Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 October 1882 — EDUCATIONAL MATTERS. [ARTICLE]

EDUCATIONAL MATTERS.

The Annual Report of the Commissioner of Education. Increased Attendance in the Schools of the Country. 0 The report of the National Commissioner of Education for 1880, just issued, in addition to the account of educational affairs for the year, furnishes valuable figures for a comparison with the first year of the preceding decade. The work of the office has increased considerably, as shown by the fact that, while in 1871 there were but 2,001 educational institutions and systems in corres pondence with it, in 18S0 there Were 8,231 such. From the statistics reported it appears that in 1871 twenty-nine States reported a school population of 9,632,969, while in 1880 the thirty-eight States and eight Territories reported a total of 15,536,280. The number enrolled in the public schools, twenty-eight States only reporting for 1871, was 6,393,085, while for 1880 it was 9,781,5.1, all the States and Territories reporting this item. Twenty-five States reported the number in daily attendance in 1871 as 3,601,739, while in 1880 thirty-four States and eight Territories reported it as 5,805,342. In twenty-six States the total number of teachers was given as 180,635 in 1871, and in all the States and Territories as 282,0i4 in 1880, divided in the former case into 60,949 men and 103,743 women, and in the latter into 116, <l2 men and 157,657 women; only twenty-four States reporting the teachers separately in the first year, and thirty-five States and eight Territories in the latter. The total public school income reported ?n 1871 by thirty States was $04,593,919, while in 1880—all the States and Territories re port-ing-—it was $83,940,239, with an expenditure in 1871 by twenty-four States of $61,179,220, and in 1830 by all the States and Territories of $30,032,838, or an expenditure for each child of school age varying from 99 cents in Alabama to sll9l in Massachusetts, and for eacli one in average attendance from $2.34 in North Carolina to $27.35 in Calif ornia. The permanent school fund reported in 1871 by nineteen States was $41,466,754, and that of 1880 was $123,878,839. This fund is composed principally of the proceeds of grants and reservations of land to the States and Territories respectively, made by the United States, and which are stated by Mr. Thomas Donaldson, in his valuable work, “The Public Domain,” to be as follows. From 1785 to June 30,1880: Acres. For public and common schools, estimated G 7,895,919 For seminaries or universities, estimated...-. 1,165,520 For agricultural and mechanical colleges 9,600,000 Total 77,659,439 The number of pupils reported in private schools in 1871 was 328,170 in fourteen States, and in 1880, in twenty-one States and four Territories, it was 508,130. Of normal schools, or schools for preparing teachers, there has been a steady increase during the decade, there being sixtyfive reported in 1871, with 445 instructors and 10,922 students, and 220 in 1880, with 1,466 instructors and 43,077 students, of w hom 903 and 25,723 respectively were in IC6 public normals, and 563 and 17,354 respectively were in 114 private schools. The number of graduates in those supported by the public funds was 2,943; in the private ones Considerable advance is shown in the institutions for the higher instruction of women, there being 136 of these reported in 1871, with 1,163 teachers and 12,411 pupils, and 227 in 1880, with 2,34) teachers, 20,78) studenis, 251,595 volumes in the libraries; grounds, buildings and apparatus valued at $9,510,909, and an income of $790,331. The Commissioner says that progress is marked and satis lactory"; that in 1870 the Michigan University and the Illinois industrial University were opened to women, in 1872 Cornell and the University of Vermont, in 1873 Boston University; that Smith aud Wellesley Colleges were'organized in 1875. and that in 1879 the Harvard Annex for Women went into operation. Agricultural colleges or schools of science have increased Lorn forty-one in 1871, with 303 instructors and 3,303 students, to eighty-three, including the United Slates Military and ’ Naval Academies, in 1880, with 953 instructors and 11,584 students. Ninety-four schools of theology were reported in 1871, with 369 teachers and 3,204 students. They increased during the decade to 142, with 633 instructors and 5,242 students trained in the tenets of twenty denominations, three of the schools being unsectarian. In law the number of schools was thirty in 1871, with 129 instructors and 1,722 students; in 1880 the number was forty-eight, with 229 instructors and 3,134 students. Schools of medicine have increased during the decade from 82, with 750 instructors and 7,045 stjidents, to 12.), with 1,660 instructors and 14,000 students The number of “regular” schools in 1871 was 57; in 1880 it was 72; of eclectic, in 1871, 4; in 1880, 6; homeopathic, in 1871, 6; in 1880 12; of dental, in 1871,9; in 1880, 16; of pharmaceutical, in 1871,16; in 1880,14. Schools for the blind number 30, and have 532 instructors and other emp'oyes, with 2,032 pupils. There have been 9,371 inmates of tlie.-e institutions since opening. • A summary of institutions for the deaf and dumb shows that there were 56 reported, with 418 instructors (60 being semi-mute), and 6,6 )7 under instruction, the whole number who have received instruction being 20,504. Of schools for feeble-minded 3 r outh there were 13 in 1880, reporting 483 instructors and other employes, tal of 1,936 dismissed improved since their opening. The amount of benefactions for educational purposes during the year 1880 reached the important figure of $5,513,501. This sum was distributed among the different institutions as follows: Universities and colleges $2,666,571 Schools of Science .1,371,445 Schools of theology 827,556 Schools of law 425 Schools of medicine 11,400 Institutions for the superior instruction of women 92,372 Preparatory schools 111,584 Institutions for secondary instruction.. 368,380 Institutions for the deaf and dumb and the blind 22,583 Trainirfg schools for nurses 40,885