Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-01-24
THE SCHOOLS OF MISSOURI
Items of Interest from the Annual Report
OF the superintendent OF Public Instruc.
ton.

Items of Interest from the Annual Report
OF the Superintendent OF Public Instruc-
ton. 80 a.
JEFFERSON CITY, Jan. Is.
Superintendent Coleman has submitted
the thirty-fourth annual report of the pub
lie schools of the State of Missouri to the
Governor, as required by law. The report
shows that decided Improvement has been
made in the public schools of the State dur
ing the last year. Afew facts are noticed
as proof of the foregoing, viz: b
/. The conservative course of the leading
educators has resulted in effectuaily elm
mating many conflicting elements, thereby
enabling tue friends OF education to con-
centrate their efforts in enlisting the SYM
patny, gaining the confidence and Secur.
ing the cooperation of those who have
heretofore withheld their approval and
support. 20" s
2. a more ready acquiescence on the part
of the school officers with the manifest re-
quirements OF law, which has obviated
much unnecessary contention previously
occasioned by irregularities in official ac-
ton. E ~
8. A more urgent demand on the part of
the public that the legitimate results of our
public school system shall harmonic with
the expenditures incurred. tr
4. a constant call for better teachers;
for those who have made teaching a study,
a profession; who consider education to
mean nothing more than physical develop.
ment, intellectual training and moral cul-
ture-who understand that to educate
child is to make citizen. -i-l
D. A willingness among all classes to
vote to extend the school term; TO pay bet.
ter salaries for teachers; to erect more con-
.venient and comfortable school buildings;
to supply TIE schools with improved furni-
ture and necessary apparatus.
The statistics embodied in the report,
while approximately correct, are quite I'M
satisfactory. for many county clerks fail to
and some fail to make any report whatever.
In most cases this arises from the failure
OF tue district clerk to keep correct rec.
ord of the official transactions of the board;
and Mr.. Coleman is of the opinion that this
evil will never he eradicated until county
supervision is established by law in every
county of the State. as.--
In referring TO coiored schools, Mr.. Cole.
man says: 1.-The prejudice heretofore ex.
listing against colored schools and the edu-
cation of the colored youth, to give them
equal advantages with the whites, as the
appeared, and the colored schools are
maintained for the same length of terms as
the white schools. Sometimes case arises
where the people or board refuse to open
colOred school as the law directs, but only
a lew such cases have been reported to nv
'offi:e. Nearly all the colored schools are
taught by. .coiored teachers, and so far as
at present known, they are all colored. This
plan is less objectionable and works much
better than otherwise"
In 1872 the enumeration was from ) to 81
years OF age; iii $50 from 6 to % years.
The city of St. LOUIS belonged to the coun.
ty in 1872 and is classed with in it in 1882.
The enumeration for the larger counties,
including the cities, shows the number OF
school children to be: ..