Milford chronicle., 1883-09-28

FROM H. G. Conrad Esq, we ac-
knowledge the receipt in pamphlet
form of his "Glilnpse at the COlored
Schools of Delaware" as read before
the Annual Meeting of the State
Teachers Association.
/ 1t was in December 1866 that about
/ fifteen public spirited citizens of Will
mington "laid the foundation of what
ever of system of cOlOred education
exists in this State" Out of this meet
ing grew the Delaware Association
for the moral improvement and educa-
tiOn of the colored people. Early in
1867 this Association undertook to ac-
cumulate fund from which to pay
the salaries of teachers for the cOlOred
schools. The Freeman's Bureau coz
tributed the lumber necessary for four
teen school houses. The land upon
which they were built, and all eXpen-
ses incurred in their erection were paid
for out of the funds raised by the col
OTed people. In twenty nine other To-
calities the cOlOred people have fur
nished the lumber and met the entire
expense in the erection of buildings to |
serve for school purposes. Very few
of these buildings are fitted for the |
purpose. the buildings being of the /
rudest kind, and furniture and Rppli- /
ances being lacking, but they serve .
the purpose and the eolOred people are
entitled to credit for having exerted .
themselves to erect them, inadequate
as they may be. In twenty-fOur other
localities the churches of the cOlOred
people are used for school purposes.
The agent of the Association, called
the Actuary, had general superintend-
ance of the erection of buildings; of
the placing of teachers in position and
of the general conduct of the schools.
In 1875 the Delaware Legislature
passed an act providing for the tax
ing of cOlOred people for the support
of their own schools In 1881 an act (
was passed by the General Assembly
making an annual appropriation of
S2400 from the State Treasury to be
pro rata among the schools
IF each county. This appropriation /
had very encouraging effect upon the =,
,OlOred people. The number of schools
increased in a single year from 46 tO67 !
aud the number of scholars enrolled l
rom 1897 to Sl2l. '
The General Assembly of 1888 passed {
IN act increasing the annual State APP d
from S240O to $1,000, and =
providing for its distribution by the
Ir5asurers of the respective counties. C
rhe State Superintendent of Free 4
schools is given by this act general n
upervisiOn Of the cOlOred schools of
he State. The school year just closed
hOws an enrolment of 3439 outside of Fl
f the city of Wilmington, an increase u
f 3l8 over the previous school year.
There are siXty-seven cOlOred schools
n the State. The school terms vary t.
rom three to eight months. The sal II
ries paid to the teachers have aver :,
ged about $l4 per month and board. v
I'm school systems, generally, 1t is ,
sual to pay larger salaries to teachers,
lst in proportion to the advanced
rade of the scholars. While, for
Dme reasons, this course is evidently p,
ght, yet my experience cOnvinces =,
lie that the teacher of primary schOl- u
rs is not sufficiently paid, so l desire p
} enter my plea for better wages for k
lat class of teachers. No teaching is nj
} difficult and OnerOus as the training =
the primary scholar. 1t calls for =
le wisest tact, the greatest amount of Is
ltience, the most careful and pains re
king detail of labor, bringing into a,
ay every possible faculty of teaching, :.
ask for the primary teacher, ev- al
ywhere, a higher rate of wages, in 81
me measure commensurate with the h,
lpOrtance and gravity of the services R
ndered. Better pay to the cOlOred
achers in this State would attract a
tier class of teachers, as the salaries tW
Maryland and New Jersey have nj
Ell somewhat in excess of ours, and dr
Dor very naturally drifts to those -
aces where it is best paid" ar