New-York tribune., 1911-01-30
Commissioner 0raper'S Message
Ready for Legislature.
A SAVING or S2.272,392 a.
Total Number of Students in At
tendance 1,866,000-Re-
ligion Discussed.

/ crease of PEPSI In the attendance az all OF
! the schools OF the state, including the
higher institutions The total number of
students in attendance during the last year
was l.sesl60 There were 53075 teachers
employed during the last year. being all in
crease Of 1.2S7 OF this number 3 were in
/ the trades schools The number Of grad
uates increased LIS. The net value OF
property increased Sl5i75il0 The total ex-
penditures for the year We're S74ia3.s23 IA.
showing a decrease of g 272. 3s9 q over the
/ year preceding The value ot the property
/ of trade schools is given as N.0i3,5Ss
! The achievements Of the last year in the
/ further development OF the states educa-
tional policy to render her public schools
( Nnore servfceabla 70 every child In the
state. 70 promote efficiency and economy
. I'm school administration, and 10 establish
sound psdagogic standards will distin-
guish the year 1910 as one Of the most i'm
portant in the history Of the state, saws the
report The chief accomplishments which
entitle the year 10 this recognition are the
change of date Of annual school meetings
from August to Nav. the general revision
Of the education law. the consummation
of the plan of unifcation inaugurated six
.. ..
and school district in the state 70 maintain
night schools open TO persons who are
more than twenty-one years Of age as we'll
as 10 those under that age, the broadening
Of the scope OF work in the training Of
teachers by the development Of special
/ courses in the state normal schools and the
authorization Of the reconstruction OF the
buildings OF two OF these institutions, the
enactment OF law devising a plan for the
retirement and pensioning OF teachers in
| the state normal ard other state insttu-
! tons. the authorization Of state aid 70
public schools which maintained approved
agricultural and homemaking courses, the
/ promulea ton Of the new course Of study
/ for elementary schools and the enactment
I of the rural school supervision law
Agriculture in Public Schools.
/ Aronz the important amendments 70 The
education Jaw enacted by the Legislature
of 1910 was one providing for the teaching
/ Of agriculture in the public schools on the
same basis as the teaching OF industrial
end vocational subjects A special course
/ IN agriculture for the older boys in the
elen1Antary schools has been provided Tor
tv the new elementary syllabus. issued
D
providing for the teaching Of agriculture in
the high schools, IS the most complete that
1 has ever been issued by the department
+ The courses included apple growing, gen
eral fruit growing. cereal and forage
crops. potato growing. dairy husbandry. an
imal husbandrv and poultry husbandry
/ u is not expected that every school will
give equal attention 10 all If these topics
some attention should he given 10 all OF
them for every farm has its apple trees.
its small fruits. IT'S potatoes IFS COWS and
its poultry. but there are sections Of the
state so specialized IN their agricultural
industries that only general information
need b- given on the aforementioned topics,
reserving the major portion Of the time
for the specialtv of the region IN which
/ the school rs located
Considerable space is given. in the report
! 10 discussion Of industrial training IN
/ both elementary ar1 secondary schools
/ The report says:
/ Discrimination is made between indus
/ trial work for bows and thar for girls and
| each is given instruction along the lines
which have 2 special bearing upon the vo-
cations usual 70 their sex. The instruction
/ for bows is in woodworking and cabinet
making, printing, sheet metal work. cleo
I trtClfN. 0lNmpi0E, mecNdnlCdl ana LIeeHdNu
/ drawing, for girls. sewing, dressnla king,
millinery. cooking general housekeeping
/ and design In agricultural communities
/ the course Of study includes elementary
/ agriculture mechanic arts and homemdk-
/ ing These studies naturally exclude such
| industrial subjects as belong 10 schools
/ with an industrial environment
The Importance of Fairgrounds.
I In reference 10 playground facilities in
/ connection with the public schools the re-
/ port says
/ The necessity Of better provision for the
| children 70 play 10 exercise and TO grow
/ physically strong has taken tremendous
| hold on the public mind and substantial
| provision for the playground has become
| a prominent item in municipal budgets
/ The entire playground movement Is
essentially and fundamentally an educa-
! tional factor in our civilization. and Il
/ should be closely allied with the educa-
/ tiona interests OF the state. The play
| ground idea should be extended 10 every
| school district in the state, and the law
l wisely cOnfers uDon boards Of education
/ the power 20 acquire land for Fairgrounds
J and recreation fields.
( The playground ought TO be a part Of the
/ school equipment and should be cheerfully
/ provided and supported by the citizens or
/ every community an important element
/ in the school system OF the state. In an
! industrial age where health and Vgor are
! the Grief factors in efficiency. physical
training in connection with our schools IS
/ too practical and important problem 10
/ be overlooked or ignored The compulsory
! education law enforces attendance at school.
and the parents have q right 10 demand
! that the health Of their children be pro-
} tected against disease by suitable provisions
/ lin summer and winter for exercise on play
grounds and in gymnasiDms.
The Regents ~ the University have from
time 10 time during the last six years taken
action directed toward lessening the volume
- ka
n7ents upon the individual students and
upon the schools The tendency has been
I 70 place increased responsibility for the
/ progress Of the students upon local school
! authorities either by relieving the student
| from some ot his examinations or by &C
/ cepting the ratings OF local school authori-
/ ties The report says
The fact that the regents academic ex-
aminations have been an enormous power
/ for good especially in the smaller schools
/ az the state. by giving greater dehniteness
| 70 the instruction oy directing II along
more logical lines, while stimulating teach
| ers and students 10 greater effort. Is evi-
/ denced b. the demand that has existed for
/ these examinations, that the oenenclal re-
sults OF the examinations may he preserved
| without rating al or the papers IN the de-
nartnent seems clear from our experience
/ In 1910 that the placing OF still greater re-
/ Snonsihilitv for the examinations upon the
| teachers or the elIDpls NbA4u sum
/ tend 10 strengthen the teaching by
/ sfrenethening the teachers seems logical
Religion. Morals and Ethics
The title ot the Commissioners special
theme for the annual report Is Religion.
Morals. Ethics and the Schools After
carefully discriminating between the words
religion" morals and ethics" the
/ Commissioner shows how other nations
have handled this question and discusses
the attitude of New York State 70 the sub