The Washington herald., 1913-09-07
Repairs Necessitated as Re-
suit Of Storm Of July 80
Cost $5,000-There Are
Few Changes Expected in
the Teaching Staff.

decrease in attendance is not very large
through the first six grades, but after
that life starts in in real earnest for the
majority.
Number of kindergartehs.
In round numbers there were $500
children in the kindergartens in the Dis
trict in the year 1912. This number was
more than tripled in the first year grade,
the attendance being about 5000.
DR.. Davidson says that the value OF the
Kindergarten has been fully demonstrat-
ed, and that the difference in the pupils
who have, and have not had its training
is plainly noticeable in the first year
rooms. The fundamental lessons Of dis
cipline are taught there and il Is there
that the small child first feels the work
ing of the social instinct that is to be one
of its guides through life. The child
who has had kindergarten training Is
much better able to take up the real
study that begins in the first year
grades.
A round 1000 drop out OF the schools
| after the first year, and the records OF
the second year rooms show that only in
the neighborhood of 5000 apply for cduca-
tion there. About the same number enter
the third year. At the start OF the fourth
about 100 have decided to quit and at the
start of The fifth the number has been
reduced to about $500. Here the decrease
begins to be larger. A thousand stop
] their schooling with their fifth year and
the beginning of the sixth has shown
generally in the neighborhood OF 4,6O0 bid
ding for knowledge. The seventh year
again shows a big decrease, with the
round numbers of applicants about $500
and by the start OF the eight and last
year of the common. schools there are not
MANY more than & 200 at work.
Decrease in High Schools.
The decrease during the four years OF
high school Is greater than this, Of course.
] The first year usually draws 200 stu
dents, the second 1,50O the third about
1000. and the graduating year seldom
sees more than 775 or 500 enrolled. There
are. as a general rule. about $50 that start
the first year OF the normal course and
twenty or twenty-five less in the second
and last year.
One Of the important changes that has
| been worked in the school system this
year is in the method Of charging for
\ tuition to children coming from outside
the District.
The District schools are divided into
four divisions, the normal, secondary or
high schools, the elementary or Graded
schools, and the night schools. For tut
ton in these divisions the charges are
respectively $40, $50, $3.50, and $3.50 per
annum. This charge must be paid in ad
vance and heretofore the person paying
the fee had no right of rebate. That is,
IL a parent living out OF the District
wished to have his son or daughter study
for a year in one OF the graded schools,
he had to pay S31-50 on the entrance of
the pupil and II. one week later, he
wished to take the child out of school
for any reason for the rest OF the year.
he could recover no part of the fee paid
m.
This year a different arrangement has
been provided. The yearly fees are pay
able in nine installments. That is. II
a child Is enrolled in any of the graded
schools the first installment would be
$3.50 and II, after studying a week, the
pupil had 10 leave for the remainder OF
the year three-fourths of that amount
would be refunded.
It is said at the Board OF Education
that there will be few changes in the
teaching staff OF the schools this year.
There are about 1.750 teachers employed
in the District schools and there will be
probably not more than thirty-five or
forty changes made in the entire staff.