The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-11-29
PRESENTED
HIS CAvEL
Chairman Barney Honor0d by
the School Committee.
CENSUS TAKING DISCUSSED
Resolution Passed InsiructIng Supsrnisa-
dent 10 Report on acllen Necessary for
khsiiloa Of Cigarette Sinking.
CENSUS TAKING DISCUSSED

The final meeting of the school COM
mittee for this year was held last even
ing at the Classical High School build
ing. there being 20 members present. The
! meeting. was called for the pur-
pose of finishing up the business re-
naming in the hands of the committee
and this occupied but brief time.
Aside from the routine business a
pleasant incident was the presentation
to Chairman Walter H. Barney by the
! committee Of the gavel he had used for
IL years as presiding officer of the COM
mittee, and a response by Mr.. Barney on
receiving the gavel.
At the close of the meeting Thomas W.
Waterman introduced resolution which
called upon the superintendent of schools
to specify what action should be taken If
any. to free the schools of the evils of
cigarette smoking.
The committee was called to order by
Chairman Barney at $40, and the records
of the previous meeting were approved,
there being a quorum present The quar-
terly report OF Superintendent OF Schools
Walter A. Small was read as follows:
sUPERINTENDENTs REPORT.
To the School Committee of the City OF
Providence:
l herewith make report OF the enroll
ment of the pupils in the public schools
OF this city for the quarter ending Nov.
I. 1902:
In the high schools. 1900: in the gram
mar schools $3.50, in the primary schools.
1902, In the special schools, 342; in the
kindergarten schools, 1895; total enrol
ment ,27,3I9.
The Increase over the corresponding
quarter OF last year is as follows: In tine
high schools IS decrease: In the grammar
schools. 9i1; In the primary schools, ly,
decrease In the special schools. 20; in the
kindergarten schools, 12o; total Increase.
S3l.
These figures are given according to ine
former method of reckoning. bui they DO
not show the actual standing Of the
schools, as transfers from building to
building within The city are included.
The total enrolment for the quarters is
1893 but transfers amount TO 1915, leav-
ing 25S64 as the real number of differ
ent pupils enrolled. Last year the tolaI
enrolment was 26.54S. with l,27s transfers,
leaving 2526s different pupils. The diff
ference between these numbers gives 595
az .he actual increase I'm pupils over last
year
In studying the statistical reports for
this first quarter one fact demands notice.
Under the rules of this committee school
begins for pupils at a. m. and 80 p. m.
and for teachers fifteen minutes earlier.
Everyone Is marked tardy IL not present
at the appointed time. During this last
quarter pupils were tardy 1887, teachers
were tardy 277 stated in per cent the av-
and for each teacher IL was 80. In other
words teachers are tardy in reaching
school as much as pupils. Ii Is disa-
greeable fact. subject 10 correction. GER
tainly the cardinal school virtue OF pune
tuality cannot be effectively expounded
to pupils by teachers who do not practice
IT,
Another fact which Is receiving further
investigation. and which will be the sub
iect OF "A more extended report later I'm
the wear. is the congestion In the lower
grades and the corresponding excessive
age Of the pupils. The September reports
show 9S23 pupils In the grade, and
1889 I'm the IA grade. a number compara-
lively too small comparison of the cor
responding reports for the five years pre-
vIous show the same condition. The rea-
son why is now being Searched for. lrreg-
ular attendance, cause OF Illness and in
clement weather. and fmmaturity often
affect this first promotion An inquiry
was made In October as TO the age OF pu-
pills at time OF enrolment At that time
there were 26i I'm the transition class, 3225
in the u II. ard 1927 In the IA. Pupils were
grouped into three classes. those five
years to five years and nine months old.
live years and nine months TO six years
and nine months. over six years and nine
months In the transition ls5 were In the
first group. TOO i'm the second. sixteen in
the third IN the iB. 1000 were in the first
group. 1915 In the second. $40 In the third
In the IA. sl were In the FIRST group. 5S5
I'm the second iO0i i'm the third OF the
5il6 In the fret year OF school work lls6
were less than five years and uine
NOR hs. 200 were from five years and
nine months 20 six years and ninc months
and 1927 were over six wears and nine
months certainly the situsiiHn is not due
to imr1aturity " the pupils.
To chou the conditio,, a Iitfls more fui-