Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-07-18
EDUCATION AT THE SOUTH.
Encouraging Exhibit-S0me Progress
Made, but Much, Very Much, to
be Done Yet.
1885, $40 Of Help from the Peabody
Statistics from All the South
ern States-RepOrt Of DR..
Sears

Sears
New YORK, July 1.-THE annual re-
body fund, DR.. Barnes Sears, gives an
encouraging review of the general con-
dition of
PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE SOUTHERN
STATES,
and says the encouraging circumstances
vastly predominant over the discoUrag-
ing. There is one class of men, the re-
port says, whose influence is to be dread
ed, who do not profess TO be unfriendly
to common schools, but reluctantly con-
sent to let the experiment be tried, pro-
vided 1t be done cheaply, not consider
ing, probably not caring, that such a
condition is fatal to success. The effect
would be, and in more than one State
is, to create dissatisfaction among
people who, having paid their school
tax, find that private schools have been
broken up or reduced to weakness or in
efficiency by the removal of so many
pupils, and that
FOR WANT OF SUFFICIENT FUNDS
no respectable public schools have
taken the place. So far as theeducatiOn
of the children of the State is concerned,
the two systems co-existing are chiefly
efficient in weakening each other. For
either to be prosperous, it will require all
the money that is paid for both. Men
will not be satisfied to be reduced to the
necessity of setting up schools of their
own, or of sending their children from
home after having contributed their
share to the public school fund. Such
are the results of what people are pleased
to call economy in expenditures for pub
lie schools.
The report goes on TO refer to the
scheming legislators, and shows how the
voice of the people has frequently been
raised against them, and insists that the
superintendents should not be frequent
ly changed, and says he must wait a
time for the results of the change
FROM THE PRIVATE TO THE PUBLIC
SYSTEM.
Past prejudices are growing to be re-
garded as amiable weaknesses, and there
are men enough in the southern States
who pronounce for funding, antiquated
system of private schools, and adopting
the changes our present condition rem
ders necessary. The following statistics
are taken from the report:
VIRGINIA.
Ehs number of public schools in the
State for the year ending August l, 1872,
is $685., and the school population is All =
O21 persons, of whom 247, COZ are white
The amount appropriated was S31, 800.
NCRTH CAROLINA.
The condition of the public schools
and education generally are far from sat
isfactoTy. There is an Indifference on
the subject manifested among the com
mon people, and want of union and
hearty cooperation among the public
men. The amount appropriated was
$I2, $50.
SOUTH CAROLINA.
Few schools are reported throughout
the year. Application was made for
Charleston as follows: The legislature
at its last session appropriated over
$500, 900 for educational purposes, butnot
one dollar of this amount has been re-
ceived from the treasury, and the result
has been that nearly all the public
schools In the State have been closed.
Amount paid, $4,000.
GEORGIA.
The effort thus far to establish a pub
lie school system has resulted in COM
parative failure. The fund contributed
was SIC, 200 to twelve schools.
aoodgc FLORIDA.
Three-fourths of the youth of the State
are yet unreached by the educational
system, but the ratio is rapidly chang
ing. The fund contributed was $4,000 in
aid of fourteen schools.
ALABAMA.
OF population of million, 3Ss, 900
can neither read nor write. Of the vot-
ing population there are 81, 900 blacks
and II, 600 whites who cannot read or
write. The State funds paid during the
year, S606, ,6l7, and the Peabody fund
$1,000 to i've schools. -e
sl MISSISSIPPI.
There are 1850 public schools with an
average attendance of 125, 900, and 400
private schools with 148, ,780 pupils en-
rolled. The oszPonsos Of tho oo=sa naora
schools were 81, 1876, 9SS, and the Pea
body fund contributed S4450 to aid six
schools.
There was contributed to aid the
schools 1880.
TEXAS.
In the unsettled state of school mat
ters the trustees did not feel justified in
making donations.
-e,.....-. ARKANSAS.
Number Of children of school age,
1874, ,314; number Of persons attending
school, SO, 863; teachers, 2035; amount
paid to teachers, 1856, ,625; amount con-
tributed from Peabody fund, $500.
1g TENNESSEE.
. Number of children of school age
about 400, 600; school fund, $2,512, 500; /;
amount available for schools, $3.50, 900,
and the Peabody fund contributed in aid
of fifty-five schools, SOS, 800.
WEST VIRGINIA.
There are three thousand schools in
operation, run at an expense of $750, 900
annually, and $50, ,000 in the graded and
high-schools. The Peabody fund con-
tributed $15, $50.
TOTAL CONTRIBUTION.
The total contribution to allthe States
amounts to$135, $40.