The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-14
An Appeal for Better SCHOOLS.

! an appear for Better scEools.
The address Of State School Commissioner
/ BradweIl before the State Agricultural
| Society on THURSDAY was a strong appeal
/ for better common schools The com,nis-
sioner is profoundly interested in the educa-
ton Of the masses He has been a teacher
the greater part Of his life, and be is con-
WINGED that nothing contributes more to tbs
prosperity Of a state than good educational
institutions. He believes. Of course. that
the higher educational institutions should
be encouraged and fostered. but be does not
bslieve that the state should extend liberal
aid 10 colleges and universities until it has
made generous provision for the common
schools. And this is the view that is held
by the great majority of the people.
The Improvement in the public schools Of
Georgia is very marked, and it will be still
more marked within the next few years.
The legislature is steadily becoming more
liberal in making appropriations for the
common schools. The feeling that the COM
mon schools should be made equal TO those
Of any other state is gaining strength. and
the legislature is responding TO it even more
promptly than it was generally expected
that it would
But there is room yet for very great i'm
provement The extent Of illiteracy in the
state is far greater than it should be. There
arc 600, 900 children between the ages of
and is, according to Commissioner Brad
wells figures, and only 240,0DO attend
school. At least nine-tenths of them should
be in the schools. A much larger percent>
age Of them than there is would be there if
the schools were better. AS the schools are
improved and the people are awakened to
keener appreciation of the benefits Of edu-
cation the children who do not attend
school win be small minority.
There is available for school purposes this
year s1.125, 200. Commissioner Brad well
says the amount should be 81, 900, 900. The
school appropriation will reach that sum
within a very few years. With the amount
of money at his disposal the commissioner
viii be able TO keep the schools open five
months this year. 1t is to be regretted that
they cannot be kept open six months.
One of the great obstacles in the way of
better schools is the want of competent
teachers. Commissioner Bradwell points
out that it is difficult. il not impossible, to
get first-class teachers for the salaries which
are paid. In the cities the salaries are high
enough, but in the country they are far
below what thsy should be. 1t is to be
hoped that the time is not distant when
every county in the state will levy tax for
the benefit of the local schools. This
county contributes more to the state school
fund than any other, and it also taxes itself
heavily for the support of its schools.
Commissioner Bradwell is right In telling
farmers that they make great mistake in
thinking that education units their chill
dren for farm life, or that they cannot
afford to lose the labor of their children for
six months of the year. Education will
help TO make their sons more successful
farmers, and will certainly help to make their
lives happier. 1t is intelligent farming
that will win in the future. The effort will
be to make one acre more profitable than
two are now. And, besides. men and women
who have the ability to keep abreast Of what
is going on in the world will find many
ways to make life pleasanter and their
burdens less heavy to bear.