Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-12-27

PROGRESS
School Conditions In New
Mexico as Reviewed by
J. Francisco Chaves.
MISTAKE IN |LL|TERACY
Great Advance Has Been Made
What Will Be Asked of
the Legislature at
this Session.

In the excellent address, delivered be
fore the New Mexico Educational Asso
citation at Las Vegas at its recen
meeting by Col. j. francisco
Chaves, territorial superintendent o
public instruction, on "Educationa
Work in Now Mexico" many of thu
statements made in the majority repor
on 1he statehood bill are refuted. Th'
repart of II. A. Carr of the University o
Chicago isquoted, comparing the schools
OF the east and the west, and it is den!
onstrated the west stands first in u ma
| jority of the subjects investigated. Com
ing down to present conditions in New
Mexico, he said "We have, on the
whole. pretty good school system; thai
| is, 1t is good as far as it goes, save II
some respects it is not as close to the
hearth stones of the great bulk of the
rural populace as I think it should be
but this is no doubt attributable to the
piece-meal method by which the laws
have been enacted and brought into op
GRAFTON, and may be righted without
working hardship in any quarter. II
has taken twelve years and nearly S5,-
900, 900 raised by direct taxation of our
people to bring the schools of New Mex
leo to their present standing"
The reports from the several counties
for the current year are incomplete on
account of the neglect of some OF the
school authorities to send in reports
said the speaker. There are 1,loo
teachers training $4,000 pupils, and the
value Of school property is s2,5oo.ooo.
There are in operation 726 schools, and
the average of months taught in all
schools is seven and in the public
schools fraction less than five. In
towns and cities there are about
1000 pupils enrolled, in rural schools
about 10000 and in the high
er educational institutions about 1000.
The average annual cost OF educating
children in the public schools is $4.94
per capita, and the average monthly sal
airy paid the public school teachers is
$54. 80 or $7.57 above the average paid
male teachers throughout the United
States. During the year 19o0-19ol the
amount expended in improvements OF
school property was $243,617.
The denominational schools and col
leges employ 160 teachers, of whom ~
are Roman Catholics and 81 Of the Pro-
testant faith. The denominations rep
resented are Presbyterian, Methodist,
Baptist and Congregational. The prop
erty owned is valued at S500,000, and
they train annually more than 5000
pupils. The private sectarian, mission
and government Indian schools in New
Mexico number 80, employ 110 teachers,
have under their care 1890 Indian youth
and own property worth 100000.
A gross injustice was done the terri
tory, said the speaker, in the govern
ment figures on illiteracy Of the census
of 1900. Instead of 80 per cent being
unable to read and write, he is satisfied
that not more than Is per cent Of the
populace can be classed as iliterates.
Fully "a per cent of the population of
New Mexico is American born and bred
and moro than four-fifths speak the En-
glish language.
Among the needs of the schools were
mentioned three hundred more teach
ers who speak the English language,
but who comprehend Spanish, for work
in the rural districts; better school
facilities and better school houses in the
rural districts; more active work by
county school superintendeuts to enroll
10000 children who do not attend any
school now. Among the things that
will be asked of the next legislature are
that the many conflicts and inconsst-
encies in the present school law be
remedied by amendment OF existing
statutes; that provision be made for the
better gathering of school statistics;
that the scholastic year be so fixed as to
be in harmony with the actual school
term; that in some respects the powers
of county school uperintendents be en-
larged; that different arrangement be
provided for the time and method of
electing district directors; providing for
the better collection of the poll tax;
providing some method for enforcing
longer school terms in the rural districts
and possibly devising some plan for the
introduction OF free text books, for the
use, at least, Of the rural schools; the
prompt distribution of all laws on school
subjects as soon after their passage as
possible, and a complete compilation of
all school laws soon after the close of
the next session.