Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1895-07-12
CHOWAN'S SCHOOL WORK.
Rev. r. B. DrEne Writes the Following for
the Raleigh News and Observer Public
School Edition.


proved in the county.
Rev. R. B. Drane, Chairman
of the Board, was made Super
intendent, April 7, 1890. The
Board approved his views on the
importance of visiting and act
ually supervising the schools,
and he made that as permanent
a feature as possible in his work.
In the whole history OF the
Board there did not occur any
personally unpleasantness be-
tween members nor any irrecon-
cilable difference OF opinion. The
law was good, the officers were
loyal and they had no selfish pur-
pose.
Finally in June, IS, the Board
of Education and the Superin-
tendent found themselves with
out legal existence. They went
out without any regrets for them
selves, probably feeling confident
that they would ID. W live long
enough to see the old laws re-
stored or an improvement upon
them, in the same lines, enacted,
and to find themselves or some
better men in Office.
There are at this time nineteen
school districts for the white race
and thirteen for the colored race.
Statistics at last report, June go,
ga, We're: School fund, total re>
ceipts, S4,35o.7S; census of white
children, I,348; school enroll
ment, white children, 500; GEN.
sus of colored children, 1862;
school enrolment of colored
children, oo2; average attendance
OF white children, 45o; colored,
622; average salary of white
male teachers, $685.; white fe-
male, SIS so; colored male, $751;
6S; colored female, s27.oS;
amount actually paid by whites
on property and polls, $685.
4oH; by colored, s743.71H;
average length of school term in
weeks, white schools, 1901; col
ored schools, 1910.
An important episode i'll our
schools affairs was the legal es>
Enlistment of t he Edenton
graded school, to which was
given the public school funds of
the district.
1t was in operation several
years, and by the Legislature of
SO the act was repealed, and the
public school interest Of the town
went back to the care of the gen
eral board.
Another notable occurrence
was the holding in Edenton of a
United Institute for the teachers
of the counties of Gates, Per
quimans and Chowan, March 21,
1892, and following week under
Messrs. c. D. McIver and E. A.
Alderman. To quote from Mr..
McIver's report to the State
Superintendent: "Our institute
there was one of the most success
full ever held in the State. This
was due largely to the cordial
hospitality of the Edenton peo-
pie and their interest i'll the
work of the Institute" There
were seventy-fve teachers en-
rolled, and at some ofthe sessions
as many as four hundred per-
sons. The mastery and capt.
waiting presentation of education
al matters by the gentlemen in
charge was a revelation and a
delight to the community.
In conclusion, it will be one of
the g1ievous losses under the
new law, that the visiting and
supervising of schools will cease.
There were some schools land
there will always be some such)
whose teachers were excellent in
purpose, i'll preparation and in
method. Such needed little or
no supervision. There were
some committees who procured
low priced teachers as possible,
and in some instances it was es-
sentlal to the SUCCESS Of the Wo,k
that such teachers should be
superintendent. In all cases a
visit from the County Superinten-
dent was encouraging and help
full to teacher Or pupils, or to
both.
For the Superintendent there
was benefit, as in other respects
so especially in this, that it tend
ed to enable him more intelli-
gently to comply with the law
which required him to scruti
nize orders ,rawn by the COM
mittees and approve them before
they were presented the treasur-
er.
1 AM disposed to think it
would be better to unite several
counties under one superinten-
dent, require him to give his
time to the work, and pay him
accordingly.
ROBT. B. DRANE.
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