means a child loses but half a year, and the city saves money. A 

 still further saving might be effected if there were an all-year 

 school divided into four quarters. This system has been adopted 

 in Cleveland. The over-age child in all grades should be studied 

 to determine the cause of his weakness. Such a study would be 

 valuable in the solution of the foreign-child problem. The Mex- 

 ican children are found principally in the crowded down-town 

 schools and are not only irregular in their attendance but drop 

 out soon after reaching the age of twelve. In most cities the 

 numbers dropping out between the fourth and seventh grades 

 are sufficient to. cause alarm. There is no data for determining 

 the number of children dropping out of the grades in San Diego, 

 nor for showing the relation between the children of school age 

 in the district and those actually in school. Also there is no org- 

 anized follow-up system of children transferred to other schools 

 within the city or elsewhere. This may account for some of the 

 children found during this Survey who are neither in school nor 

 at work. The fact that "this is a tourist town" is an inadequate 

 and unscientific reason, for there is too large a number of idle 

 youth observable at least in the crowded districts. There is ap- 

 parently a discrepancy between the number of working permits 

 issued and the number of children at work about the city. The 

 record shows 43 permits issued, during the present school year, 

 32 of which are held by children who have not completed the 

 eighth grade. The attendance officer reports practically no tru- 

 ancy in the city, but there are children on the street and at work 

 during school hours and even those who have never been at school 

 at all. A census of all children of school age in the city, and h 

 systematic check on the children transferring and dropping out 

 would help to determine the situation exactly. There are no 

 night schools nor continuation classes for young people in em- 

 ployment. In two stores there are continuation classes. The Y. 

 M. C. A. has a small enrollment in a commercial and a drawing 

 class. The Y. W. C. A. offers class work in domestic science, 

 sewing, millinery, etc. However, this at best is limited to a com- 

 paratively small number. A few classes exist in Missions and the 

 Free Industrial School, for teaching English to foreigners. How- 

 ever, all of these together do not reach the great number that 

 could be reached by the public schools. In offering such oppor- 

 tunities, the school plants could find a legitimate use. 



In conclusion, it may fairly be said that the school system ap- 

 pears well organized and the progressive element concerned in 

 its administration seems to be moving along lines that make for 

 constructive progress. But with equal justice, a few of the more 

 obvious needs of San Diego's schools may be shown as the result 

 of this brief survey, in the following summary. 



More open-air school buildings of the type of the Grant and 

 Jefferson, which should embody the idea typified in the new 

 Francis Parker School, a private institution, of a minimum ex- 

 pense for the building itself, with the standard amount of light 



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