Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-11-19

fifteen per cent. of the school popu-
lation of Harrisburg was in private
schools. To-day, outside of the
parochial schools, the percentage is
negligible, and all over the Com
monwealth the private school is be-
coming u memory. The democratic
idea Is responsible for this develop
ment of education from the plane of
prlVately-supported schools for the
penent of those who could pay, and
publicly supported schools for the
benefit of those who were willing to
say they were too poor to pay, to
the present system of primary and
secondary schools for all, MAIN
tanned at the expense of all; and is
IL TOO much to expect that it will be
responsible for it's further develop
ment to the point where private
schools will be thing of the past.
and colleges and universities them
selves will provide for the higher
education of all those who seek it
at the expense of the State? This is
surely the democratic ideal. To get
even faint view of the broaden
ing, strengthening, life-giving infiu-
ence or the public school, wherein
talent and mediocrity, wealth and
poverty, culture-and rudeness. if
you please-and the varying race
and national and religious motions
and ideals of men act and react
upon each other, under the direction
OF trained and devoted teachers, ad-
mlnlStering n system of education
that reflects and expresses the best
tnought and conscience of the times.
is to- get some view of the possible
attainment of democracy. Is it not
something to hope for that eventu-
ally our system of public education
snail be so broad in it's scope and
so fine in its quality that it may af-
ford the child of the humblest an
opportunity for all the education
he is capable of absorbing, the best
that money, talent and character can
produce for him, and so fine that
the parent of financial means and
superior cultivation cannot afford
to neglect it?
And again-things grow by what
they reed on. The leveling in
huences of the democratic idea have
tendency to bring the children
into the public schools, and the re-
action is that more children get an
education, and as they get better
education still more children and
their parents want this better educa-
ton and go after it.. Sixty years
ago, with q population of about 49,
600, from ten to twelve per cent. of
the population of Harrisburg. was
going to school; the average daily
attendance was about seventy per
cent. Twenty-Five years ago the per
centage of attendance was about
eighty; and last year the percentage
was about ninety, and If the popula
tion of the city was $4,000. about
eighteen per cent. of the population
was in the public schools alone, to
say nothing of private and parochial
schools. In other words, more chill
dren are going to school than used
to go, and those who go, go more
regularly, all of which, of course,
Is of advantage to the individual and
to the community.
With the development of the sys-
tenn there has been q perfectly
prodigious development in the IA
cilities provided for public educa-
tion indicating, doubtless, the warm
place which this form of community
service has in the hearts of the
people. George II. Morgan, in his
Annals of Harrisburg, published
about 1860, describes with much en-
thusiasm and in detail the then re-
Gently erected elegant South ward
public school house on Mulberry
street. near Front. which subse-
quently became the first unit of the
Harrisburg Hospital. 1t was two
stories high and contained four
school rooms, two recitation rooms,
two closets and a small room for the
directors of the ward and a COM
modious and well-ventilated cellar.
It could hardly have cost $4,000.
This school district has just COM
pleted the Edison International
School building on Nineteenth street.
1t cost $500 900 in round numbers.
At this minute 1t is taking care of
about LOO pupils. and employs the
full time of fiftv-one teachers and
five janitors. 1t has forty-fve rooms,
including, besides class rooms a
gymnasium. an auditorium with
about 1900 seats. laboratories lock-
er rooms. shower baths. offices. q
kitchen and dining room. machine
shop, wood shop, printing shop. cleo