The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1885-07-29
THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
s'ri ss,; S:sa II :ss s,ss si Sisses;s
An OUTLINE OF THE FREE SCHOOLS
OF THE STATE.

OF THE STATE.
For many years il has been charged
against North Carolina that it, as a
State, bore the palm of ignorance !.
that her school system was worthless,
and that such prejudice existed
against free or public schools as would,
in the nature Of things, serve to pre-
vent any real development for years
to come.
We acknowledge the fact that these
structures did bear distant relation
to truth. We deny tina. they do now,
and we point with pride to the ever
increasing favor in which the free
school system .(for either white or
colored) is held By the intelligent
classes Of the State.
It IS quite unneccssary to trace the
development Of this sentiment and of
this system in detail, and it is also
beyond our power to accord the space
that would be necessary to such his
torical work. But in order to refute
the defamations Of those who know
little of North Carolina, we take the
liberty Of making copious quotations
from the last report Of the State De-
partment OF Public Instruction.
From a tabulated statement Of school
statistics for the year 1884 we find
that the number Of white children
attending public schools during the
last scholastic year was, as reported
by 90 counties, Of males, 1,044 Of
females 76,015, or q total Of 167. COG;
Of colored-males, 54,e06 /; colored
females, 56,633, or q total, for 92
counties, of III, 239. From four Of
the counties there is no report.
Our Northern friends, who are SO
earnest Cat least so urgeDtl in their
demands for school facilities to be
extended TO the colored men, may
possibly derive some little satisfaction
from perueal Of the above official
figures Briefly told. the story is
that while the State Of North Caro-
lima provided free tuition to 167, 059
white children, il also provided equal
ly free tuition for III, 239 colorcd
children. Bear in mind the fact, also,
thar there is no compulsory educa-
tional law. and the ratio Of benefits
to the two races viii appear in still
quite another light.
There Is q greater discrepancy in
the relative number Of school dis
tricts and Of the number Of school
houses for the two races. As re-
ported by % counties. the number oil
school districts are for whites, 1885;
for colored. 1881. The number oil
public school houses are for whites,
1895; for colored, 794. The value
of this property. as reported by So
counties. Is: for whites, s344,510.35;l L
for colored GA counties), s13s,5si.62.
OF course, these amounts look small
10 the denizens Of such States rs
New York, Massachusetts. Ohio, IN
diana and other Of the Common
wealths that have gone TO the front
In all that relates 70 the public school /
system, but still these figures show
that the work Is well In hand in the .
Old North State, and Il gives promise
Df brighter things in the future.
Referring again 70 tbereport above
alluded 20, we find that the average q
Icngili OF school terms for the two 4
races is essentially the same, and that /
while 3,470 teachers we're EMPLOYED
n white schools, there were 2.141 en-. 9
ployed in the colored schools. The !
Inference in salaries (per capital paid /,
% teachers 10 white and colored :,
chools was very slight, averaging !,
or the former s24.l6 and fcr the =
after s22.06. .
Major Finger informs us that The o
text report Of the Superintendent y
vii embrace both graded aud private !,
chools. We have no report upon !,
ny Of the graded schools except that q
{ Winston, which we refer 10 at some q
ength In another column, but we "
ave learned that there are graded
chools at The following named places
4 the State: Hickory, Lincolnion. .,
Greensboro, Lexington, n,
durham Iof the Durham schools We
'rote o few weeks sgo), Warrenton. y
saleigb, Goldsboro, Kinston, New -
'erne, Wilson, Rocky Mount, Mag. vi
Ola, Wilmington, Charlotte and
fayetteville. 4.
Of q number Of the more promi.
ent chartered and private schools y,
. write In detail upon other pages q,
this paper. -
The Normal school system and -
ethods grow more and more into -
,pularity. There are eight Normal ~ y.
,bools Tor white teachers, operated ~ ~
Ie month each year, In addition 10 ~ -
q permanent Char Of Pedagogics, -,
Chapel Hill, to which Prof Henry. ~
Missouri, was recently elected, and ~
} may rem ark that the attendance 81 III
ION NoNnals has been Ear better this - =.
ar than yer before. ~ II.