The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-03-06
BAbb|TT IN
The SCHOOLS
Touches shortage Indi.
rsctly but with Con-
siderable Force.

Public instruction Babbitt does not go
; specifically into the schooi shortage
that has caused so much public COM
rnent during the last week. But he
touches upon ,he matter variousIy. in
an Incidental manner.
He touches upon it when he speaks
of the lack of buildings enough to ac-
. commodaee the scholars, and more
and more nearly when he says that
the lack Of funds to provide teachers
has been felt to be serious handicap
! by the Department OF E1uca don. He
the low salaries paid to school agents,
who do not give as much time to their
| duties as they might, and again when
, he suggests that the Normal inspect
! ors could relieve the school agents of
part OF their duties-a larger part
| than they relieve them of now-if the
inspectors had larger pay.
Still more closely the Superintendent
| touches the shortage when he says
that there are not enough teachers
| to supply the demand, and that with
salaries as ,ow as they aFe it is al
| viii give satisfaction
TEACHERS PAY TOO LOW.
The report Of the Superintendent is
a somewhat lengthy document, con-
tanning separate reports upon the re-
form school and Lahainaluna. It
shows, in its main features that there
has been steady increase in attend
ance upon the public schools during
L +17a iT1cr
III June last, the total attendance was
1922, while for December Of the same
year the total was 10 200. This is for
the monthly attendance
The constant increase in the num-
Der of school children without cor
responding increase in the number of
buildings available has greatly ham,
pered the department. The rack of
funds to provide teachers for the in
creased number of scholars has been
another handicap, and the questions
raised by these conditions will have to
be faced in the near future. Great
care Mr.. Rabbit says, must be taken
in the erection of new schoOlhouseS.
that future as we'll as present needs
may be served. The matters of light,
sanitation and ventilation for new
schoolhouses call for special care.
Ample grounds must be provided for
the schools, and an attempt is being
made by the department at the present
time to get additional land for play
grounds for schools now inadequately
| provided in this regard.
| There are in the employ of the de-
| partment at the present time 438 teach
ers, as against Ala for the previous
| period. Even with this increased num-
Der there are not enough teachers to
| supply the demand. and with salaries
| as low as they are it is almost inn
| possible to get teachers who will give
| satisfaction.
| The school department has adopted
| the policy of turning over to the land
| department lands in it's possession
| which are not likely to be used for
school purposes as fast as these can
| be located. 1t should be no part of the
| work of the school department to rent
| or lease lands. But there has been
| great difficulty in locating some of the
| lands belonging to the school depart
| ment. Much of this school land, in
| deed. is unknown, and the location Of
many other tracts is hard to estab-
| lish. the point of its actual position
depending in large measure upon the
| testimony of cid settlers. Presuma-
| bly,, the records have been lost, but
| Mr., Rabbit says that the matter
| should be given attention.
MORE CARE NEEDED.
The superintendent says that the
pI es4nt condition of school buildings
shows that more careful supervision
| and more thorough inspection should
be made. There are many instances
where the expenditure of a few dollars
in time would have saved a large ex-
penditure. More care should be eXer-
cised in adapting new buildings to the
peculiar conditions of localities in
which they are placed. Buildings for
which specific or general appropria-
, lions We're made by the last Lesisla-
ture ara already under way or will
be started as soon as suitable loca-
items for them are selected. With these
new buildings completed some of the
drawbacks will be relieved but there
is still need for new and larger build
ings in some places.
I The Superintendent is trying to visit
all the places in which new school
houses are TO be erected, in order to
acquaint himself with local needs.
Plans and specifications of all new
j buildings are being sent to the school
! agents and principals of the schools,
/ y
! before final action. 1t is hoped by this
! system to avoid some of the mistakes
| that have been made in the past
NORMAL INSPECTORS.
! superintendent Babhitt thinks that
the work of the Normal inspectors has
/ been too closely confined to actual
! srhoolroon work. Their work should
! also include the inspection of school
| buildings. but here again the low sal
/ aries present an impossible wall. and
| the Normal inspectors as at present
paid can not be asked to perform any
, rsrt Of the work of school agents. Yet
| 1any Of the school agents are men Of
| large affairs, whose work for the
| schools is done not for the salaries
paid them. but because of a genuine
| spirit Of public interest. It would be
| most unfortunate to lose the services
| of these gentlemen YET they can not