OCR Text |
Show gEPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDUN AFFAIRS. 15 conference. The conference was in session four days, and the report of its proceedings constitutes a contribution of great value to the general subject of Indian education, and more especially with regard to the problems of the nonreservation schools. Progress is being made in the important work of more closely con-necting the Indian schools with the public schools. The association of Indian children with white children in the public schools, wherever practicable, will be a definite means of promoting the assimilation of the Indians into American life. During the last year ;bout 3,000 Indian pupils were enrolled in the public schools, a remarkable increase over previous years, most noted in California and Oklahoma. The office is willing to pay a per capita tuition equal to the amount .apportioned by the State or county per pupil for all Indian pupils enrolled in the public schools whose parents are not taxpayers. Superintendents have readily seen the advantage to be gained by such an arrangement. There has been a marked example of woperation in school matters among the whites and Indians at Fort Lapwai, Idaho. An indus-trial high-school plant is maintained there by the State of Idaho and the Indian Office jointly. At the close of its first year there was an attendance of more than 225 pupils, of whom over one-half were Indians. This school bas the cooperation and support of the best people in the community and the state school authorities. The State pays part of the expense and the Government bears the expense of the Indians, each race being afforded equal opportunities as to instruc-tion. It is found that the association of the two races in the same schools is overcoming, in a great degree, the local prejudice of the whites against the Indian. As the districts in which Indian reservations are situated become more thickly settled the distribution of public schools is going to be much more extensive, and the opportunities for the Indians to attend public schools will be greatly increased. This will make necessary various readjustments in the Indian school policy. We have begun to prepare for these readjustments. During the last year we adopted the state or local courses of study for the Indian sehools. In the manual for Indian schools recently issued the reasons for this action are given as follows: 4 order to glve de5nitenesa and true direction to the policy of Indian educa. tlon it seems highly desirable as a rule to make the course of study for each Indian school conform to the course of study adopted by the State or county in which it is situated. This will not only make it possible to increase the general e6iciencp of Indian schools, but it will show the Indian children that their sehools are in all essential Points the same as those for white childr ,+ They are already comparing their schools with those maintained by the States and it ought not to be true in any community that they surer by this eom-parlson. |