The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1913-02-04

In REPORT just made by Commissioner
OF Education Kendall to the state board
OF education. it is shown that, in the past
seven years, the per capita cost of educat
ing boys and girls in the public schools of
New jersey has increased $13 10. And
yet the cost, which is $41.76 per pupil, is
less than the cost of education in Mas
sachusetts and New York, where condi-
lions are about the same as they are in
this state. The increase is large, but it is
argued that the youth of the state are
getting returns that warrant it. 1t is
accounted for In the money expended for
repairs TO school houses and the replacing
OF old equipment, which, In the year 1912,
amounted to $4S9, 96S.70: in mandatory
medical inspection of public pupils, which
last year cost 1856, 155.06; in the cost of
transporting pupils to and from the
schools. which expense increased from
$9,701.07 in 1905 to $222. OsS. 80 in 1919; in
the salaries paid attendance officers en-
ployed to enforce the compulsory educa-
tion laws. which aggregate $3.50. 4O3.01 In
1919, aud In the increase of teachers
salaries. which averaged $56S SO In 1905
and $780.SS In 1912 These are improve
ments calculated to put the educational
system of New Jersey upon level with
other states.-StGte Gazette.
On A recent visit to the Mount Holly
uahn ~ fho cfof a.
several suggest ions about the course of
instruction which he thought would be
advantageous to follow here. One was
that drawing should be given especial at
tention. thereby better fitting pupils for
entrance to the Normal school. This may
be all right, but it has never been any
trouble for pupils from Mount Holly to
get into the Trenton school, and the ex-
aminations necessary for that purpose
have been very satisfactory and creditable
to the applicant. Right here we might
also state that pupils who have gone from
Mount Holly to some of the highest col
leges have had no trouble In securing en-
trance and the little matter of lack of
knowledge of drawing has not been any
drawback. Then the inspector suggested
that 1t would be advantageous if men
teachers were employed In the schools.
He did not criticise the work of the
women engaged in teaching, but he
thought men could do better. Possibly
that is true, but the cost of male teachers
is far beyond the price paid women, and
1t Is doubtful If the results to be obtained
would be proportionate to the extra ex
pense. On this point 1t might not be out
of place to recall the fact that women
are rapidly coming to the front in public
school matters. There are now 495 women
school superintendent In the United
States. Wyoming has a woman State Su.
perintendent and she has woman deputy.
While on the matter of suggestions why
not ask the state inspector why the Nor
NAL school does not do something toward
training high school teachers9 Every
time school In this state wants teacher
for the high school grades it is necessary
to go outside and get college graduate.
Instead of paying so much stress to
single subject to better fit graduate of
high school for entering the Normal
school why not use little energy and fit
pupils in the latter institution for work on
high school lines7