The Free School System of the United States

Front matter

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I. Goveknment

(a) EELATION OF THE NATIONAL GOVERN- MENT TO THE STATE

Representative character of system

jZi self-govenunent the mainspring

No federal education law ...

Powers of national government limited

Duty of State Legislatures ...

Success depends on enlightenment of people

Different views of popular education

Slavery hostUe to the common school

Divergencies in social condition

Wealth and illiteracy in Massachusetts and South Carolina

Powers of central government

Dread of centralization

Establishment of National Bureau

Its functions and powers ...

Policy of American statesmen

Mr. Hoars' bill to establish a national system

Opinions of National Education Association

Mr. Perce's bill to establish an educational fund

Extent of federal jurisdiction

Work of the central department ...

PAO£

(b) RELATION OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT TO

THE MUNICIPALITY 24

Responsibility of States ... ... 24

Action of free States... ... ... ... ... 24

Position of the South (Jommon school system in every State State legislatures enact school laws...

Local management ...

PEOVISION OF SCHOOLS

Eequirements of Massachusetts law...

Law of Maryland

School accommodation in New Jersey Supply of schools in Detroit and Cleveland Development of school expenditure...

Provision of schools in Pennsylvania Powers of State over local corporations ..

Laws in harmony with popular sympathy..

Results of local government...

(c) SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Area of school districts The "district system"

School districts in England ...

Multiplication of small schools Abolition of "district system"

(d) LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS OR MANAGEMENT

COMMITTEES How described in different States .

Constitution and powers of ...

(e) LOCAL SUPERVISION

County superintendents Advantages of system

(f) STATE SUPERINTENDENCE

Powers of boards of education Duties of State Superintendents Annual reports

PAOB

25 25 25 26

31 31 32 32 33 33

34 34 34

35 35 36

42 42 43 43

II. Cost

(a J THEORY OF FKEE SCHOOLS

Introduction of free system...

Element of rate-bills...

Reasons for State provision of education ...

Policy of retaining school foes in England

Arguments against free schools considered...

Free education not a charity

Responsibility of parents not lessened

Experience of Connecticut ...

Remission of fees in special cases degrading

The " odious rate bill "

Effects of rate bills in New York ...

Policy of educating at common cost children of

improvident parents

Causes which operate against free schools in England No financifid difficulty involved

(b) PROVISION OF FUNDS FOR EDUCATION..

Sources of school revenue ...

State school funds ...

Land appropriations ...

Amount of permanent funds State taxes in different States Reasons for advocating State taxation in Masseicnuset) vS ..• ... ... •..

Expense chiefly met by local taxation Table showing amount and source of income Unparalleled taxation for education

Increase of expenditure

Voluntary taxes in Maine ...

School expenditure in New York and Massachusetts School expenditure in the South ...

Expenditure per head of population Comparison with English expenditure

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54 56 57

57 57 58 59 60 61

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The Peabodj fund ... ... 73

(cj TOTAL ABOLITION OF RATE BILLS 75

Its eflfect in New York State ... ... ... 75

Increase of attendance ... ... ... ... 76

Report of Rhode Island Commissioner ... ... 77

Operation of free school law in New Jersey ... 77

Larger attendance and longer school terms ... 78

Favourable effects of free school in Connecticut ... 79

Large increase of attendance ... ... ... 79

(d) FREE SCHOOLS— THE PEOPLE'S SYSTEM ... 80

Unanimity of opinion ... ... .., ... 80

Testimony of State superintendents ... ... 81

Reports of county superintendents... ... ... 84

Difference of opinion respecting free high schools 85

The law of Michigan ... ... ... ... 85

Mr. Dawson on opinion in Ohio ... ... ... 85

Decrease of private schools ... ... ... ... 87

Schools attended by all classes ... ... ... 92

Power of assimilation ... ... ... ... 94

The work of the free school 95

Roman Catholic parochial schools ... ... ... 95 m.

ATTENDANCE.

(a) ANNUAL ENROLMENT

Per centage of enrolment in different States

Comparison with England

Extracts &om State reports...

96 97 98 99

(bj AVEEAGE ATTENDANCE

Degree of regularity the most important fact

Methods of arriving at averages confusing

Kivalry in School Statistics...

Evils of apportioning State-aid on average attendance

The experience of England ...

"Average number belonging"

Number enrolled, and average attendance compared

Comparison with England ...

Bishop Eraser's view fallacious

Average attendance compared with school population

The position of England

Average attendance and number belonging

American and English cities compared

Obstacles to regular attendance

Influx of Foreigners ...

Difficulties of climate

Demand for children's labour

Importance of the problem ...

PAOS

(c) PEKIOD OF ATTENDANCE

School-age in different States

Percentage of scholars over sixteen...

Age of leaving school

The school year

Length of school terms in different States

Not equal to English school term ...

Period of attendance in cities

(dj FAILUEE OF INDIRECT COMPULSION History of Factory Laws in Pennsylvania Report of Mr. Woodruff The law of Connecticut Report of Mr. Cleveland Co-operation of employers ...

Direct compulsion the only remedy The law of Rhode Island ...

Favourable conditions for experiment

(ej TEIAL OF COMPULSION ...

Antagonism to compulsion ...

States having compulsory laws

Law of Massachusetts

Eeasons for partial failure ...

Experience of Boston

Mr. Philbrick's reports on compulsion

The New Hampshire law ,..

Satisfactory results of

The Connecticut law...

The law of Michigan

Danger that it will prove ineffective

Weakness of the law

Compulsion in Nevada and New York

(f) DEMAND FOE COMPULSION ...

Keform urgently demanded ...

Action of State Legislatures Reports of State Superintendents ...

Waste caused by irregularity in Iowa Truancy and absenteeism in Ohio ...

Demand for compulsion in Indiana Missouri, Louisiana, California, and Nebraska Resolution of National Teachers' Association Compulsion a question of time

PAQS

IV. Religion And Morals

(a J LAW AS TO RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION ... 144

Difference of legal opinions... ... ... ... 144

Case of Minor et ah v. Cincinnati Board of

Education ... 144

Distinctive denominational teaching prohibited ... 146

Illegal to subsidise denominational schools ... 146

Christian and protestant instruction given

Religious exercises in New England schools

Discretion of teachers

Statutory provisions in different States

Reading of Bible

Use of school buildings for religious purposes

fhj BIBLE READING— MORAL INSTRUCTION

Sectarian instruction not permitted

Bible reading the rule

Exceptions in some States ...

Secular teaching at St. Louis and Cincinnati

Discretion as to use of Bible

Moral teaching in Maine

Instruction in Morals in Boston and St. Louis ..

Morality of common schools

Infidel tendencies do not exist

The Bishop of Manchester's view ...

Religious teaching in English schools

(c) THE RELIGIOUS DIFFICULTY

Majority favourable to Bible reading Growing opinion in favour of secular schools

Two sections of community opposed to Bible reading 160

The Roman Catholic view ... ... ... ... 161

Conflict in New York State ... 162

Resolution of Chicago Board ... ... ... 163

Reports of the Superintendents of Iowa and

Opinions of Mr. Northrop of Connecticut... ... 166

The Struggle in Cincinnati... ... ... ... 167

Roman Catholic testimony in favour of common

A contest apparently inevitable ... ... 172

The parochial system impossible ... 173

PAOB

146 147 147 147 148 150

159 159 160

V. Teachers

(a) TEAINING

The conditions of teaching ...

Unfavourable effect of short school terms..

Inadequate payment of teachers

Preponderance of female teachers ...

Necessity for training teachers of recent recognition

Dr. Hodgson's description of some English teachers

Action of London School Board

First Normal Schools in England and America

Reasons for Normal Training

The American problem

County Normal Schools

Number of Nonnal Schools in differrent States

Instruction in Normal Schools

Private Normal Schools

Teachers Institutes ...

Their objects and value

Normal institutes

The pupil teacher system has no advocates

PAdl

(h) EXAMINATION— QUALIFICATIONS Teachers must be certificated The practice in different States Grades of certificates ...

Methods and standards of examination Want of uniformity ...

Reform required Suggested reforms Worth of American teachers Bishop Eraser's opinions

(c) SALARIES AND SOCIAL STATUS Low salaries ...

Table of salaries

195 195 195

FAOB

Improyement in salaries ... ... ... ... 196

High social standing of teachers ... ... ... 197

Comparison with England ... ... ... ... 197

VI. Grades.— Kesults

(a) GKADING 199

Description of graded schools ... ... ... 199

Advantages of grading ... ... ... ... 200

Economy of time and money ... ... ... 201

Its effect upon the pnpils ... ... ... ... 201

Disadvantages of too strict grading ... ... 202

Union schools ... ... 203

Plans of school houses ... ... ... ... 203

Grades in the chief cities ... ... ... ... 204

(h) COURSE OF STUDY 207

Practically only two courses — elementary and

Description of course in New York and Boston ... 208 Grades in Cincinnati, Chicago, St. Louis, and

Comparison with English code ... ... ... 209

Materials for a close comparison wanted ... ... 210

No prescribed course in any State ... ... 210

Absence of uniformity . . ... ... ... 211

Connection between elementary and higher

Subjects generally taught ... ... ... ... 212

The schools of Boston ... ... ... ... 213

Gradation of scholars ... ... ... ... 214

Promotion of Pupils... ... 214

Compared with England 215

Elementary schools of New York

Examination of scholars

Comparison with Englisli standards

The Cleveland schools

Examination questions

Ages and status of pupils

St. Louis schools

The Cincinnati schools

Classification of scholars

The Chicago schools . . .

Night schools...

(cj PEACTICAL OUTCOME General reputation ...

Opinions of visitors to the States Census statistics of illiteracy Decrease of native illiterates . . .

Foreign illiteracy

Per centage of illiteracy in England Native and foreign illiterates in the free school States Nativity of foreign population Adverse influences of slavery and immigration Kesults of the system Bishop Eraser's testimony ...

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