Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-15
TWENTY YEARS HISTORY
sUPT. BAKERS REPORT OF THE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.


System and What It Has Accomplished
The Number OF school Children In
the County and In the schools.
supt Baker submitted his twentieth
annual report Of the public schools TO the
Board Of Education last night. The pres
Ont year completes the second decade Of
the existence of the system OF public in
structon in the city and county.
The Superintendent, in a review Of the
origin aud growth Of the system, makes
some interesting comparisons. At the
close of its first year there we're 10 teachers
and 705 pupils in the schools. The report
for the present year places the number OF
teachers at 81, with an enrolment OF
4,S0S pupils.
Prior TO the war the education of the
Southern youth was left to the efforts OF
| private individuals and voluntary So
cieties. There was what purpOrted to be
| a free school system in the State, but il
was intended only tor the extremely poor,
and was very properly designated pau
per system. Although in individual in
stances there came from these schools
| young men who subsequently occupied
positions Of honor In the State, it was
generally regarded as a badge OF degrade
ton to be pupil Of the free schools.
In consequence they were patrOnized
/ only by those whose means would not
permit them TO send their children to the
academies and private schools. The gen
orally prosperous condition of the people
enabled them to establish and sustain in-
situations Of high order for the education
Of their children.
THE FIRST PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
A few years before the outbreak Of the
war there were organized in the city two
schools, known as the Public school and
the Massie school. They were partially
supported by taxation, and, under the
supervision Of competent teachers, were
considerably patr0nized. During the
war they shared the fate Of 9th
er institutions, and at it's close
ceased to exist. Some months
after the occupation of the city by the
Federal forces the officer in charge of the
! post reOpened the schools and levied a
tax on the people for their support. The
accommodations were limited, and were
by no means equal TO the wants of the
| community.
At the close of the war, with the people
! utterly stripped Of their property, and
with little prospect Of re-establishing
themselves in business, it was with diff
Guilty that means could be obtained to
meet the necessities of life. While few
! good private schools were opened
the large majority OF the
people were unable to pay
the tuition charges. The interests of 8
large number Of cOlored children who had
recently emerged from slavery were ca
gerly looked alter by societies and private
individuals at the North, but for the
whites no provision was made.
1t was at this juncture and under the
most discouraging circumstances that a
number of philanthropic citizens assem-
bled to devise some way and means for
meeting great want Of the city.
THE PRESENT SCHOOL SYSTEM.
The outgrowth OF their deliberations
was the present system of public
instruction. The names of the
gentlemen who were in the
meeting are incorporated in the original
charter granted by the Legislature. OF
the number that constituted the first
board of education only one, tho veneer
able treasurer Of the present board, Mr..
john Williamson, still survives. AS
originally drawn and passed, the charter
contemplated only the education of the
white children In the city. A subsequent
amendment extended it to the white
children Of the entire county, and later it
was again amended so as TO embrace
within its scope the entire school pOpula-
tion OF the county.
The statistics of the first year of the
school system compared with those OF the
| present year are au evidence OF its growth.
1t is worthy OF mention that Savannah now
occupies the proud position Of being the
pioneer IN the cause OF public education in
the State. 1t was chiefly through the repu-
tatiOn and influence of her schools that
other cities were induced to establish
similar systems, taking that of Savannah
as the model upon which their own were
built. Savannah has furnished three
! no in ton naFa m hn M
cities of the State, and not a few sub
ordinate positions are occupied by those
who have been graduated from her
schools.
HISTORY OF THE PAST YEAR.
The history OF the schools for the past
year furnishes nothing OF striking i'm
pOrtance. Their progress has been very
satisfactory. The attendance was larger
than ever before, and all OF the schools
were crowded. New classes were orga-
niZed TO meet urgent demands, and were
quickly filled. The superintendent recon-
mends the addition OF new grades in the
Massie, Barnard street, and st. Patrick's
schools To meet the demand for more
accommodation for small children.
The facilities of the cOlored
schools have been greatly increased,
and new building is now
under contract which Will accommodate
a large number Of applicants who could
not be received last year. The Superin-
tendent states that more advantages are
furnished for the education OF colOred
children than in any other city or county
in the state. The curriculum of their
schools, as far as they extend, is the same
as that OF the white schools.
Several new schools were organized in
the county outside of the city during the
year. There We're in operation during
the year white and 1S colored
schools in the county, with an
enrolment Of l,6sS pupils. There
has been IN some respects,
the superintendent SAYS, a marked i'm
pr0yement In the country schools. More
competent teachers have been employed
and the attendance OF children has been
, more regular than IN former years. Tho
reluctance OF the people TO provide suits
bic buildings for their schools has had
much to do with their inefiiciency. In
many instances IL was necessary. in In
clement weather. b send the children
home 10 avoid the discomfOrts OF the
school rooms As under the law IL is the
duty of citizens in particular districts 20
furnish comfortable school houses, the
superintendent suggests that 1t might be
well 10 make the establishment OF schools
Il III