NEW JERSEY. The annual report for the year ending December 2, 1869, of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Hon. E. A. Apgar, contains the following items: The number of children in the State between five and eighteen years. Number enrolled in public schools.. Number of visits to schools made by county superintendents 240, 370 192, 001 1,381 351 .$2,980,996 2, 643 Of the children in the State between five and eighteen years of age, 66 per cent. have attended the public schools; 14 per cent. have attended private schools; and 20 per cent. have attended no school. Of those attending the public schools, 11 per cent. attended the entire year; 14 per cent. attended between eight and ten months; 17 per cent. attended between six and eight months; 21 per cent. attended between four and six months; and 37 per cent. attended less than four months. The aggregate number that attended the entire year is 14,510, and the number that attended for periods less than four months is 50,650. The number enrolled is 143,674, and the average attendance is 70,285, or 49 per cent. of the entire enrollment. We have in the State 696 districts in which the schools are free, and 634 in which they are still supported in part by tuition fees collected from those who attend. In 75 districts the schools during the past year were made free, which before were only partially so. While it is to be regretted that our schools are not all free, it is encouraging to know that there is a growing sentiment in favor of making them free, and sooner or later the legislature will undoubtedly be induced to pass such a law as will accomplish this desirable object. If the action necessary to make free schools is not taken by the legislature soon, I am confident that the people themselves, by the exercise of that authority only which is already granted them, namely, that of raising what district school tax they please, will make them free by their own voluntary act. Two-thirds of the children of the State between the ages of five and eighteen attended the public schools for a longer or shorter period. Only one-seventh of the children attend private schools, and one-fifth are reported as attending no school. It must be remembered that this one-fifth includes all who are at both the extreme limits of school age; that few children commence going to school before they are six or seven years of age, and that most of these leave the school at the age of fifteen or sixteen. It is estimated that those children considered too old and those considered too young to attend school constitute nearly as large a proportion as the number who attend no school. The school law requires all schools to be kept open at least five months each year, and in case of failure to comply with this requirement they forfeit their share of the State appropriation derived from the revenue of the State. In 312 districts the schools have been open between five and eight months, and in 940 they have been open more than eight months during the year. The average period for all the schools in the State in months is 8.8. The average in Hudson County, which is the highest, is 10.6. Six hundred and thirty-four schools are still to be made free; 58 per cent. of the children enrolled in our public schools attend less than one-half the year-their attendance should be increased; 47 schools in the State last year were kept open less than five months-they should be open at least eight or ten months; 152 school-houses denominated very poor need rebuilding, and 272 denominated poor need repairing; 182 school-houses in the State need out-houses, which, to the great shame of the districts tolerating such a disgrace, now have none, and, in addition to these, 335 need their out-houses rebuilt or repaired, which now only have indifferent ones. THE NORMAL SCHOOL. The number of students in attendance at the normal school continues to increase from term to term, and many districts in all parts of the State are being supplied with well qualified teachers who are graduates of this institution. This school fully deserves the excellent reputation it enjoys and the continued patronage of the State it receives. RUTGERS SCIENTIFIC SCHOOL. The Rutgers Scientific School, which has been designated by the legislature of New Jersey as the State College for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts, has been steadily improving its course of study and increasing its corps of instructors, and it is now very fully and efficiently equipped. The faculty consists of the president, Rev. Dr. Wm. H. Campbell, the vice-president, Prof. G. H. Cook, a professor of chemis ANNUAL REPORT OF THE try and agriculture, a professor of mathematics and natural philosophy, a professor of rhetoric and mental philosophy, a professor of engineering and military science, a professor of mining and metallurgy, a professor of history, political economy and constitutional law, a professor of modern languages, a tutor in chemistry and a tutor in mathematics. The following courses of study are provided: First, a course in civil engineering and mechanics; second, a course in chemistry and agriculture; third, a special course in chemistry; fourth, a special course in agricul ture. The first two courses are of three years; the last two, of two years. The number of students in the institution the past year has been 53. Of these 45 were from New Jersey, 4 from other States, and 4 from the Empire of Japan. The students from this State represented the counties as follows: Bergen, 1; Cumberland, 2; Essex, 7; Mercer, 4; Middlesex, 13; Monmouth, 5; Morris, 5; Passaic, 1; Somerset, 6; and Union, 1. Under the law of the State, free tuition is granted to 40 students, which are distributed among the counties in proportion to their population. JERSEY CITY. Hon. JOSEPH McCoy, city school superintendent. According to the report for 1869 there were in the cityWhite children, between five and eighteen years of age. Colored children, between five and eighteen years of age. Total Number in public schools, (day) Number between five and eighteen in evening schools.. Enrolled twice Whole number between five and eighteen instructed in public schools. Number of all ages in evening schools.. Number of teachers.... School for colored children. Number of colored children in school.. 11,726 96 11,822 6, 173 931 150 6, 954 4,258 610 256 1, 187 63 1 40 to 80 ATTENDANCE. The difference between the average register number and the average attendance number gives proof of a fact which is worthy of close attention. It is that a very large number of children who ought to be in the schools are not to be found there. The average register number is 3,835, the average attendance number is 2,923, showing that nearly 24 per cent. of those who are members of the schools are absent. The number of those who are never in any school by day or by night for any period of time, however short, during the year, is not large, being only 610, according to the last census taken under the State school law in August, 1868; yet the great difference between the total number admitted and taught and the average attendance is remarkable. The average attendance is 38 per cent. of the whole number admitted and taught. This shows that a very large number of those who go to school are there for so short a time that their attendance is merely nominal. EVENING SCHOOLS. The schools were opened in accordance with the resolutions of the board of education on the 16th of October, and were continued fifteen weeks, exclusive of the holidays. In evening school No. 1, the average attendance was 35 per cent. of the whole number registered; in No. 2, 294 per cent.; in No. 3, (girls,) 37 per cent. When we take into consideration the facts that we have but one school for girls while there are two for boys, and therefore many of the girls have a much greater distance to travel to reach school than the boys; also that bad weather, and the dangers and discomforts of being in the streets at nights, affect boys far less than girls, we should naturally expect the attendance of boys to be much more regular than that of girls. As we find, on the contrary, the attendance of the girls to be the best, we are inclined to think that very many of the younger boys are at play in the streets or attending low places of amusement, when supposed by their parents to be at school. There have been taught during the winter one hundred and forty men and women. These have been the most faithful and successful of the pupils. When men and women, some of them far beyond the school age, attend school, they are in earnest. Sometimes the father and his son, the mother and her daughter, have sat as pupils at the same desk. There were some that did not miss attending school for an evening during the whole term. One of these was a girl who had to walk every evening from her home near the Hoboken boundary line. In the evening school for girls, one-sixth of the average attendance never were absent. When the schools were opened, thirteen teachers were employed exclusive of the principals, but as the attendance diminished, some were discharged, so that at the close only eight teachers remained. In many instances, during the past three winters, applicants for admission to the schools have been found so ignorant of the English language that no English teacher could be understood by them, and they have gone away discouraged. Most of these pupils are men who only understand German; several are Swedes; all are quite intelligent. THE NORMAL SCHOOL. In no part of our system, says the report, has the improvement in management, attendance and progress of the pupils been so great as in this school. The course of instruction embraces such studies as are taught in the grammar departments of the public schools, the principles of teaching as a science, the proper methods of imparting instruction in the several branches of knowledge required to be taught in the primary and grammar departments, and the principles and rules requisite for the general discipline and management of classes and schools. The work of instruction is divided among the four male principals of the public schools, who meet their classes every Saturday from nine till twelve o'clock a. m. The number of teachers of the public schools enrolled as pupils in the normal school has averaged about thirty-five. The number of those who attend with the intention of preparing themselves to become teachers varies from twelve to twenty. NEWARK. Population, 100,000. City superintendent, Hon. George B. Sears. Report for 1869 includes the following: Estimated number of children between five and eighteen years of age.. Number registered in schools... In day schools.... In evening schools.. In Saturday normal school.. Average number registered in day schools.. Average per cent. of daily attendance.. Cost of tuition per pupil in day schools. Number of pupils in colored schools.... In evening schools..... Estimated value of school-houses, (exclusive of sites). Total current expenses....... 23, 421 12, 033 10, 855 1,078 100 6, 590 88.8 $13 96 115 167 23 $360,000 00 $109,756 34 "It is impossible," remarks the superintendent, "to institute any comparison between our own schools and those of other cities, or of our State with those of other States, unless some uniform system of enrollment and attendance can be established, and also some uniform age which shall be regarded by each city or State as the proper school age, and shall be made the basis of census returns. "Some report all children between five and eighteen, some between five and fifteen, and others between five and twenty-one years of age, and base the percentage of enrolled pupils upon the whole number between these different periods. "We hope the educational department at Washington will do something in the way of securing uniformity throughout the cities and States of our country in these particulars." COLORED SCHOOL. This school has done a good year's work. The attendance has been better than for many years, and yet there ought to be more colored children in school. The schoolhouse is not large, but if put in good repair and well furnished, would well accommodate all who attend. The average attendance last year has been greater than in any previous year since the organization of the school, which is 81. The building has capacity for 100 pupils, but it needs thorough repairs. The principal is a good scholar, and the pupils are well taught. The evening school for colored youths has been held in this building, and well attended by young persons ANNUAL REPORT OF THE of both sexes. While the school was established at the request of a large number of young men and for their benefit, I regret that so few have availed themselves of its advantages. The great majority of the evening school pupils were females. The prevailing complaint of this, as of other evening schools, is irregularity. SATURDAY NORMAL SCHOOL. Our Saturday normal school is still furnishing its usual quota of teachers. If this supply were cut off we should be very much embarrassed to procure teachers. The time and labor saved to the board by the present method of examination through the normal school more than compensates for all the expense of the school. When a vacancy occurs we are not obliged to advertise and examine a large number of applicants; we have them already examined. While I decidedly approve the general policy of the board in employing our home material, we may go too far even in this direction and get too many young teachers on our list. While the management and instruction of the youngest pupils would seem tc demand experience and mature judgment, yet our young ladies of eighteen years of age generally succeed well, with the assistance of the principals. A failure sometimes occurs, but it is an exception to the general rule. But it is better not to have a great proportion of apprentices at one time. Of the whole number of teachers now in the employ of the board, 110 are graduates of our Saturday normal school. The graduating class is larger this year than that of any former year, numbering 28-24 females and 4 males. Table of statistical details of schools in New Jersey for 1869. E. A. APGAR, superintendent public instruction, Trenton. Atlantic. Hunterdon Mercer Middlesex *The report from Burlington County for 1869 was not received in time to be incorporated in this report. All the statistics for that county, except the State appropriation, are taken from the report of 1868. |
