New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-01-18
;ler 0rteans &epubtifa'a.
EElCIAl JOURNAL OF THE UNITED STATES
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS

OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS
PROCEEDINGS OF THE STATE BOARD
OF EDUCATION.
The State Board OF Education has been in
ression during the past two weeks. me
meetings have been quite luily al'ehuea.
and a large amount OF routine. ana olher
business has been transacted.
Superintcndents McCleery, Stotdard.
Carter. Diossy. Richardson and WHY
have been present during the meetings.
At the meeting held January 4, the Prrs'-
dent of the Board, Hon. Thomas W. Con-
way, presented. rs required by law. his an
uual report to the State Board % Educa-
ton. as follows:
EXPORT or STATE SCrEEIHrE>DfNC TO vHt.
STATE BOARD.
euperintrndents and Memher- OF III. State Board
OF EDUCATION:
GENTLEMEN-In submitting L" you the
following statement, and extract from nay
annual report to the General \ ssemblv.
also extract from nv reply TO the annual
letter from his Excellency the Governor of
she State, asking information of, and such
recommendations rs ] may deem necessary
20 secure. the greater efficiency OF our pub
VIC school system. ! take it for granted
THAT Won will only be interested III those
facts which the working of the school sys-
tem during the wear has brought specially
into netice. and the suggestions which otter
must come from = consideration ot such
facts.
With this understanding very many mat
GERS of interest must be left unnoticcd, and
eome that might be counted important must
he omitted.
Let me congratulate you on the years
l~Au ~. n r,,arl-o a a. ora u YhA history
of our State. and max this annual meet
nag of the State Board of Education an
occasion of peculiar interest.
Until the present year 1870 the educa-
tiOnal work of the State has been confined
10 those cities. towns and parishes that
border the navigable rivers, bayous and
2akes, and even these favored places were
a,oOrly provided with schools. Remote par
sshes and wards. ever since tn" first school
Jaw was passed, 1. e., in 1884. have been
sriminally neglected by those to whom We're
entrusted their educational interests.
This year the case is different. | believe
ahat every ward, town, city or parish IL the
State has either been visited by you as
Division Superintendents, or they ave been
put in communication with thi. office
Shrough your efforts.
To-day the subject Of Public Education
u receiving more attention from the people
Of Louisiana than ever before. Copies Of
the school law. circulars of instruction and
schedule OF apportiontmentshave been sent
10 every parish, city and town in the State
the poor, hitherto neglected, hail with de-
light the new order Of things, and cordially
support to the best of their ability orr
efforts to carry into effect the provisions OF
Che school law. Even the opponents Of
public schools, under the pressure Of the
increasing demand for them. are relaNin. il.
their opposition TO such a degree that IN
n
many instances they offer thelr SERVICES rs
godfather to them.
| am well aware that our work Is ia il.
incipicncy. That the results are not ;s sd
Iistactory as was desired. Yet the advanced
steps taken the organization of boards NJ
school directors. and the opening OF schools
by them, have set influences 1T work that
will supplement your future efforts with 4
power hitherto unknown. The precious
f0unts of knowledge that you have present.
ed to the furnished thousands in or STATE
nave awakened hopes that will no: rest
short of t%ruition. their very ferVen"y guar
anteeing success for our work.
AS to the condition OF the common S"iioo:
divisions. the number Of schools in the
State, the number of scholars between six
and twenty-one years OF age. and ais" the
number in each parish who have attended
the schools; the number OF books in the
division libraries, and the value OF all ap-
;aratus ia the schools statement which
the law requires me to make to the State
Board Of Education. l will simply
cay that the section ttonTteen' con
tanning the above requirement IL
section eighteen of act l2l of March 10, 1863
THE old schoo! act. and was passed for IL"
benefit Of a State Board of Education not
composed of division superintendent.
You are already III possession OF the in
formation called for in this section. so far
as it relates to your respective divisions.
but l will state that my annual report Will
exhibit, in detail and tabular statement. all
the information furnished me on the topics
enumerated.
The law requires me to present to you
such plans as | may have maturel for the
management and improvement OF the com
mon school fund, and more perfect organ
ization and efficiency Of the common schools,
and other matters relating to my Office, as 1
may deem eXpedleht.
In compliance with the above, your atten-
sion is invited to the following extract FROM
nv reply to the Governors annual letter
calling for report Of the educational work ID
the State. and such recommendations as l
may deem necessary to secure its greater
efficiency.
Let me state en- passant that the plan !
rave adopted for the disbursement OF the
current school fund has fully met TIE re-
uuirements of the school law; ut the same
I'LL IL uIild u ''i'AAS
and is so simple and complete that any citi-
zen may without difficulty inform himself
Of the amount due ar that has been appor
toned to the ward, town. city or parish II
which he resides.
The rigid scrutiny given to al! bonds and
the receipts required for every certificate
Of apportionment issued. enables me 10 fur.
nish ut cnce Il statement OF the account OF
every school treasurer with the current
school fund"
At this poin. the State Superintendent
read the amendments 10 the school act pro
posed by him Tor the consideration Of the
Governor, which, having already appeared
IN the columns OF the R~ErUELIcAS, are here
omitted. pr. Conway's report then pro
eeedcd. as follows:
The following extract from my annual
report is submitted for your consideration
Every paIiSbJn the State has thus re-
seiyeI its board of school directors, com
posed ofcitizens who. it was believed, would
take an active interest Ill the work en-
trusted to their care. None have been com
missioNed except oD recommendations Which
were deemed sufficient to insure Their fldc]
:ty to the trust imposed. Up to this ro'n'
the responsibility of the State Board eX
tended; beyond this. as il board, they conc
not 90, for the law under which they actet
limited their power to the appointment %
school directors OF parishes, incorporate
towns and cities, leaving the appoint
ment of district boards-the actua
and effective element of the schoo
work-subiect TO the will and aG
ton of the parish, town and city boards
while success or failure of the school woTf
depepds remotely on the action of the STATE
Board; they rest directly on that OF th'