National Statistics Of Education

The bureau of education at Washington may be described as the clearinghouse of information upon American schools, and to some extent as the center of information regarding educatiom and instruction throughout the world. In this latter respect it bids fair to equal the kindred work of the Smithsonian institution. The reports of the bureau compile all statistics hearing upon American schools, and consequently are a ve'ry arsenal of useful information. For obrious reasons these statisties are not entirely complete, but they are fuller every year, and the report for the calendar year 1879, just issued, is sufliciently complete to give a very fair idea of American schools, their statistics, their cost, and their work. The school population of the United States in 1879 is set down at 14,782,7C5. This does not include the territories, but includes all persons of the legal school age, which ranges all the way between 4 and 21, or from 17 years down to 6 years out of each person's age. The number of children enrolled in the public schools is 9,328,003; in attendance, 5,223,100, or a pretty fair average, as the latter number applies to 32 states only; 34 states report 104,842 male and 141,161 female teachers. The public school income of all the States was $82,767,815, and 30 states report a permanent school fund of $110,264,434. The principie expenditure, of course, is for teachers. The average paid to women in New Ilampshire is 22.83 a month; in Xevada it is $83. The male teacher receive from an average of $25.54 in South Carolina to $84.46 in Nevada and $89.47 in the District of Columbia. In Maryland the wo sexes have the same average pay, $43.49 a month, Wiiile Massachussetts pays a monthly average of $67.44 to the men, and but $3350 to women. This latter point is on the face of it anomalous, and it seems to be acurious pieceof injustice. The colored school population of the south is 1,668,410, of whoin 685,942 are enrolled. There are 42 normal schools or normal departments for the colored people, with 181 teachers and 6,171 pupila. They have also 42 secondary schools with 121 teachers and 5,297 pupils; 16 colleges or universitiea with 137 teachers and 1,933 pupils, together with three law schools, four medical schools, and 22 theological seminaries. It appears, then, that of the colored school population in the south 58 per cent are not properly cared for, while 42 per cent are provided with public, private, and special schools. The special want of the colored people, and to some extent of the entire south, is good teachers. Tkese supplied, it is f ly safe to think that schools, school funds, and school taxes will follovv. Very much has been accouiplished, - so much, indeed as to justify further efforts. The south deserves help because it is lulping itself, and it is a matter of national iniportance that it be helped, if necessary, by congress and general legislation. The country has 207 normal schools, with 1,422 instructors and 46,029 pupils; but no more than 80 of these schools were state institutions, and not one of these was in Ohio, while Keñtucky had no normal school supported by public funds. A slight and faint attempt is now made in the leading universities to introduce a chair of pedagogy or didactics. The commissioner reports 144 business colleges, with 535 teachers and 22",021 pupils, this latter number being decidedly interesting and entitled to attention. Secondary schools are reported at 1,236, with 5,961 teachers and 108,734 pupils, being 123 schools which fit youth for admission to college. These fitting schors have 818 teachers and 13,561 pupils, who pay $122,929 for tuition. Superior instruction for young women is given in 227 schools, 153 of which confer degrees. They have 2,077 teachers, 24,605 pupils, and property valued at $9,212,500. Tuition reaching $700,439 in 1878, and in 1879 there were conferred in these schools 727 degrees. The number of colleges and 'univerties" is 364, with 4,241 teachers and 60,011 studen ts, 27,467 of the latter in preparatory departments. The colleges report $37,209,354 in üxed property and $40,258,937 in productivo funds yielding an income for 1879 of $2,684,077. There are 81 scientiüc schools, 133 theological schools, 49 law schools, and 114 medical schools. Finally, there are 3,842 public libraries, with 12,569,450 volumes. For details on all these topics and on certain special schools, including those for the deaf, the dumb, the blind, and the feeble-minded, General Eaton's report will not be consulted without satisfaction. The whole country is engaged in school-work of some kind, eacli community trying to satisfy its wants as they arise, and laying the broad foundations of a superstructura which promises to be very great and ingly useful.-