| OCR Text |
Show "TTsCHOOLS VS. PUBLIC PRIV SCHOOLS. c-iimer's Magazine for April has a S" nlcrelting article headed, "Is the Jto School a Factor of Growing rlVpi In t o Educational World?" In Tart c"e which follows, the question cowered In tho afflrmativo: 1S.?,n The ear 1903, according to the . 0f tho bureau of education, "Tier" 1 093.87G pupils In our prl-tY prl-tY schools This fact alone is a suf- ent indication of tho importance of ihi nrlvato school as an institution. ff claim is sometimes made that. h nrivato school is undemocratic in ts tendencies, that it creates caste feeling, and hence has no right to exit ex-it On the other hand, many parents deplore certain real or imaginary tenancies ten-ancies In the public schools. 'With tho idea of investigating tho milter from the view-point of tho pri-"alo pri-"alo school, tho publishers of Scrlb-ner's Scrlb-ner's Magazine have sent out over 400 personal letters to tho principals of such schools, each lutter accompanied l,v a card hearing tho questions below I with the request that they bo answered and returned to tho Educational Directory Direc-tory of tho magazine. "1. Number of pupils in 1905. "2. Number of pupils In 1900. "3! To what causes do you nttrlbute the increase or decrease since 1900?' "i. Do you see any signs of a growing grow-ing tendency among parents who can afford to send their children to private pri-vate schools instead of public schools? "5. If so, what deficiencies in tho public schools may, In your opinion, be held responsible for such tendency? "These questions have met with ready answer from- all sections of the country from endowed academics, boarding-schools, day-schorl3, military fchools, tho preparatory department of colleges from practically all classes of private schools except commercial and industrial Institutions. "Up to tho date of this writing, over CO per cent, of these cards have been returned. "Tabulated briefly, tho results of these inquiries are as follows: "60 per cent, of those replying report an Increase In attendance since 1900. "9 per cent, report a decrease. "11 per cent, report tho same number num-ber of pupils as in 1900. Most of these latter are boarding schools with a limited lim-ited capacity. "Tho remaining 14 per cent, wore unablo (for ono reason or another) to glvo figures for flvo years. "Tho schools whoso ligurcs show an increaso had a total of 10,202 pupils in 1000 and 14.C07 in 1905, a gain of 44 per cent. "Thoso reporting a decrease show a loss of 22 per cent. "Adding together the enrolment of all tho schools which have given figures, fig-ures, wo find for tho wholo a net gain In fivo years of 33 per cent. "So far as thoso figures go, they certainly cer-tainly indicate a very substantial growing grow-ing tendency among tho bettor class of prlvato schools. "Tho largo number of very interesting interest-ing replies to tho third question, "To what causes do you attribute tho in-crease in-crease or decrease since 1900?" will ject tCtl ln a latr papor on in,s sub" "As to tho fourth question, 'Do you see any signs of a growing tendency among parents who can afford it to send their children to prlvato schools instead of public schools?' 80 per cent, ei tno answers were 'Yes and 14 per cent, were 'No,' showing a great preponderance pre-ponderance of belief that thoro Is such a tendency. The fact that thoso same cnoois have grown so rapidly during 'no past five years is in itself strong exist nC Umt BUCh a tcn(loncy (locs "Tho answers to tho fifth question, ",,0i wn"t deficiencies in tho public r. .Fl" ,n your opinion, bo held re.ponsiblo for such tendency?' have hnff Pma,ny and varle,l- More than ""f or tho answers mention tho lack of individual attention received by pupils pu-pils in the public schools. Largo num bors speak of 'overcrowding,' th" 'cramming process,' tho lack of rolig ious trainig, tho lack of 'character development,' de-velopment,' of training in 'manners' and 'morals,' tho lack of ablo male teachers, tho unfortunate effect or poll-tics poll-tics in such public school boards, and tho contnet with undesirable companions. compan-ions. Many seem to think that tho hotter hot-ter prlvato schools have not only a larger proportion of teachers to tho number of pupils, but also a higher grade of instructors, and consequently do better college preparatory work. "Thoro is no question that tho work IV'hich our public schools havo done and arc doing is of priceless value. The best of these schools havo a very high standard, but, or f'io other hand, it cannot bo clouted that tho private school has an Important function func-tion in supplying special work to lit special needs and in furnishing that sort of Instruction which tho Individual Individ-ual pupil requires nnd which is not always al-ways obtainable in the public schools of his vicinity. "Tho prlvato school owes its existence exist-ence to the enterprise of its promoter. Its very life is dependent upon excellent excel-lent work. Tho fact that such a largo number of prlvnto schools havo made an increase of 44 per cent, in their attendance at-tendance in the past five years would seem to nnswor our question in tho affirmative. af-firmative. Tho private school Is a factor fac-tor of growing power in the educational educa-tional world." |
