
problem Of keeping children at school. Even
municipal officials share in the good work
by enacting and enforcing truancy laws
Such laws, IL enforced, incline to prevent
| a child from falling behind other children
| OF his age because OF absence, ana thus
remove the principal cause OF Withdrawals,
"The lack of free books is also adverted
to as a cause Of Withdrawals In st. Louis
after the fourth grade. Boston supplies
| free books in all its grades Chicago sup
| plies them in none. st. Louis plan OF sup
| plying them up to the fourth grade and not
| thereafter gives parents an impression that
the end of the fourth grade is presumed to
be the limit OF education for working
mans child. This causes sudden slump
in attendance with the beginning of the
fifth grade. 1t is doubtful. therefore,
whether free books In the lower grades
where the cost of books Is trihing, are much
better than no free books at all. st. Louis
| SnOulO supply Tree DuOho III oii 'hN S'"NNS'
| Above the fourth grades pupils have at
tained some knowledge Of the proper care
and handling Of books, and the books would
! last longer.
School attendance Is the basic principle
OF school benefit to a community. and st.
Louis schools should profit greatly by the
school boards Investigation
| Money and Results In Education.
| One of the interesting facts revealed In
the annual report of the commissioners OF
education, says the Boston Globe, Is that
Il Is not those communities that expend the
most money for public schools that get the
best results.
The bare amount of expenditure In any
state does not express the sacrifices OF the
people for education. II is the per capita
expenditure that best shows this.
Thus. expenditures for school purposes in
New York last year amounted to $2S.052, 800.
and while this was larger sum than was
expended by any other state, 1t was only
s4.O3 per capita, while Massachusetts spent
$50 per capita. Nevada s4.96 and California
s4O9 The smallest per capita expenditure
| in any state was in North Carolina, where
IL amounted to SO cents.
New York falls behind Pennsylvania in
the number OF pupils enrolled. The per-
centage of pupils enrolled to population In
| New York is 1894. while in Pennsylvania
it is 1876. The highest percentage OF school
enrolment to population is in Kansas,
where II is 27.S7
Iowa makes one OF the best showings In
the report The total school enrolment In
that state is 554 992, or 26.42 per cent Of the
population and the percentage OF teachers
to pupils is larger than in any other state,
! there being 2S,694 teachers. against 2S,S2S
in Pennsylvania and 1892 in New York.
II thus appears that while New York
makes a big showing as regards money sew
eral states lead 1t in per capita expendi-
lures and enrolment and achieve better re-
suits, besides conducting educational work
with more economy. In fact New York ac-
tually lags behind in public schools, though
its big school fund is so often much lauded.
Monster High school.
| New York is to have another high school
| in the borough of Bronx, to be called the
| Peter Cooper High school, which is to
surpass all the other buildings in that part
! Of the state. II is to be built in what is
known as the English collegiate gothic
| stvle of architecture, this seeming best
| adapted to modern uses and construction.
The exterior finish Is TO be OF gray brick,
| gray stone and gray terra Gotta trimmings.
striking feature in the facade is the
| - Nc.