The provision made by the city and the people of New York for the
education of the young is in keeping with their metropolitan character.
The public and private schools are numerous, and are well supported.
The first in importance are the Public or Free Schools, which are
acknowledged to be the best in the Union. The Free School system is
under the control of a Board of Education, whose offices are located in a
handsome brown stone building at the northwest corner of Grand and Elm
streets. The Board consists of twelve Commissioners, who have the
general supervision of the schools, the disbursement of the moneys
appropriated for the cause of education, the purchase of sites and the
erection of new buildings, the purchase and distribution of books,
stationery, fuel, lights, and all supplies needed by the schools. There
are also five Trustees for each ward, or 110 in all, who were, until
recently, chosen by the people. Besides these, are twenty-one Inspectors
of Schools, who were, until recently, appointed by the Mayor and
confirmed by the people. The charter of 1870, however, changed the whole
system, and gave to the Mayor the power of appointing all the officers
named above, taking the control of the school system entirely out of the
hands of the people. It is needless to add this was the work of the
Ring, and was done to secure to them additional power and plunder.
[Picture: A NEW YORK FREE SCHOOL.]
There are about one hundred buildings in the city used by the public
schools. About eighty-five of these are owned by the city; the others
are rented. The property under the charge of the Board of Education is
valued at more than $10,000,000. The annual expenditure for the support
of the schools averages $3,000,000. In 1869 it was $3,136,136. Of this
sum, $1,759,634, represented teachers' salaries; $41,908, was for the
support of the colored schools; and $164,717, was for the purchase of
school apparatus, maps, globes, blackboards, books, etc. The teachers
employed in the public schools number 2500, a large proportion being
women, The average annual attendance of pupils is 225,000.
The school buildings are generally of brick, tastefully trimmed with
brown stone, though some of those more recently erected are entirely of
brown or Ohio stone. They are among the most handsome edifices in the
city. They are generally four stories in height, with a frontage of 100
or 150 feet. All that were erected for the purpose are commodious and
comfortable, though the more recent structures are the best arranged.
They are provided with every convenience for teaching, and for the
comfort of both teacher and pupil. Some of them cover two city lots,
while others occupy as many as six of these lots. Some will accommodate
as many as 2000 pupils, and these large buildings have been found to be
more economical than small ones. Each is provided with several
fire-proof stairways, and each is in charge of a janitor, who resides in
the building. The entrances for pupils are at the sides of the building.
Visitors enter through the large door in the centre.
The public schools are divided into Primary, Grammar, Evening, and Normal
Schools. There are about 200 of these schools in the city, a Primary and
a Grammar School often occupying the same building. Some of the
Primaries are for boys or girls only, while in others both sexes are
admitted. The course in the Primaries is very simple, as very young
children are taught here. The pupils are divided, according to
qualification, into six grades. The lowest grade receives the simplest
instruction, such as conversational lessons about common objects, or
"object teaching," which is designed to form habits of accurate
observation; simple instruction in regard to morals and manners; reading
and spelling easy words from the blackboard or chart; counting; and
simple addition by the aid of the numerical frame. From this simple, but
substantial basis, the pupil is advanced as rapidly as his capabilities
will permit, from grade to grade; until the first, or highest, is
reached. In this the instruction embraces the four ground rules of
arithmetic, geography, writing, drawing on the slate, and advanced object
lessons. When the pupil is proficient in these studies, he is
transferred to the Grammar School.
The Grammar School takes up the course where it is dropped by the
Primary, and gives to the pupil a sound and practical "common school
education." It embraces in its various grades, such studies as English
grammar, history, astronomy (in its simpler form), physical geography,
composition, drawing, and book keeping, besides the simpler studies of
the lower grades which were begun in the Primary School.
[Picture: THE FREE COLLEGE OF NEW YORK.]
Girls who are found proficient in the Grammar School course, are advanced
to the Normal School, which is temporarily located at the corner of
Broadway and Fourth street. Here they may enjoy the benefits of a course
as thorough and extended as that afforded by the Free College.
Boys who have attended the Grammar Schools for a certain period, and are
found proficient in the course taught there, are promoted to the Free
College of the city of New York. This noble institution is located at
the southeast corner of Lexington avenue and Twenty-third street. It is
a handsome edifice of brick, stuccoed in imitation of brown stone, and
was founded in 1848. The President is Horace Webster, LL.D., and the
faculty includes some of the ablest men in the country. The course
taught here is full and thorough, and is about the same as that of the
best colleges in the land. The entire expense of the Female Normal
School, and the Free College is borne by the city.
The whole public school system is free to all the children of the city,
whose parents will avail themselves of it. Books, and everything needed,
are furnished without charge. The pupil is put to no expense whatever,
but is required to maintain habits of order and personal neatness. The
cost to the city is gladly borne by the tax payers, for it saves the
metropolis from an increase of the great army of ignorant and idle men
and women, which are the curse of all great cities. The very poorest men
or women can thus give to their children the priceless boon of knowledge,
of which their youth was deprived. Profiting by the advantage thus
acquired, these little ones, in after years, may rise to fame and
fortune. Thus not only the metropolis but the whole country reaps the
blessings of this magnificent system of free education. The poor,
however, are not the only persons who secure the advantages of the free
schools for their children. Many wealthy, or moderately comfortable
parents send their children to these schools, because they are the best
in the city.
Connected with the day schools, there are twenty-seven evening schools,
with an average annual attendance of 20,000 pupils. These are designed
for the instruction of those whose avocations or age prevent them from
attending the day schools. Only simple studies are taught in these
schools. The pupils consist of cash boys, clerks, porters, and laboring
men and women. Many of them are foreigners, who come to learn the
English language. The adults show as much eagerness to learn as the
younger pupils. All are generally neat in person, though their clothing
may be rough and worn. Sometime ago, a member of the Board of Education,
in addressing one of these evening classes, dwelt especially upon the
necessity of cultivating habits of personal neatness. It happened that
there were several men present, whose appearance indicated that they had
come directly from their work to the school. One of them arose, and
offered the following excuse for their appearance. He said, "We don't
always come to school in this way, but we were at work in the yard pretty
late, and had no time to go home for supper even, as we didn't want to be
late at school; and not expecting any visitors, we made up our minds to
come as we were. The Principal knows us, and we knew he would excuse us
for coming so."
An Evening High School, for males only, has been established, at which
working men, and others unable to attend the day schools, may pursue a
more extended course of study. English grammar, mathematics, natural
science, drawing, navigation, municipal and constitutional law,
phonography, declamation, book-keeping, Latin, French, German, and
Spanish are embraced in the course. The students may pursue one or more
studies, as they may desire.
The Mission Schools have been mentioned already.