POPULATION.

(Tables 1 and 2.)

Table 1 gives (1) the total population of each State, (2) the school population, or number of possible pupils, and (3) the adult male population, or number of taxpayers or school supporters. These are all estimated for 1892 upon the basis of the U. S. Census of 1890.

The slow diminution in the relative number of children in the popu lation since 1870, and the differences which characterize the different States as regards their relative number of children, are shown in Columns 2 to 4 of Table 2. This is an important matter in considering actual school attendance and one which has already been emphasized in previous reports of this office.

Column 5 of the same table exhibits the relation which the number of adult males bears to that of children. When it is considered that in Montana, for instance, there are five times as many male adults to the hundred children as in South Carolina, which is one of the surprising facts developed by the U. S. Census of 1890, an idea may be had of the adverse conditions the latter State, as well as the entire South in a greater or less degree, has to contend with in this regard alone in sustaining a public-school system. In Diagram 1 the inequalities in the ratios of adult to school population are rendered more striking to the eye. The proportion of white children of foreign birth or parentage is given in Column 6 of Table 2, while Columns 7 to 9 give the percentage of foreign-born population since 1870. The foreign born number 14.77 per cent, or about one-seventh, of the total population, which is a slight increase over the percentage of 1870. The foreign element is almost wanting in the South, while in the North and West persons of foreign birth form about one-fifth of the population.

DIAGRAM 1.—Showing for each State the number of adult males to every 100 children of (Table 2, Column 5.)

school age in 1890.

TABLE 3.-Number of pupils enrolled at various periods, and relation of the enrollment to the school population.

TABLE 4.-The school enrollment of 1891-'92 classified by sex, and compared with the enrollment of the preceding year. Per cent of the male and of the female school popula

tion enrolled.

Total.

ENROLLMENT.

Tables 3 and 4 give various facts relating to the common school enrollment, past and present.

It appears that the total number of pupils enrolled on the school registers during the school year 1891-'92, so far as can now be determined, was 13,205,877, or an average of 68-82 pupils for each 100 children of school age (5 to 18 years), as against 69.03 in 1890–91.

A consolidation of the gains and losses of one year shows a net increase of 203,238 pupils over the last preceding reports (in the case of most of the States over those of 1890-'91). This indicates a gain of 1.56 per cent, which is less than for several years past; the gain of 1890-'91 over 1889-'90, indeed, was 2.57 per cent.

These figures seem to show that the increase in enrollment has not kept pace during the past year with the growth of the school population. Some of the State reports of enrollment are imperfect, however, and this loss of pupils as compared with the total number of children may be only apparent. Kentucky, for instance, shows (Table 4, Column 5) a loss of 36,627 pupils since 1890-'91; but Supt. Thompson, of that State, attributes this seeming loss to imperfect reports, and informs the Bureau that it is doubtful if there has been any real loss. The decrease of 10,018 pupils in Indiana may probably be explained in the same way.

The increase in some of the States of the Western Division is phenomenal; Montana, Idaho, and Washington each increased their school enrollment by about one-seventh, and Utah by nearly one-fifth (18.50 per cent).

Sex. The attempt has been made in the present Report to classify the common school enrollment by sex. The result shows that in each section of the Union, as a rule, more boys are enrolled in the common schools than girls. This might have been expected from the fact that there is an excess of boys in the school population, 50-47 per cent of all the children from 5 to 18 years of age being boys (Table 1, Columns 3, 4, and 6). But it is further shown (Table 4, Columns 7 and 8) that in proportion to the total numbers of each sex more boys than girls are enrolled. Out of every 100 boys of school age in 31 States 68.42 are enrolled; girls, 67-48. The difference is slight, and may be due to the reluctance of parents to intrust their girls to the public schools at so early an age as their boys.

Classification of pupils by age.-A knowledge of the ages of commonschool pupils is a great desideratum. Only three States, viz, Vermont, New Jersey, and North Carolina, furnish complete information upon this point. Several other States report the number of pupils above and below certain age limits. Using this information as a basis, an estimate has been made of the number of pupils of each year of age from 5 to 18, which is probably not grossly in error, and may serve for most purposes in lieu of more accurate figures. A corresponding esti.