By the inspection of the above a very clear idea may be gained of the progress which the American public school is making. The idea that the children of all the people shall be educated at the expense of the property of the community, the funds necessary for the support of schools being provided by taxation, is the American idea. The increase in expenditure for school purposes-the amount being doubled during the ten years from 1850 to 1860, and almost, trebled between 1860 and 1870-is a subject for congratulation; but the fact that the amount raised by taxation in 1860 was two and a half times the amount raised by taxation in 1850, while the amount thus raised in 1870 was more than three times that of 1860, is a still more cheering exhibit of the growth of a healthy popular sentiment in this nation. Taking the past twenty years into consideration, we find that the population has increased about seventy per cent.; the aggregate amount expended for education has increased to six times the sum raised in 1850; the income from endowments is four times as large; the income from tuition, rate bills, &c., is four times as large; but the income from taxation is more than eight times as large. In 1850 the amount raised by taxation was less than one-half the entire amount, while in 1870 it was nearly two-thirds. In the early history of our school system-from 1841 to 1817-the schools of St. Louis drew the bulk of their support from a tuition fee; at present six-sevenths of our revenue is derived from State and municipal taxation. In the form of State taxation-one-fourth of the entire State revenue being added to the common school fund and distributed to the several counties pro rata on the basis of the school population between the ages of 5 and 21-St. Louis receives about $70,000, but pays into the treasury for education in other parts of the State a sum equal to about $80,000, inasmuch as the State school fund draws from St. Louis taxes over $150,000. It is impossible to object to this on sound principles, for the relation of a commercial centre to the country at large is such that it draws its wealth indirectly from the latter, and is most vitally affected by its educational status. In my last report I mentioned the introduction of Natural Science into the District School course. Its trial has, in my opinion, more than justified the wisdom of the experiment. The mode of its introduction is such as to act favorably on the methods of imparting instruction. I think there is much improvement manifested in the habits of study on the part of teachers, in their ability to explain to their pupils the subject of the day's lesson in a clear and satisfactory manner, and in the corresponding interest taken by pupils in their studies. It will be remembered that the Board adopted a rule forbidding the use of the text-book in recitation by the teacher, whenever the pupil was expected to recite without it. It is acknowledged by all educators of distinction that the main secret of success in teaching lies in the thoroughness of previous preparation. No regulation of the Board is a wiser and juster one than this regulation, which necessitates, to some extent, preparation on each of the day's lessons. The Evening Schools have attained a remarkable degree of success during the past two years, having within that period nearly doubled their attendance. It is believed that our system of evening schools is larger, compared with the size of the day school system, than that of any other city in the United States. Above 4,000 adults and youths over the age of 12 years attended during the session last winter. In this connection it should be mentioned that the influence of the Public School Library is felt to an extraordinary degree. Punctual attendance and industry at the evening schools secures free membership in the Public School Library for the rest of the year. Very many avail themselves of this opportunity and become frequent visitors to the Library. The amount of improvement derived by this class of our population is thus doubled and even quad · rupled. Idle, mischievous habits are to that degree prevented, and the increase in intelligence acquired from reading and study is at once converted into wealth in the various channels of employment. Thus there is no branch of our school system which has a more direct influence on the prosperity of the city. The Public School Library is extending its sphere of usefulness through the liberal policy of the Board in permitting arrange ments to be made with societies formed for mutual improvement. The session room of the Board is granted for the use of such societies, on conditions providing the deposit of their libraries in the Public School collection, and, in most instances, the payment of annual memberships to increase the collections in special departments. In this way about $500 per year is expended for the increase of medical works in the Library; considerable sums expended for works on architecture, for works on engineering, and for polytechnic works generally. The present membership of the Library is in the aggregate about 4,000 members. About one-tenth of these visit the Library daily. For some months the practice of opening the library to the public at large on Sundays has been on trial, and the experiment meets with an unexpected degree of success. The Normal School during the past year suffered materially from the loss of two of its most valuable teachers. Miss Brackett, for nine years the Principal, and Miss Eliot, for four years the First Assistant, resigned at the close of the third quarter. So radical a change in the corps of teachers could not otherwise than work temporary injury to the school, but the readiness and efficiency with which the school was managed for the fourth quarter of the year by the remaining teachers, deserves the highest credit. The Board have secured the services of an able and experienced teacher, in the person of Mr. Louis F. Soldan, to take charge of the school as principal for the ensuing year. The demands of the district schools for teachers require the graduation of far larger classes than the Normal school has hitherto been able to supply. A material increase in the size of the classes of this school is therefore desired by the Board. The High School during the past year has exhibited unusual evidences of a flourishing condition. The increase in numbers is a healthful indication, both on the part of the people, who show a higher appreciation of the value of advanced education, and likewise on the part of the High School itself, showing the popularity of its management. In concluding this, the sixth annual report that I have been called upon to make, I would congratulate the public upon the present flourishing condition as well as the future prospects of the schools. I would likewise on this occasion tender, in behalf of the Board, to the general superintendent and his assistants, and to the large corps of teachers, and to the other officers of the Board, an acknowledgment of their earnest labors and faithful co-operation in advancing the interests of the schools. FELIX COSTE, President. ANNUAL REPORT OF OFFICE SUPERINTENDENT PUBLIC SCHOOLS, To the Board of President and Directors of the St. Louis Public Schools: GENTLEMEN-I submit herewith the Eighteenth Annual Report of the schools under your charge. In my former reports I have discussed at length the subjects relation of the Public Schools to the community and the State; of moral education and the relation of education to crime; the the co-education of the sexes; the introduction of natural science into the district schools; the proper selection of plans for school houses; various matters relating to the course of study, such as Leigh's Phonetic system of learning to read, the significance of the elementary branches in our district schools, the Pestalozzian system and the methods in common use in this country; the objects of German-English instruction and the best methods of managing the same; the system of supervision of schools by Principals; finally I have discussed the question of graded schools, especially in the relation which the district schools bear to the High School. In this report I desire particularly to call attention again to the question of grading in a system of schools, and to set forth such matters as have been settled in the course of the development of our own system. For convenient reference I give first a general view of the results achieved during the past year. I bring together here the general and comparative statistics, based on full tabular statements printed in the appendix. |