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Show There are 19 nonreservation boarding schools now in operat.ion, one less than last year. The buildings at Port Stevenson? S. Dak., haviog been burned, the school there has been discontinued. That school was originally established at Fort Stevenson, not because of any spenial advantage of location, but because of the abandoned military buildings there which could be utilized. Pupils were obtained mostly from the Fort Berthold Agency, 17 miles distant, which had no Government boarding school. A new boarding school has been established at Port Berthold during the past year, which will practically supply the place of the school hitherto carried on at Fort Stevenson. The number of nonreservation boarding schools now in operation I consider sufficient to meet all the requirements of our educational system. At least for the present, no more such schools will be organized, but existing ones .will be fostered, enlarged, and more fully prepared to accomplish the work mapped out for them. There has been an increase during the year of 323 in the enrollment at these schools, making a total of 4,673 pupils. The majority of these schools are equipped for thorough industrial work, and great stress is laid upon this portion of the educational cur. riciilum. While literary branches are by no means neglected, and Indians are found to develop into apt students as soon as they master the English language, the necessity of giving Indian youth an all-round training, which shall equip them for earning their own living, is kept constantly in view. To teach the Indian boy and girl to work intelli-gently, effectively, and hence remuneratively, is the first consideration; but this so involves discipline of mind, as well as skill of handiwork, i that neither can be slighted without loss to the other. ! The nonreservation school iu its pecullar work is a most valuable adjunct to Indian education and civilization, and should stand in rela-tion to the regular Government school as the college to the high school. I have endeavored to give vitality to this idea by a system of transfers from the reservation schools. The brightest and ~noset fficient higher-grade pupils are recommended byscllool superintendents and agents for transfer to nonreservation schools, the same being in the nature of a promotion. It therefore stimulates and encourages those who desire to further enlarge their minds and make greater opportunities for themselves, and leaves more room for the other pupils from the camps or day schools. The gradual elaboration of this plan so as to finally fill the nonreservation schools with only graduates .of the reservation schools will addgreatly to the effectiveness of the general system of Indian education. It is the policy of the Office to give Indian graduates every oppor-tunity practicable to enter the field of life in. good situations, and the Civil Service Commission has been exceedingly favorable to the em-ployment of Indians as teachers. In order to give greater latitqe irr the matter, the President amended the civil-service rules relating to |
