Bisbee daily review., 1909-10-15
ARMY OF CHILDREN
Seventeen Million Of Them in the
United States.
They Number About one-Fifth. Of the
country's Entire Population -
Range In Age from Five 10
Eighteen.


Washington.-An enormous army OF
children has begun the regular win
ter campaign for education. This
peaceful force numbers more than
II. 200. 900 persons. Those composing
1t will range In age from to is years.
1t represents the common school sys-
TEN OF the various states.
The bureau of education is q branch
of the general government and col
lects statistics concerning the schools
OF the various states. Complete data
for the fiscal year ending June 80,
1907. have been received from every
Estate except Delaware and Montana.
This made It possible to compile the
most complete and valuable data here
tofore available.
| The figures obtained by the bureau
of education show that at the close ~
the school year in June, 1907. there
was a total enrolment OF 1G.S90.s1S
children in the common schools of the
various states. This included 1850
296 in the public schools of the 66i
cities having more than 5000 popula-
ton and 716,1J4 in the Goa cities rang
| ing in population from 1000 to 5000.
II also included ISL .0S1 students be-
longing to city and rural high schools
/ connected with state systems.
The population of the United States
has materially increased during the
past two years, so the total army of
school children for the present cam
paign viii be largely in excess of H.
OO0. 600.
Census officials estimated the total
population of the country in June.
! 1907, to be S5,526,761. On that basis
it was computed that the number of
children ranging in age from to IS
years was "a ,262, 1886. The difference
in sex was not striking. the boys num-
bering l2.225,149 and the girls 12.037,-
7S7. The estimated number of male
persons more than 21 years old was
23,S05,2I9.
Taking the above figures as a foun-
dalton, it was found an enrolment OF
16,S90,31S of all ages between FIVE and
eighteen was equal to 1851 per cent
Of the school population. The per cent.
of enrolment showed a decrease, as
in 1900 it was TAB per cent. In 1890
1t was 6S.61 per cent; 1880 it was
$3.50 per cent, and in 1870 the per-
centage was 61.45.
The sex difference in enrolment
was less than in the matter OF school
population. II is shown that 8.473, 921
boys and s,416,s97 girls were enrolled.
This represented 1916 per cent. of the
total population.
That abundance of work was found
for truant officers and persistent par.
ents Is found In the fact that the aver.
age daily attendance at school was
} 1l.s25,672. or 1850 per cent. OF the
entire enrolment
The average length of the annual
, school term was a fraction more thar
ISL days IN 1871 It was 1872 days, in
1880 but $50 days, in 1890 only 134
days, and in 1900 it had increased tc
144 days. The average number Of
t days schooling given every child be
> tween five and eighteen was 74.6. The
average number of days attended BY
each pupil actually enrolled was
1913. -.
To OfhceE and GTlN this great army
: of the children 4S1,3I6 teachers were
employed The weaker sex came Il
: the fore in this regard. and outnum
\ bered the men by more than 10
There were but 1O4.414 male teacher:
, in the aggregate number, or but 81
per cent. Of the total. The proportion
/ of male teachers has steadily declined
e since 1880, when they represented AZ
/. per cent of the number employed
e While the great bulk of the teacher,
= was women, the men were better paid
\ The average price given was S50.3'
per month. The average allowed mel
. was s5S.06 and women but s44.08.
To provide quarters for the vas
$ army of children 259,355 buildings
n were occupied, representing an est
II mated value. of $685.. 655,2o9 The tota
e revenue available for maintaining tn,
If common schools was 1856, 016,173
= This was equivalent $3.50 per capiti
of population, as compared with 81 g.
in 1900, with 1924 in 1890 and s1.56 II
o 1880. The money discussed in Civ
d ing the children an education wa
II thus divided: Buildings. sites. furni
It ture, libraries and apparatus, s65,333
$40; for teachers and superintendent
salaries, s2O2. 047. S14; for all othe
u purposes. chiefly maintenance. $50
o 517.17s.