The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-04-22
A WORD ABOUT OUR SCHOOLS.
The Men Who Superintend Them.

Now that the Legislature is in session, and
reformatory measures are being pressed for
ward in that body, it is eminently proper
that few facts relative to the condition of
our school affairs should be given to our pub
lie. The following will serve to throw some
light on this important subject:
Number of children entitled to public
school education, $50, 3S7; number enrolled
in public schools, "a, 800; number probably
educated in private schools, GO, 600; number
of children not attending any schools, las, 600;
cost of maintaining public schools, $780,
O6S IS, including s35, 900 to $4,000 from
the school fund of the State Board of Educa-
ton.
Why should this expensive system of su-
pervision be maintained when teachers can
not be paid for their indispensable services
In former days the State Superintendent did
all the work, and was paid salary of only
$3.50 to $1,000 out of the general fund of the
State, like other State officers.
There can now be no question but what We
have tried long enough to be thoroughly con-
WINGED OF the fact that our present system is
failure That the control Of our city schools
should be re;nvested in the city government
is now, after the experiment had, perfectly
evident to any one who has devoted the
slightest attention to the matter.
| The City Administrators should be given
the appointment of the person who is to con-
! troll our schools and Thea the interest which
one feels towarl the improvement of his local
! interests would be insured The public would
then interest themselves in the prosperity of
our educational institutions and the present
Barnaele system Of chow not to do it be
reformed.
the gent who presides over the education Of a
portion Of the childrea Of our State, We
would simply introduce him through report
made over his own sign manual. This Divi-
sion Superintendent says:
Indeed, it seems to be favorable coup
Ietat of the Louisiana politician, with brazen
effrontery and all the appearance of injured
innocence, to charge upon every one else all
the crimes of which they themselves are
guilty.
| This, from one who has in charge the care
and culture of our children, smacks very
much of the old cry, SO often used by foot
pads, of 'tstop thief" to effect their es-
cape. All this hue and cry on the part Of those
who have profted SO long by the present re-
gime, does not go down. The facts snd figures
of our present system will give flat and con-
fusing contradiction to these bubblings.
As sample of what the Great Mogul who
presides over the destinies of our school
children thinks of the late agressions on the
rights and privileges of our white fellow-citi-
zens, we clip from the dusky Browns dusky
report when speaking of the attempt made
to introduce colored girls into the Fourth
District Girls High School. the following:
The responsibility of much if not of all Of
| the outrages committed at that time must
attach forever to and sully the record of the
New Orleans conservative press. In the
future when the history of these outrages are
| Grammar here) rewritten in connection with
the deliverance afforded, then will the full
measure of the iyamy of the conservative
press be recognized.
| i OOA ASAOWA OVAuOAGAy WOO WAAsAAAS3 Ava NV
future when he asked his emanuensis to jot
down something like the above. He felt the
sting or remorse at his own action, and wanted
to effect o cure by the use Of counterfeit
tant.
It is from characters like those who penned
the quotations above that our children are to
receive the benefits given them under the
laws 1t is from drunken Superintendent
that the pure girls of our families are to re-
ceive their rightful boon of learning
This needs no comment. 1t speaks to
every legislator louder than the rhetoric Of
Macaulay, and calls for change, radical
effective and thorough change in our educa-
tional laws. Then. and not till then, will ou1
teachers be paid, our children educated, ant
our once Wanted public school system be re
turned to its old-time pristine glory.
l mi. H. ~ ~ -