Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-31
ENROLMENT, l8,l87,918

Interesting Facts in the Annual Report
| of the q. s. Commissioner
Of Education.
| The annual report of the commissioner of
| education. made public today by the Secre-
| tary of the Interior, contains an exhaustive
| summary of the educational statistics OF
the United States. Every system of schools
| colleges and universities is treated In the
| tables presented. and each section OF the
| country Is given due attention. The main
| part OF the report Is devoted to statistical
| tables and concise explanations. According
| to these tables the number of pupils en-
| rolled in the common schools during the
| year was 5000 361 the same being 2O.O4
per cent of the entire population, as esti-
| mated by the bureau of the census. viz:
| T9900,3S9 In 1870 the number enrolled was
6,S71 ,522, the same being 1852 per cent Of
! the population. In 1880 the percentage en-
rolled had increased somewhat, being at
that time 1857 per cent of the population.
In 1890 the per cent of the total population
| was somewhat In excess of the present rate.
The average daily attendance for 1903 was
1l,Oo4,5O2, the same being co. per cent of
the total number enrolled
Largest Average Attendance.
This is the largest average attendance on
the number enrolled ever reported In the
United States. 1t was only 59.3 per cent in
1870 The actual average number of days
attended by each pupil enrolled reached
lO1.7 days, which was 233 days in excess
OF that of 1870. The school term for the
first time in the history of the United States
reached 14o days in 1902. In 1903 it was
| 1872.
Male teachers formed nearly 80 per cent
OF the entire number in 1870 and nearly 43
per cent In 1880, but only 34.5 per cent in
ls9O and only 26 per cent in 1903. The
average monthly wages of teachers for 1909
was S49.9S for males and $40.51 for females
a slight increase over the previous year.
The above figures relate to the public
| schools only
In addition the private schools are esti-
mated at 1,093.S76 pupils for the elementary
schools and 16S 223 students are reported
Tor academies and other secondary schools.
The Total Enrolment.
The total enrolment for the year. including
public and private elementary secondary
and higher education, was II $3.50, AIS pupils,
and to this there should be an addition
made for evening schools. business schools
private kindergartens, Indian schools state
schools for detectives orphans, etc, 64S,440,
making grand total of 1S.1S7,91S in gen.
eral and special schools.
The Increase of the length of the school
term noted above. from 1872 days in the
year to 1872 days, is due to the growth Of
cities and large villages The school year
includes 200 days in nearly all of the large
cities and $50 days in the majority of the
villages, but from these days should be de-
| Quoted national and state holidays. With
| the growth of cities the regular state tax
| for school grows less and the local taxation
| increases.
Increase in Amount of Schooling.
An interesting question arises as to the
an cunt of schooling that each individual
of the population is receiving aver
| age This can be calculated from the ac-
tual number of days attended by the pupils
in the public schools, and the attendance
on the private schools may be closely esti-
| mated. In 1870 the aVerage schooling given
| to each inhabitant was 612 days, counting
| in all of the short periods of schooling
Which he may have had during the thirteen
| years of his school age. This average in
| CT eased to 1872 days in 1885, and to 800 days
| in 1890 and to 1,034 days in 1893 The states
! of the north Atlantic division have longer
| period than this. amounting to 1874 days
| The south Atlantic and the south central
| divisions fall below. but are rapidly in
| creas sing. The south central division OF
| states, for instance had only 224 days as
the average entire amount of schooling &C
| cording to the rate of attendance of the
| year 1870. and 1t had increased to go days
in 1903 The south Atlantic average was
| little more. being 24G days in 1870 and t92
| days in 1903.
Cause of Increase in the South.
The increase of the population, number,
and size of cities n the south, owing to the
influence of the railroad and manufacturing
towns, has been the chief reason for this
increase of the amount of schooling given
on an average to each of the population,
and reveals the earnestness of the south In
the work of extending and perfectlng their
educa tional systems. OF the 1.O34 days when
are given to the average citizen or the
United States if estimated at the rate Oh
attendance of last year. 934 days OF 1t are
furnished by the public school system:
which is a larger proportion than that OF
1870 in which year, out of the total OF IiZ
days. only $50 days were given In the
public school.
According to a somewhat careful estimate
the total amount of schooling given 10 the
| average of the population in 1900 did not eX-
coed So days. but by $40 this had risen 10
EOS days The decade ending in 1850 showed
| a great increase of interest In schools. ow-
| ing to the labors of Horace Mann and his
| disciples in New England and elsewhere.
| and at the rate of attendance on schoolS
in 1850 the entire population could coun.
| on 400 DAYS each: at the rate of 1860. 434
days: in 1870 672 days: 1880, 1872 days; 1890.
S92 days 1903, 1.O34 days
Urban School Attendance and Cost.
In 1903 5s7 cities, containing 5000 inhab-
itants and upward, and $50 villages. con-
tanning 1000 to 5000 inhabitants. reported.
The aggregate number of public school chill
dren enrolled in these 5S7 cities was 4.214,-
|
rollment of 96S OO2 pupils In private and
parochial schools; male teachers. 1,2SO; fe-
male teachers SO 500 These cities alone
expended s122 1853. OO7. Their entire populao
ton aggregated 25,3A.21 people. In 1880
442 cities of 5000 inhabitants and upward
| reported an aggregate enrolment In the
public schools Of 2,627, 275. 1t Is interesting
to note that the supervising officers in city
schools number 5.319.
Manual Training Schools.
One hundred and eighty-sx manual and
Industrial training schools were reported
In 1903 The number of pupils for that year
was So 49, (32,s72 boys and q, $50 girls) and
the current expenses 81 900 926 Thrtyseven
cities reported manual training in 1890 and
322 cities In 1903. Besides manual training,
technically called, without instruction
| for trade a large majority of the schools
| report special trades included in their
course of study. Out of 153 schools that
| report the number of students in each
branch 1871 report trades.