Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1904-09-22
SCHOOL BOARD
ADJUSTS LINES.

The regular September meeting Of
the Board of Education was attended
by every member with the exception
OF Mr.. Laning, who is out Of town on
business.
An application for position as teacher
was received from Miss Hannah Good.
man.
VIM. M. Trough applied for the
position of truant officer.
superintendent Hitchner presented
his monthly report from which we ex-
tract:
In my Judgment, the furnishing of
text books and supplies should be linn
tied to text books, and supplies where
uniform work is required, as paper for
bookkeeping and paper for specific
class work in other subjects.
Too many homes are drifting away
from those nice points in thrift that
helped to give character to the genera
tion preceding.
The pennies spent daily for chewing
gum, candy, would better be spent for
pens, rulers, erasers, etc., thus teach
ing practical lessonIin self denial.
1t is noticed that in a nearby city
a single school is short on supplies to
the extent of $1,000; another to the
extent OF $4,000. When pupils from
those schools grow to manhood and
take part in municipal affairs, it is
feared the tax payers will have hard
time of it. All over the country the
schools are fast passing into the hands
OF those who have known nothing but
free text books and stationery being
furnished by the public.
In one or two cities it is being
urged that free lunches be supplied to
pupils, because without nutritious and
properly cooked food best results can
not be secured. This is true; it is
also true that insufficient clothing and
poor shelter have the same drawbacks.
Shall it come that clothing and homes
must be provided by the State? Where
is theslimit, if our sturdy American
ism is to endure?
Furnishing pencils, rulers, etc., puts
uron the teachers the task of caring
for them. This work should be the
pupils, if in future, he is to know
how to properly care for larger things
Under the prevailing system, the
pencil that was sucked at every stroke
by one pupil to-day, will be distrib-
uted and sucked by another child to-
morrow.
Were these things in all their phases
given sufficient thought, we believe
there would come demand from most
right thinking people that we stop
with the furnishing of text books
The eleventh grade pupils practically
divided even on the Latin and on the
English Course.
For your action in offering this
choice, 1 have heard no dissenting
voice.
Next year this choice will be offered
to the 10th grade. The freedom to
choose either of two courses will make
the school more popular, and in con-
sequence the upper classes will become
larger.
To make provision for these growing
classes will be your next problem in
school administration
The total enrolment is below that
of September 1908. All schools show a
loss with the exception of South ave-
nue.. The gain in this instance may
be accounted for by the twenty nine
pupils being sent from Bank street to
South avenue.
Vine street shows difference of but
two pupils. Besides the pupils sent
to South avenue, Bank street loses
twenty-six. Pearl street has an en-
rollment of 527 against 591 last year, a
difference of GA. Irving avenue shows
the greatest loss, it amounting to
about 25 per cent
The enrolment for last year is taken
from the principals report at the end
OF the month. Two weeks hence, the
enrolment will be somewhat heavier,
but will not equal last years, particu-
larly in the northern section of the
city.
The light attendance in Irving ave-
nue. renders it feasible to send pupils
from the northeast corner of Bank
street district to the Irving avenue
school, if the Board desires to do so.
There are living in the section
bounded by Irving avenue, Church
street, Marion street, Wood street, and
Yorke street, eleven children attend
ing school in the first and second
grades. Six OF these are now attend
ing Irving avenue school from choice
The other five are all in Bank street,