Biennial Report for the Period Ending Dec. 31, 1904
THE statistics presented herewith cover all portions of the world except the General European Conference and the South African Conference, from which only partial reports have been received. The reports from the educational secretaries and superintendents concerning church-schools show that 522 schools have been operated during this period. Of these 522 schools we have received individual reports from 317, and all further statistics from church-schools are based upon these reports. They show a total enrolment of 5,591 for the present year. There were also 1,219 enrolled last year who are not enrolled this year, making a total enrolment of 6,810 pupils for two years. The average enrolment per school for the present year is eighteen. Reckoning this average for the 205 schools which have not been reported, we have 3,690 pupils to add to the 5,591 reported, making the approximate total enrolment in the church-schools for the present year 9,281.
From the last Year-book we find that there have been in operation during the last year twenty-nine intermediate schools. Of these twenty-nine schools, we have reports from ten, and all further statistics of the intermediate schools are based upon these reports. They show a total of forty-one teachers. The enrolment for the year 1903-04 was 523, and the enrolment for 1904-05 was 672. This would make the average enrolment in the ten schools for the present year, sixty-seven. Reckoning this average for the nineteen schools not reported, we have 1,273 students to add to the 672, making the total approximate enrolment in the intermediate schools 1,945.
During the biennial period there have been operated eighteen training-schools. Of these eighteen schools we have received reports from fourteen, and the following statistics are based upon these reports. The reports show a total of 138 teachers. The enrolment for 1903-04 was 2,219, and the approximate enrolment for 1904-05 is 2,150, which is no doubt considerably below the actual enrolment. This would make an average of 153 students for each school for the present year. Reckoning this average for the four schools which have not reported, we have 612 students to add to the 2,150 reported, making the total approximate enrolment for the training-schools 2,762. This would make the total approximate enrolment for all schools, based upon the totals of those which have reported, 13,988.
Of the 6,810 pupils from the 317 church-schools which have reported, 2,675 are from families in which the Sabbath is not observed; from the ten intermediate schools, 88; and from the fourteen training-schools, 135. During the two years 425 pupils are reported as having been converted, and 440 as having joined the church as the result of the work in the church-schools; and there are 102 reported from the intermediate schools, and 262 from the training-schools. That there is a larger number who have joined the church than have been converted, is evidently due to the fact that pupils enrolled in the schools had been converted before they entered, but had never joined the church, and that they, with others who were converted during the two years, became church-members. Nothing could speak more loudly of the influence of our schools than these figures. These schools have had the opportunity of teaching the message for this time to a large number of young people and children who came from homes where it is not known, over twenty-five per cent of the entire membership reported being from these homes. This percentage is larger in the church-schools alone, being thirty-nine per cent. And the further fact that nearly seven per cent of the total attendance became members of the church shows that the work of our schools is very directly concerned with the salvation of souls. This seven per cent may not seem large at first thought, but when it is considered that these pupils are children and young people, its importance is enhanced.
Church-Schools
One hundred and twenty-one of the three hundred and seventeen schools have Young People's Societies in their churches. While this is an encouraging number, yet it would at once appear that there should be a larger number of these societies in connection with our church-schools. Being organized, as they are, for the direct purpose of preparing children and young people for gospel work, these societies should naturally go hand in hand with the church-schools, and it would seem that a most earnest effort should be made to thoroughly establish a Young People's Society wherever there is a church-school.
From these schools 195 pupils have entered our intermediate schools, and 127 the training-schools. While this number is not large, it shows a strong current in the right direction. Every young person in our denomination should have a thorough education, and there should be a close co-operation shown between the church-schools and the higher schools.14Five hundred and fourteen students are reported as eligible for entrance to the intermediate schools, and one hundred and sixty-four to the training-schools. This shows an encouraging increase of students who are or should be looking toward higher courses of education in the immediate future.
From these schools a total of 119 is reported as having engaged directly in various lines of gospel work, as follows: Evangelistic, 5; canvassing, 67; medical, 11; educational, 32; publishing, 4. The reason that these schools are thus enabled to make such a good showing of workers who have gone directly from them into these various departments of the work seems to be owing to the fact that while they aim directly at the education of children and youth, many of them are so isolated from advanced schools, and are of such an ungraded character, that they have enrolled among their numbers those who are of an age sufficiently advanced to enable them to enter upon distinctive gospel work upon receiving such special training as they can get in these schools.
Four hundred copies of “Christ's Object Lessons” are reported as having been sold by these schools during the two years. This is understood to be the direct result of the work of the schools, as, for instance, when the school was closed for a day, and the pupils canvassed for the book, or where a special effort has been made in some other way directly by the school for the sale of this book. This number would appear to be much smaller than what might justly be expected from this number of pupils for so long a term. The encouraging promises of divine blessing to those who engage in this work should induce our church-schools, as well as those of more advanced grades, to enter heartily upon this important work each year, and should lead them to have special seasons devoted to the sale of this book; for the obligation rests upon all to continue this work, until our schools are relieved of their indebtedness. This limited number of books sold by so many pupils during so long a period should be a means of awakening all connected with our schools to an earnest endeavor to greatly increase this number during the next biennial period.
Ninety-four schools had industrial work connected with them. This work was comprehended in agriculture, domestic work, wood-yard, chair caning, carpentry, mat making, raffia, basketry, sloyd, woodwork, cooking, shoemaking, furniture making, and pyrography. There seems to be no system whatever in this industrial work, and it would appear that in the majority of instances it is supplementary rather than an integral part of the daily program; while we have not the facts to prove this, from the general nature of the reports we judge that such is the case. There certainly is a great line of advance for our church-schools in developing this important feature.
Sixteen schools were reported as having missionary gardens. These sixteen gardens yielded a total return of $422.10, which is an average of over twenty-six dollars for each school conducting these gardens. If the 317 schools reporting had each conducted a garden with the same average results, the total returns would have been nearly $8,500. This number, out of the total of 522 schools, would not seem too many to have conducted these gardens. It would appear that, if rightly entered upon, it would not be a difficult task to make these gardens yield a very substantial sum for missionary purposes. They would also be of great educational benefit.
One hundred and thirty-nine schools were reported as owning their school buildings, thirty-one held school sessions in the church, and seventy-six in rooms other than a school building or the church.
Eighty-two schools were reported as being supported wholly by tuition, seventy-eight wholly from donations, and fifteen by the conference. Forty-eight were reported as being supported partly by tuition, forty-seven as supported partly by donation, and twenty-four as receiving some assistance from the conference.
The rates of tuition varied from thirty cents to four dollars a month, and the teachers' salaries from seven dollars to fifty dollars a month. These low salaries, evidently, included board and room. One teacher reported her salary as being “love and affection, and $1.60 a month.” Here again appears a great lack of uniformity, and it is very manifest that there needs to be much study put upon the financial features of our church-schools. Each school appears to be a law unto itself. It is evident that one great source of failure in our schools is due to this lack of a solution of the financial problem. There is no doubt, however, that there is a proper solution to this question, and to it all concerned about the prosperity of our schools should earnestly address themselves.
The approximate monthly income from all sources of the 317 schools was reported as $3,482.75, which is an average of nearly eleven dollars for each school. The estimated value of grounds and buildings for church-schools was $47,040.75. The estimated value of school furniture and equipment was $7,175. In the way of helps, there was a total of forty-nine globes, 228 maps, and thirty-two charts.
The following report concerning text-books reveals a great diversity:—
No. S. D. A. series: Bible, 15; history, 4; English, 1; arithmetic, 1; physiology, 2; geography, 1; elementary science, 2; reading, 14; music, 2.
Total No. S. D. A. books used: Bible, 818; history, 11; English, 729; arithmetic, 289; physiology, 1,514; geography, 880; elementary science, 125; reading, 1,516; music, 132.
We have prepared an itemized list of all books used in the 317 church-schools which have reported, with the total number of each book used in all the schools. It might be interesting to note that the largest number of any one text-book used is Kellogg's Physiology, of which there were 1,330. The next largest was Morton's Geography, of which there were 880, and the third was the Bell's Language Series, of which there were 729. The total number of Seventh-day Adventist books used in the church-schools is reported as 6,024.
Intermediate Schools
Only ten reports have been received from our intermediate schools, out of a total of twenty-nine, according to the last Year-book. It would appear from a comparison of the last two Year-books that ten intermediate schools have been opened during the past year. It is to be observed that the percentage of students engaged in agriculture is very much larger in the intermediate than in any of the other schools, and from this it would appear that these schools are quite largely operated upon the industrial basis.
The percentage of students going into the various departments of gospel work from these schools seems to be good, as the total number reported is seventy-two. These are classified as follows: Evangelical, 5; canvassing, 30; medical, 10; educational, 21; publishing, 6.
The approximate number of “Christ's Object Lessons” sold by these ten schools is reported as 342, which is not quite one book for every two students enrolled.
Training-Schools
It may be suggested that the falling off in the enrolment of 1904-05 from that of 1903-04, is probably due to the fact that the enrolment for 1904-05 is approximate, and is undoubtedly below the actual enrolment.
Attention is called to the encouraging fact that 262 students have been converted and joined the church during the biennial period as the result of the work of these training-schools. That these15schools are doing something definite in the direction of the work which they were established to do, is witnessed by the fact that nearly seven hundred students have gone from them directly into different lines of gospel work during the two years covered by this report.
By the direct effort of these schools 2,950 copies of “Christ's Object Lessons” have been sold. Considering the total enrolment for two years, this would be about one book for two students. The remarks previously made in this report concerning the work with “Christ's Object Lessons” in the church-schools apply with greater force to the intermediate and training-schools; for the students in these schools are far more capable of selling these books, and they should naturally have a far deeper interest in their sale, from the fact that the proceeds go directly to the betterment of schools which they are attending, and from the further fact that this work is one which should naturally appeal to those who are fitting for gospel work, since the Lord has called direct attention to it as a duty for this time. The coming two years should see decided improvement in regard to this work; for it brings a direct blessing to the schools which enter into it heartily.
The reported enrolment in the various departments of these schools is as follows:—
Collegiate ................................ 91
Evangelical ............................... 10
Music ..................................... 31
Scandinavian .............................. 38
Normal .................................... 54
Academic .................................. 393
Business .................................. 104
German .................................... 33
Canvassing ................................ 42
Nurses ...................................... 6
Intermediate and Preparatory ............. 367
Industrial ................................. 434
The following industries are included in the last item given: Farming, broom-making, printing, woodwork, horticulture, tent-making, carpentry, painting, carriage-making, blacksmithing, and basket-making.
The approximate number of students working their way through school for the two years is reported as 738, which is over eighteen per cent of the combined enrolment of the two years.
Conventions and Institutes
The convention of the Department of Education, held at College View, Neb., June 12-21, 1903, marked an epoch in the school work of the denomination. Representatives were present from the different grades of schools from all portions of the United States. All phases of our school work were considered, and recommendations were made and plans suggested which have tended to increase the efficiency of the schools.
Since this convention a number of institutes and conventions have been held in various State and union conferences with the same good results. The benefits already derived from these conventions would clearly indicate their value, and the necessity for planning in a more regular and systematic manner for future ones.
Text-Books
Considerable progress has been made in the matter of text-books. The attention of all our teachers has been called to the great need of thoroughly prepared text-books which shall properly represent the message in all its phases as applied to the schools. This is further evidenced by the great diversity of texts used in our church-schools only, as already noted in this report.
The educational workers of the Pacific Union Conference have shown especial activity in this direction, and have in preparation various lines of texts. There are also a number of teachers in different parts of the country who are preparing books upon various subjects; but the great problem with which we have to contend, and which in some way we must solve, is that of the publication of these books. Those that are published should most nearly represent the general consensus of opinion of those teachers engaged in teaching the subjects upon which the books are written.
Educational Literature
This has consisted largely of the Educational Department in the REVIEW AND HERALD, which has been conducted for about a year and a half, together with special pamphlets and matter prepared by different educational secretaries and superintendents for the work in their territories. It would seem that there has not been as much activity in this direction as is to be desired. As educational workers, we must realize that we are all learners, and there should be the freest expression and interchange of ideas concerning all phases of our work. The possibilities in the way of specially prepared literature would suggest that much more could be accomplished than has been by means of an exchange, so that matter which is prepared particularly for teachers in special portions of the country could be used by those in other parts. We need, in this particular stage of our work, the most mutual and helpful feelings possible, with no criticism but that of the very friendliest nature. With this spirit controlling, there is little doubt that the next biennial report will show a marked advancement in all lines of our educational work.