CHAPTER XLV. STATISTICS OF SCHOOLS FOR THE DEFECTIVE CLASSES. Schools for the blind.-The first school for the education of the blind was organized and taught by Valentine Haüy at Paris, France, in 1774. Schools for the blind were soon established in England, Russia, and other European countries, the most noted of these schools in foreign countries being at Paris, Amsterdam, Vienna, Berlin, Copenhagen, and London. Massachusetts was the first State in this country to organize a school for the education of the blind. The school was established by the legislature in 1829 and was located at Boston. Schools for the blind are now in successful operation in Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, Montana, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and California. In all of the State public schools for the blind in the above-mentioned States there are three departments, viz, literary, musical, and industrial. In the literary departments the courses of study are kindergarten, reading, writing, spelling, language, grammar, rhetoric, literature, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, geography, history, civics, physiology, physical geography, drawing, and modeling. In the musical departments the courses are elementary music, piano, band, singing, organ, violin, and tuning musical instruments. The trades taught in the industrial departments are cane seating, broom making, mattress making, carpet weaving, braid work, crocheting, knitting, hand sewing, machine sewing, typewriting, cooking, etc. In 1879 Congress appropriated $250,000 as a perpetual fund, the interest of which is set aside to purchase suitable books and apparatus to be distributed annually among the various institutions for the blind in the United States. The American Printing House at Louisville, Ky., has charge of this fund, and prints annually, for the use of the schools for the blind, books and maps to be used as text-books. In the 36 schools represented in this report there were 387 instructors-male 142, female 245; in music 135, and in the industrial department 95. The total number of pupils reported was 3,630-male 1,932, female 1,698; in kindergarten 386; in vocal music 1,581; in instrumental music 1,858. In the industrial departments the total number of pupils was 1,860. The total number of volumes in the libraries was 95,879. The value of scientific apparatus was $13,300, and the value of grounds and buildings was $6,183,538. The total receipts from public funds were $869,394. Schools for the deaf.-The total number of schools for the deaf included in the statistical tables is 95. These schools reported 1,020 instructors and 10,429 students. The 54 State public schools report 817 instructors-in articulation 311, in auricular development 37, and in the industrial departments 235. The total number of pupils reported was 9,391, of which number 3,535 were taught by the combined system, 2,215 by the pure oral method, and 1,966 by the manual method. The number of pupils reported that could not be taught by the pure oral method was 316. Of the total number of pupils, 746 were taught in the kindergartens. The number of graduates was 537. The libraries of these institutions contained 90,184 volumes, The value of scientific apparatus was $21,394; the value of grounds and building $11,373,873; receipts from public sources, $1,848,637, and the expenditures $2,461,42 The public day schools for the deaf reported 60 instructors, 49 in articulation. F in aural development, and 5 in the industrial departments. The number of papis reported was 506, of which number 119 were taught by the combined system, 346 b the pure oral method, and 20 by the manual method. The number that could not be taught by the pure oral method was 39, the number taught in the kindergartens wa 11, and the number of graduates was 43. The receipts reported from public source was $37,132, and the expenditures amounted to $42,827. The private schools for the deaf reported 83 instructors-46 in articulation, 19 in aural development, and 22 in the industrial departments. The number of papis reported was 532, of which number 255 were taught by the combined system, 112 by the pure oral method, and 37 by the manual method. The number that could not be taught by the pure oral method was 146, and the number taught in the kindergarteta was 29. Schools for the feeble minded.-The education of the inmates of the schools for the feeble minded includes not only the simple elements of instruction given in the common schools, but also the cultivation of habits of cleanliness, self-reliance, selfmanagement, and the development of a capacity for useful occupation. Striet attention is also paid to the physical and moral education of each pupil. The schools have three départments-custodial, school, and industrial. In the custodial department the pupils are taught cleanliness, to wash and dress themselves, and to assist others who are physically unable to help themselves. In the school department, reading, writing, grammar, geography, arithmetic, history, etc, are taught. The trades taught in the industrial department are carpentry, wood carving, turning, shoemaking, bricklaying, farming, sewing, cooking, baking, etc. The number of schools reported to this Bureau was 28, with 248 instructors in the school departments, 244 in industrial departments, and 496 assistants in caring for the inmates The total number of pupils reported was 8,534, of which number 813 were enrolled in kindergarten and 1,474 in music. The 18 State public schools report 190 instructors in the school departments, 201 in industrial departments, and 432 assistants in caring for the inmates. The number of pupils reported was 8,177. Of these 718 were in kindergartens and 1,343 in music. The value of grounds and buildings was $4,631,917; the receipts from public sources were $1,256,468, and the expenditures were $1,362,791. Of the private institutions for the feeble minded, Connecticut has 1, Illinois 1, Maryland 1, Massachusetts 3, Michigan 1, and New Jersey 3, making a total of 10 schools, with 58 instructors in school departments, 43 in industrial departments, and 64 assistants in caring for inmates. There were in these schools 357 pupils-95 of them in kindergartens and 131 in music. |