The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1891-02-25
An APPEAL FOR BETTER SCHOOLS.

The address of State School Com
missioner Bradwell before the State
Agricultural Society, Thursday,
says the Savannah News, was a strong
appeal for better common schools.
The Commissioner Is profoundly in
terested in the education of the mass
es. He has been teacher the great.
er part of his life, and he is conviuc,
ed that nothing contributes more to
the prosperity of a state than good ed
ucational institutions. He believes,
of course, that the higher educational
institutions should be encouraged
and fostered, but he does not believe
that the state should extend liberal
aid to colleges and universities until
it has made generous provisions fer
the common schools. And this is the
view that is held by the great MAORI.
ty of the people.
The improvement in the public
schools of Georgia is very marked,
and 1t will be still more marked wIths
III the next few years. The legisla-
ture is steadily becoming more liberal
in making appropriations for the
common sch ools. The feeling that
the common schools should be made
equal to those of any others state
is gaining strength, and the legisla-
ture is responding to it even more
promptly than it was generally ex>
pected that il would.
But there is room yet for very
great improvement. The extent 0.
illiteracy in the state is far greater
thar it should be. There are 600,
600 children between the ages of 5 anC
Is, according to Commissioner Brad
wells figures, and only 100000 al
tends school. At least nineteenth
of them should be in the schools. A
much larger percentage OF them thai
there is would be there il the school
were better. As the schools are i'm
proved and the people are awakene
to keener appreciation OF the bene
fits of education, the children who d
not attend school will be in a sma
minority.
There is a available for school pul
poses this year 81 ,125,O00. Commits
sioner Bradwell says the amour
should be 81 100000. The scho,
appropriations will reach that SUI
within very few years. With tn
amount of money at his disposal Il
commissioner will be able to keep IL
l schools open five months this year.
is to be regretted that they cannot
< kept open six months.
1 One OF the great obstacles in Il
d way of better schools is the want
o competent teachers. Commission,
Z" Bradwell points out that it is Difficult
e if not impossible, to get frst-cla
e teachers for the salaries which a
Is paid. In the cities the salaries a
. high enough, but in the country the
d are far below what they should be.
: is to be hoped that the time is II
e distant when every county in t
y. state will levy a tax tor the benefit
7. the local schools.
A. Commissioner Bradwell is right
~ telling farmers that they make
N great mistake in thinking that educ
IS zion units their children for farm Ii
to or that they cannot afford to loo
of the labor of their children for S
a months OF the yeal. Education W
IS, help to make their sons more succe.
hs tul farmers, and will cCrtai lily help
make their lives happier. 1t is int,
hit ligent farming that will win in t
lst future. The effort will be to ma
he one acre more profitable than two
ti- now. And besides, men and won
he who have the ability to keep abre;
er OF what is going on in the world V
at find many ways to make life pleasar
ed er and their burdens less heavy
Ii bear.