88 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XII. No, 290 



Upton, of the Bureau of Education, who has added some notes of 

 explanation. These treat of many important and interesting sub- 

 jects, and will be referred to again in future numbers of ' Science. 

 Some of the more striking facts in regard to school-census popula- 

 tion and attendance are given here. 



" Although the school-census populations," says Mr. Upton in 

 one of his notes, " may not be compared with each other, nor ag- 

 gregated, on account of their heterogeneity, the percentage of in- 

 crease of these populations may, if we assume that the population 

 between any two limits of age in any Slate increases in ihe same 

 ratio as that between any other two limits (i.e.. that the proportion 

 of the population of any given age remains constant in each State), 

 — an assumption that may be made as regards the increase of a 

 few years within very narrow limits of error. It is on this assump- 

 tion that the percentage of increase or decrease of school-census 

 population has been aggregated by geographical divisions." 



The geographical divisions are as follows : North Atlantic divis- 

 ion, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Is- 

 land, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania; South 

 Atlantic division, Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia, Vir- 

 ginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, 

 Florida ; south central division, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, 

 Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas ; north central division, 

 Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Mis- 

 souri, Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas; western division, Montana, Wy- 

 oming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Idaho, 

 Washington, Oregon, California. 



" The largest percentage [in school-census population] is found, 

 as might be expected, in the western division, which contains the 

 newer States and Territories, and where a small absolute increase 

 sometimes causes a' large relative one. In the five States and 

 Territories of that division that furnish the necessary data, the 

 average increase per cent of the school-census population is found 

 to be 5.68, which would cause it to double in about twelve and a 

 half years. The next largest rate of growth of school-census pop- 

 ulation is found in the South. The percentage of increase in the 

 South Atlantic division (based on two States only) is 3.21. 



"The total public-school enrolment of the United States, as 

 made up from the latest data received and supplemented by esti- 

 mates in two cases (Arkansas and Montana), is 11,805,660. The 

 yearly increase for the United States cannot be accurately deter- 

 mined, as ten States and Territories do not furnish the necessary 

 data. Assuming, however, that the States and Territories so lack- 

 ing have made the same progress as the others in the same divis- 

 ions, the yearly increase would be 305,772, or at the rate of 2.66 

 per cent per annum. In only five States (New Hampshire, Ver- 

 mont, South Carolina, Ohio, and Nevada) and one Territory (Ari- 

 zona) has the enrolment decreased. The largest relative decrease 

 (^.37 per cent) is found in New Hampshire. Dakota furnishes the 

 largest per cent of increase (it. 70 per cent), followed by Indiana 

 with 9.20 per cent. The large development of the school-registra- 

 tion of Indiana is a notable circumstance, when compared with the 

 nearly stationary condition of the contiguous States, Ohio and Illi- 

 nois. 



" In the proportion of children enrolled in the public schools, the 

 North Central States are far in the lead, having 121 pupils in the 

 public schools for every 100 children six to fourteen years of age. 

 That this should be a matter of congratulation, considering the rel- 

 atively low density of population of those States, has already been 

 noted. 



" Notwithstanding the tremendous strides that have been made 

 in the development of the school .systerps of the Southern States 

 during the past ten years, they are still far behind the Northern 

 States in regard to the proportion of children enrolled in the public 

 schools. In the South Atlantic States only 89, and in the South 

 Central States only 79, children out of every 100, six to fourteen 

 years of age, are enrolled as pupils in the public schools. This re- 

 sults in a great degree from the excessive proportion of children to 

 grown persons met with in the Southern States : for, if we compare 

 the proportion of total population enrolled, the disparity which ap- 

 pears to the prejudice of the Southern States almost disappears, and 

 in one case is quite reversed ; i.e., the proportion of total popula- 

 tion enrolled is actually greater in the two southern divisions (being 



19.06 and 17.49 in the cases referred to) than it is in the western 

 division (16.86). No account is taken here of the duration of at- 

 tendance at school, but only of the circumstance that the pupils 

 were on the school registers. If the element of time is taken into 

 consideration, the South appears much more at disadvantage. The 

 great advantage which the Northern States possess is the much 

 larger number of tax-payers in proportion to the number of children 

 to be educated. Even if the relative wealth of the North and the 

 South were equal, which is far from being the case, each tax-payer 

 of the former section would have a far less burden to bear in the 

 work of getting all the schoolable children within the schools. 



" According to the most recent returns, the number of pupils 

 daily attending the public schools of the United States while they 

 are in session, is, on an average, 7.571,416. As in the case of en- 

 rolment, it is not possible to determine the exact yearly increase ; 

 but a very fair approximation places it at 218,500, or at the yearly 

 rate of 2.89 per cent. The greatest increase in average attendance 

 is observable in the South. In both of the southern divisions it is 

 not only remarkably large, but it is to be noted that it exceeds the 

 increase of enrolment : in other words, not only more pupils are 

 going to school there, but the attendance of those who do go is 

 more regular. This is an evidence of increased appreciation of 

 public schools not to be overlooked. Florida shows the greatest 

 growth of average attendance; viz., 13.94 per cent. In the Dis- 

 trict of Columbia, Virginia, and Georgia, the growth is also exceed- 

 ingly noteworthy. Indiana stands in the same relation to the States 

 on her east and west borders as in the case of enrolment. The 

 average attendance has decreased in six States, so far as reported, 

 — New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New 

 York, and South Carolina. The greatest decrease (3.64 per cent) 

 took place in New Hampshire." This may be partially explained 

 by the fact that the private- school enrolment has increased 3.57 

 per cent in Vermont, 5.13 in Connecticut, and 4.12 in New York- 

 These figures may be considered as establishing conclusively the 

 fact that the private schools are gaining on the public schools in 

 the States mentioned, and the presumption that they are so doing in 

 the neighboring States. 



" The rate of increase of average attendance for the United 

 States (2.89 per cent) exceeds slightly the rate of increase of enrol- 

 ment (2.66 per cent) as estimated. This indicates a greater regu- 

 larity of attendance for the country at large. The average attend- 

 ance for the United States is 64.13: that is, for every 100 pupils en- 

 rolled during the school-year, 64 have attended daily, on an average, 

 during the sessions of the schools ; or, looking at the matter in 

 another light, each pupil enrolled was present, on an average, 64 

 out of every 100 days his school was in session. 



" Regularity of attendance is greatest in the western division 

 (66.51), and least in the South Atlantic division (62.79), but it is 

 nearly uniform in the different sections of the country ; more so, 

 perhaps, than any other single item which admits of statistical 

 record. When the individual States are considered, a greater 

 inequality is observed. In Maine and Arizona the regularity of 

 attendance is 82.79 ^nd 84.26 respectively, while in Minnesota it 

 drops to 49.17. It is possible, however, as in other instances, that 

 this inequality may be due in some measure to inaccuracy or in- 

 completeness in the school reports, or a lack of uniformity in the 

 methods used. This regularity of attendance is far from being as 

 high as is to be desired. Compulsory attendance laws do not seem 

 to affect it to any appreciable extent, as it is somewhat higher in 

 the South Central States, where there are no compulsory laws, 

 than in the North Central States. It will probably depend for im- 

 provement upon a growing appreciation of the benefits of a public- 

 school education. 



" Such as it is now, however, it is far in advance of any former 

 period, and the progress it has made in the last semi-decade is espe- 

 cially noteworthy. The tendency suggested by the figures is unmis- 

 takable. They show conclusively the steady growth of a sentiment 

 in favor of popular education, — a growth not confined to any one 

 part of the country, but extending throughout its length and 

 breadth. This remark will be seen to possess greater force when 

 it is considered that there has been an increase in the proportion of 

 children enrolled as pupils, as well as an increase in the proportion 

 of the number enrolled who attend regularlv." 



