Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1909-03-16

states, including the largest IN th(
East, showing that not one has as
many state educational institutions
(excepting> normal schools) as New
Mexico: and giving the facts as to the
duplication of instruction and the
size of preparatory departments, ii
proceeds as follows:
| This brings us to consideration ol
the comparison between the terrltor'
ial institutions and the ordinary pub
lie schools referred to in the first pre-
! amble to the resolution.
For years it has been said that our
educational system was "top-heavy.
In his annual report Of 1901, Hon j.
! Francisco Chaves, then Territorial
| Superintendent. said under the cap
tion of "a top-heavy system: when
comparison Is made of the figures
bearing upon the school work in the
higher educational institutions sup.
ported by the Territory and schools in
the principal cities and towns as
against the rural district school work
throughout the Territory in general,
such comparison forces the irresist-
able conclusion that our educational
system as at present conducted is
quite too top-heavy. There should be
more equitable distribution of the
school funds to the end that the
work in the lower grades and primary
schools in the rural districts shall be
systematized, their general standard
raised and placed upon a more sub
stantial footing"
The lapse of seven years has not
wrought any great change in the slt-
uation. The statistics of 1901, showed
a total enrolment in six territorial in.
sttutions Gncluding preparatory de-
partments) of 1872; in city schools,
7243, and in public schools, 35,221.
Some doubts are expressed as to
the accuracy of some of these figures;
but they are those officially given in
the Annual Report Of that year.
At the present time the report OF
the Territorial Superintendent shows
G.53G in the city schools and 37,131 in
the rural schools. This same report
states that the total expense of the
city schools was $l42,231, making an
average expense per scholar Of about
$22. The total expenses of the rural
schools is stated at 1897 ,6S3, which
would amount to about $l1 per
scholar. This shows a high rate
somewhere, as districts with which
members of your committee are per-
sonaly acquainted, do not even reach
81 per scholar, and have been as low
as So. We have only been able to OBJ
tain the average cost per scholar at
two institutions; the Agricultural
College, where it is $lS3 each year
and the University where it reaches
$23114.
The number of students of college |
grade is considerably less than the
number 5000 suggested in the resolu-
tion of Mr.. Navarro-in fact it does /,
not reach 200-and presents a strong |
contrast to the 37,131 enrolled in the
rural schools.
Nothing could emphasize the i'm. |
portance of the regular public school
work more than these figures. They |
show where the really important field |
for our abors is to be found. There
are the vast majority of the young |
men and women, the boys and girls,
who are to be the future citizens and !
rulers of New Mexico, and it is there
that the strongest effort should be
made for school Improvement, in
in teachers, in appliances,
and in the interest of the people.
Your committee had intended to
make report embodying details with
regard to each territorial institution,
and full statistics of the city and
country schools, but the late date at
which much of this information was
received, brought the time so near to
the end of the session that it did not
seem worth while to include SO many
particulars; and as some of the con-
ditions which would thus be developed
are being remedied, it is perhaps as
we'll to deal with the subject in gen.
eral way. le~@
Your committee has no desire to
recommend any lowering of either
standard or efficiency in the Territor-
ial institutions, simply to save ex-
pense. On the contrary they do rec
ommend the abandonment in those
institutions of the lower grades in the
preparatory departments and ulti-
mately of those departments alto
gether, so as to leave the ordinary
education where it. belongs, with the
local schools.
And we recommend the improve
ment of the local schools so that they
may cover all that is required I'M an
practical education.
BY eliminating these lower grades
from the Territorial Institutions, and
them to their legitimate
work, there can be a large saving in
expense.
Again, we recommend a strict limi |