The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-04-26

only nal1 CoZen dDSentees. Supeiinlchu-
| ent Tarbell read his snual report. as is
| customary in the month of April, relative
| TO evening schools and also submitted
| the written views and conclusions of Ella
| NJ. Pierce and Sarah ID. Barnes, super
! visors.
There was a difference between the
members OF the committee on penman-
! ship as TO changing from the vertical
| system in use for some time past and the
| chairman. Mr.. Andrews. and another
member of the same committee. Mr..
| Hopkins, held opposite views. After a
| general discussion, Il was decided 10 de-
| fer action until the regular meeting in
June, In the meantime the various su-
pervisors and the special instructor In
writing will be requested TO present
| through Secretary Rose their views as 10
the best system of penmanship to adopt
so that the entire committee can act Ju-
diciously and intelligentiy.
Not a word was said as to the project
to secure the abolition OF free text books
and further action on this important
question may be deferred until the fall.
But there was quite little breeze aid
outburst OF oratory over the report of two
members OF the Third ward delegation
recommending that Joseph II. Gainor be
seated as the third member of their dele
cation TO I'LL an existing vacancy.
President Barney ruled that acting un-
der an opinion from the city solicitor the
vacancy could not be filed until the
election next fall. To this ruling. Mr..
Tanning OF the Third ward excepted and
appealed. Some broadsides were delivered
by Judge Reuckert. Attorney Comstock,
Attorney Beagan, Mr.. Rawson and others
and the chair was not sustained by n
unanimous vote against him.
The report of Messrs. Tanning and Cain
was then approved and Mr.. Gainor was
sworn by Secretary Rose TO a faithful
performance of his duties, taking the
seat next to Judge Rueckert.
EVENING SCHOOL REPORT.
After the records of the regular ard ad-
journed meetings OF March - and April
4. respectively, had been approved, Super
intendent Tarbell presented his evening
school report OF which the following are
the most salient features:
The new courses In geography and mu
sic be considered as firmly established.
but the main experiment OF the season
was employing day school teachers to
supervise the several evening schools.
each supervising teacher having in charge
one school in which he spent one evening
each week. From this supervision four
small schools were omitted. America,
Manton. Pallas and Veazie. The Olney-
Vile CHarris avenue) school was also
omitted. because the conditions i'm this
school did not seem favorable. The other
schools were supervised as above ex-
plained. The experiment proved several
things first that the difficulties In the
way were not so great that they could
| not be readily overcome. The friction be-
| tween evening school teachers and the
| supervising day school teacher which
| some anticipated, did not appear In any
| instance. The best OF feeling seemed TO
| exist in every case between the evening
schools and the supervising day school
1 teachers. In some cases, the evening
| teachers professed TO have been helped by
the suggestions given by the supervisors.
| REGISTRATION FIGURES.
"The registration in the common schools
was the past season. 4i26, which is 29i
| less than last year. II. however We add
| 10 this years registry 696 persons who
| entered during the first two weeks and
| did not continue i'm the third week. which
| class OF attendants, who are practically
on-attendants. has heretofore been reg
| istered, our registration for this year
| would be 1872. or 402 more than last year
| IL is probable, however, that these 69t
| who did not continue I'm attendance the
| third week n good many came In during
some later week and so got upon our
| registers so that we may suppose our
| registration to have been just about the
Same as last year
THE records OF birthplaces show that
| the number born in the United States Is
| only about two-thrds as many as last
| year The number of French, Irish, Eng
| lish and Italian is largely increased
while the number of Armenions has di-
minished
''The table Of grades shows n slight
gain this year I'm the proportion OF pupils
| OF grammar grades. Last year the pupils
| OF the grammar grades were 81 per cent
| Of the whole. The year they were 4,
| per cent.
DAY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.
| In conclusion the report gave the en-
rollment OF pupils in the public schools
| of the city for the quarter ending April
| II. 1902 as follows: In the high schools
| 1900: in the grammar schools, e0i3; In the
| primary schools. 1854; I'm the specia
schools. ss5; in the kindergarten schools
| 1895; total. 26.is7.
/ quarter OF last year is as follows: I'm the
| high schools, %: in the grammar schools
| 81. IN the primary schools. 500; I'm the
| special schools tdccrcasel, 4. 4n the kin
dergarten schools. -: total increase. iOli.
WHAT THE SUPERVISORS SAY.
| The recommendations OF the super
| visors, Sarah D. Barnes and Ella NJ
| Pierce. were along the line OF Superin
| tendent Tarbelrs report
The former expressed the opinion thai
| the course Of study had been much bet
| ter and adapted 10 the schools. the pas
season than ever before. that the teach
\ ers had been more Intelligent and con
| Quoted their work with deeper interest
She recommended that principals be re
| quired TO give two practical model les
sons two everinss week promptly cor
| rect all breaches of discipline. more at
tention be given to grading of pupils. Sh'
praised the Improvement made I'm pen
! mansnp.
Ella NJ Pierce the other supervision
| suggested that evening school teachers
he instructed thoroughly in the course o
study that they may become more sys
tematic There should. she asserted, b'
more participation on the part Of th'