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Show 8 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAK AFFAIRS. Office. They have entered with heart and soul into the cause, and have ably seconded office efforts for the educational advancement of these people. A few tribes are able to report the enrollment of their entire available school population, and in several schools the average atteud-ance has exceeded 95 per cent of the enrollment. As the school force becomes more proficient in dealing with the numberless problems con-tillually arising in Indian schools, which are very different from those occurring in white schools, their value as educators increases in large ratio. The steady increase in the Indian school work during a series of years is indicated in the following table: TARLI3P. -Nrcmbv of Indian schools and overage attendance fvoa 1877 to 2896. a asomsof the 6pms in this table 88 hitherto rintd were taken from report8 of thp Superintendent or ~ n d i a nS cbools. *snow rsvised tllegars alf'taken from thereportsofthe cornmaslonerof ~ n d i h n Affairs. Prior to 1882 the figures include the New Pork sohoola. bIndian children attending publin sahools are inaluded in the aversgs attendance, but the achools ere no& included in the number of sohaols. cueorease in namber of boarding sohools is doe to disoontinnance of aomeaontract sohools. PUBLIC SCHOOLS. The value of State public schools is recognized by this office, and an increase in the number of Indian pupils attending then1 has been urged upon agents and Indian parents. Uncouth ways and strange customs raise an almost impassable barrier between the red and white children, but I am satisfied that while the process will naturally be slow, adjust-ment will come, and that many more white schools will take advantage of the liberal offer of the Government for coeducation of the races. The prejudice of the whites and the equal prejudice and timidity of the Indians will eventually wear off, and instead of an average attend-ance of only 294 Indian p u ~ i l sa large number of them will before many years be found enrolled a8 a matter of course in the public schools in their vicinity. |