The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1912-10-18
100000 PUPILS
IN HIGH SCHOOLS
Remarkable Growth in Ed
ucational System.
Attendance Figure Has Increased
~ Percent Since
1900.

Washington, Oct. 15-More than
million and a quarter boys and girls will
attend the American high schools public
and private. during the school year 1e12-13
according to the estimate of Dr. p. p.
Claxton, United Stat $ Commissioner of
Education. DR.. CLAYTON has been assure
by Mr.. Alexander Summers, statisticlan
of the Bureau who has made a special
study of the matter. that the estimate
is a cons rvatlve one. Of the number
given 1,100.Ot0 are estimated for the pub
lie high schools, and 10000 for the pri-
vate secondary schools.
The Aemrican high school has grown
its developm mt in the last two or three
years being apparently greater than in
the remarkable decade just preceding.
Since thu twentieth century opened the
number of public high schools has al
most doubled and the number of stu
dents is easily twic, what 1t was at
the beginning of the century. The most
remarkable feature is the great increase
in the proportion of those who go from
the grades into the high school.
Only a very few years ago tile high
school was chiefly attended by children
of the rich and moderately well-to-do.
Today arly one-fourth of the children
who enters the elementary school even-
tually pass into the high school. The
exact figure is % per mt, il negro chill
dren are included and % per cent II white
only are considered. This is particularly
significant since certain critics of the
public high schools have through mis-
understanding of thu official reports. con
tended that much smaller percentage
than is here given had the opportunity
Of high school training.
Almost equally significant for public
education is the fact that BY far the
most rapidly growth has been in the
public high schools The private 81 secondary
schools show healthy increase-2s per
cent In attendance since 1900; but the
public high schools have actually double
their attendance. in the same Rod. TO
make the comparison on another basis:
In 1890 forty out of every hundred high
schools were private and sixty public;
in 1900 the proportion had changed to g
and a; and today there are only l6 pri-
vate condary schools for every "a
public high schools.
AS to number of students: In 1870. 20
per cent of the pupils were in private
high schools and s. p r cent in public:
today only ~ per cent of the pupils axe
in private secondary schools. the great
bulk (SS per cent? being in the public
high schools.
ton of their high schools in the most
direct way possible-supporting them I'M
failingly and nerously. They have
faith enough In 1t to pay huge sums Of
money year after year that the high
school may do greater and gr alter work
Miliion-dollar school buildings are go
ing up in American cities. Industry.
technical ability. home-making, together
with the essentials of cultural edu-
cation. ar, being taught to our boys and
girls In the splendid high schools of to-
day on a scale that was never dreamed Of
in the civic life Of any nation before OUT
time.
Commissioner ciaxton's widely quoted
statement of some months ago to the
effect that he looked forward to the
time when all boys and girls would have
at lest high school education ems Xix
ly of fulfillment sooner than even the
Commissioner himself anticipated.