Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-06
NEED MORE SCHOOLS
Educational Facilities in New
Mexico.
PEOPLE ARE LIBERAL
OBSERVATIONS BASED ON sUPT.
CRANDALL'S EXPERIENCE.
Finds the Navajos the Brightest of
the Indians-Pueblos Are Reti-
cent and Conservative
PEOPLE ARE LIBERAL

Special Correspondence Of The Star and Chicago
Record Herald
SANTA FE. n NJ July oS 1907
one of the strongest arguments against
the admission of New Mexico as a state is
the iIIiteracy of the people. yet last year.
according to the report of the superintend-
ent of education. there were 30 schools in
the territory or one school forevery- $50 of
the population. WHICH were supported at a
cost of S35%.ol2 to the taxpayers. an aver
age of s4s4 per school. The value of school
property according to the official returns, is
$s24, 40
Few states pay more for education than
New Mexico in proportion TO the number
OF taxpayers. ard it is the universal tes-
tin'ony that the legislature is liberal in its
appropriations and that the people pay
school taxes more promptly and willingly
than any other obligations. 1t is claimed
Furthermore that the Illiteract to which
objection is made is limited to the passing
g.neration-to the Older People of Mexican
birth who had no opportunity for educa ton
in their childhood. Public schools were not
introduced INTO New Mexico until about
fifteen years ago.
The Educational Situation.
The following table will throw some light
upon the educational facilities in New
Mexico:
Men. Women. Total
School population =. so, lo6 - 294 IS 400
Enrolled ..-..........2 - 9iS IL 100 81 10i
Average attendance 16.24S 1881 - 49,
Teachers -....-...-... I12 40 So
From the above table you will notice that
mere than half the children in the terri
tory are ont Of school, receiving no educa-
tIoh whatever " hich is accounted for by
thu lack of opportunity rather than the
lack of inclination 1t is contended that
tn Mexican native population are anxious
for their children to be educated; that they
recognize the advantages of a school train
ing in business, politics and society. par
ticularlY To their sons.
The average Mexican family is indiffer-
Ont concerning the education of their
daughters. but take the practical common
men Therefore compulsory education
law, which has been frequently proposed
is not necessary. The best-posted authori-
ties assert that such n law would not in
crease the attendance. The only remedy
is in the building of more school houses
ana the employment of more teachers: and
even that Will not be an effective remedy
because at least one-third of the populate
OF the territory is scattered over vast arid
ranges. herding cattle and sheep, and in the
foothills OF the mountains where the
ranches are 81 lar apart that it would be
impossible TO locate Il school within con-
Nrnient distance of more than or two
families. Hence the children of the noun
tainS and the mesas must go uneduca ted
unless their families send them into the
towns during the ordinary school term.
1t is also COntended that the territory is
eXprndins for education as much money as
II can AFFORD. The average is 81 per capita
of the school population and $1,000 per cap
tia of those who are actually in attend
ance,
Sectarian Schools.
In addition to the public schools. the
Catholic Church has eighteen schools of
four at Santa Fe, colleges for men am.
women. convent and an industrial school
There is an advanced school in nearly every
other city. under the care of that church.
with property worth Sii3.JoO and an at
tendance OF 2.1ll students of both sexes
last year.
The Presbyterians have twenty-three
schoOlS-at Albuquerque, Sante Fe and 9th
er cities and in general of the Indian pueb-
los. They have forty-two teachers 300
students and S9.t1S worth of school prop
erty. The Methodists have thirteen schools
tWeuty-one teachers and 1.292 students in
the several cities and on the Apache and
Navajo Indian reservations.
The school system of the territory is UNI
der the supervision of a board of education
consisting OF the governor, the superintend-
ent OF public instruction the superintend-
eutS OF schools in the four cities of largest
population. and the president of St
hittdti = tOHcSe At Santa Re There are
also county and city boards of education
and Superintendents of schools. and several
higher institutions supported by the state.
The state university at Albuquerque is n
dreary-lookng place. but has two or three
good buildings and about l2O students In
connection with the institution is a clfmat-
illogical laboratory. presented to the state
10y Mrs. Walter Hadley of New York, for
the purpose of investiga ting the climatic
effects upon disease of various attitudes
ana locations in the territory.
Technical Education.
There is a school of mines at Socorro
which is said to be conducted on practical
lines and to give an excellent training to
mining engineers. who are much needed in
this southwestern country. While it is N
tended especially to provide facilities fci
thorough training in modern methods of