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Show REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF INDIAN SCHOOLS. WASHMGTDO.N C.,, O ctober 16, 1897. SIX: I have the honor herewith to transmit to my fourth annual renort. together with the nroceedings of tbe three Indian school-service initititecheld during thesummer months, and a number of papers read at these meetings. I make no attempt to present statistics as to Iudian sohool work, attendance, growth, expenditures, etc., since these matters have been fully noted in your own report, and any figures which I might prepare would, for the most part, duplicate those which you have already given. My desire is to invite attention to certain existing phases of Indian education which mark progress gained, or weak points to be remedied, or new directions in which progress may he successfully sought. Thanks to the more liberal appropriation for my traveling expenses for the fiscal year 1897, I have been able to inspect, personally, a larger number of sohools than was the case during previous years. This has enabled me to do away with several serious drawbacks in the equip-ment and work of the schools I visited. On the other hand, changes in the wrps of supervisors and delays in the app~int~meonf tn ew super. visors have seriously interfered with my work 80 far as the inspection of schools by these important assistmts is concerned. I am grateful, therefore, that you have agreed to secure for my work, with the concur-rence of the honorable Secretary of tlle Interior, the appointment of two additional supervisors, raising their number from three to Eve; and also that you have directed me to divide tbe Indian school territory into five supervisory districts, one of which is to be permanently assigned to each of the five supervisors. This will render it possible forthese offi-cials to visit each school in their charge several times during the year, thereby enabling me, with their assistance, to secure more compact organization, not only in each individual sohool, but in th6 school servloe as a whole. It gives me pleasure to be able to report that in spite of the obstacles in the work of suuervisors. and thanks to the ir~tellieentd evotion of the agents and s ; l ~ e r i ~ ~ t r ~ ~th~elrce ~h~nst sh.e cn ou tl; whole decided prbcreaa i n the school work and i~lrreasi-l~vg~ .gor: l nd cornpactucsci in ihe%rgauizatiou of the schools as a whole. - Further gains will be derived from this timely increase and organiza-tion of the supervisors'corps in the better and more systematic control of transfers of pupils; in the extension through their efforts of the out-ing system; in guarding against error in the ap~ointmenotf Indians; in applying methods of prevention generally in matters which-under the scantier supervision of the past few years-frequently grew into serious evils calling for drastic measures of cure; and in the eEorts of the Indian Office to encourage returned students in legitimate self-help. 318 |
