Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-09-15
SCHOOL STATISTICS.
A Knotty Problem Confronting Eduoa
tional Authorities.

tional Authorities.
There is problem gradually fore
ing itself on the educational authori-
ties of this city, the solution of which
is going to call for some wise legisla-
ton. The ones to whom the matter
will come for solution will be COM
PEELED to put on their studying caps
and do some hard thinking. The
problem alluded to is none other than
that of dealing with the colored
scholastic population. There are
now within the city limits accord
ing to the recent enumeration, 1872
colored children calling for free edu-
cations at the hands of the tax
payers of the State and county. The
colored school building has proved
wholly inadequate to the demands,
and a colored church has been rented
and is being used as school house.
About seven hundred children are
now being taught in this church, and
nearly three hundred are in atten-
dance at the colored school building.
Two new teachers have been en-
ployed recently and still there is not
enough force to do full justice to the
daily increasing roll.
The figures brought out by the
enumeration just completed are
startling. In 1890 the total colored
scholastic population only reached
562. Now it is ,642, nearly thribble.
OF this number much over one-half
are now attending the public
schools.
OF course much of this increase is
directly due to the extension of the
city limits, but it has recently come
to the knowledge of those in authori-
ty that there are many children, who
are now being instructed in the
schools, under discussion, that are
not entitled to the benefits of the
same. They have been sent in from
the country to live with kinsmen, or
acquaintance, and have no more
right to enter the public schools than
if they lived in Canada. With a
view of ascertaining the extent OF
this trespass the authorities will
have blank forms gotten up and
teachers will be supplied with them.
They will be required to make a
record of each pupil under their care,
find out where each one lives, and
the names of parents. In short each
pupil must furnish satisfactory evi
dence that he or she is entitled to the
benefits of the free schools of the
Twelfth district. The idea is not a
bad one, and if carried out good will
result from it. In this connection, it
might be of interest to mention a
thing that occurred the other day.
Several C Dlored children applied for
admission to school. They were
strangers and when questioned it
was learned that their parents lived
several miles in the country, but in
tended to move to town as soon as
crops were housed. The children
had been sent in to stay with rela
tive and attend "free school," OF
course they were not admitted. 1t
is believed that there are scores play
ing this same game and the sooner
the light is turned on and an investi
CATION made the better it will be
The Twelfth district has its hands
full in educating the children who
are entitled to it, without gathering
them in from the surrounding coun
try. Every district in the county
has a public school for colored chill
dren and they should be educated
where they rightfully belong and not
crowded into the city.