The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-07-06

= mat Ao SGAGD4 term IN the
county OF New Hanover shall be less
than six months instead Of three or four |
as has been the custom for years past"
For two years past the length OF the
school term in the country has been four
months. blt previous TO that time in all
the districts where the people appreciated
school advantages and kept up the at
tendance 10 a fair average. the term was
made five months for several years some
cause OF the slim attendance. There was.
many years ago. a much shorter term. in
very poor uncomfortable school houses.
with unframed. uncultivated and often
ignorant teachers. There were exceptions
OF course.
Many very amusing accounts Of the
schools have been given by some OF the
boys OF those primitive days. as to the
kind OF discipline: boys were often sent
out Of school with messages to ~neighbors
two or three miles distant. Games OF
ball were had and foraging for wood in
dulged in and many other ways of spend
ing the time other than in their lessons:
and IL was no thing for the
teacher TO cross his legs over the desk.
''chaw" and read. Six or eight weeks
schools. Since those days there has been
a gradual growth to n better condition of
affairs: and the change in school matters
IS the result Of educating the people 10 a
and women deeply interested in their
welfare: the majority of these people
never felt the need or an education. nor
aid they put forth any efforts to secure
il. were satisfied with their condition and
could see no reason why their children
should seek any Improvement. This same
want of ambition TO better their condi-
ton exists to a great extent now. but has
been overcome. in a measure, gradually
under the influence of those who have
diligently sought TO present the claims OF
school term was heightened from three to
four months. it was a difficult task to
convince many heads of families that it
was intended to benefit the children: the
average attendance in the majority of
school districts was very small during the
last month. showing that the people need
ed educating along this line. A large
number of children in the country are
equired to work, and the labor days
break into their school days and often
| causes many of them to abandon the
| schools for the balance of the term. Chill
dren in the country are allowed in too
many instances to exercise their own
| judgement in going to school and as a
natural result their attendance is irregu-
lar and Improbable. The pupils were
poorly supplied Will books, and the sum
day school lessons. as we'll as all other
| branches of studies in the day schools
were largely drawn from the blue back
speller."
has been made also. You can readily see
that under these circumstances it was,
| and still continues to be, a difficult mat
ter for the teachers to do justice to them
| selves or the pupils: again, other difficult
| ties presented themselves. many of these
good people who never entered a school
| room. set themselves up as Judges. die
tating how schools should be conducted:
| what should be. and how taught and
measured the capacity of the teachers by
: the number of hours the children We're
| kept in the school houses; the same ideas
| prevail now, but in a less degree because.
as we contend. the people are gradually
becoming enlightened. In no other
schools are these hinderances 50 marked
| and EMBARRASSING as in the public schools.
| because everybody owns stock in them.
| These difficulties are intensely prevalent
in our country schools. hence how i'm
portant it is that the board OF education
should give them good supervision by APP
pointing q supervisor who could give his
time to them untrammelled by other
school duties and the selection Of COM
petent committeeman.
When the work Of lengthening the
school terms was undertaken in the coun-
try schools it was found difficult to secure
the continued attendance of the scholars.
Many remained away of their own accord
and some put to work at their homes, and
it seemed to be a hopeless task and one
attended with so many discouragenents
that further efforts seemed hardly worth
the trouble to pursue any longer: but the
work of pushing was not abandoned and
some progress was made. The effort to
extend the school term to six months in
the country is commendable. but the peo-
pie are scarcely prepared for it yet. A
five months term with a promise of six
months in those districts where the peo-
/ pie will show their appreciation by keep
ing the children up to their work. Will
be the most economical disposition of the
| school funds if experience is any guide
for us. Work will be required though or
you will find the teachers present and
| hardly scholars enough after the fifth
rnpnd1 to Justify J;s a continuance OF the
| Fourthly: The board desires to appoint
such men only, as school committeemen
of the country Districts: as will see that thai
| charge by the committees of the dis
~tricts." This is another slap at our coun-
try schools and leaves the door wide open
for injustice: charges of extravaganza
nave been made against these schools in
the matter of fuel. We do not know what
the cost of supplying wood for the past
two years has been, but previous to that
time the wood was cut from the stump,
hauled to the school houses, there cut
and split to suit the stoves and piled
| away in the wood houses for use at a cost
of s. per cord. This price does not appear
unreasonable when it was often hauled
from one to one and a half miles. We
know how it used to be when the neigh
borhood agreed to furnish wood for the
schools. The children sat many days
without fires. and many would often re-
turn to their homes rather than freeze in
a cold school house. What's everybodys
business is no bodies business" is a true
adage. Pray, tell me why the country
people should be compelled to send fuel
to the country schools free of cost to the
county any more than the city people
should be required to send wood and coal
to the city schools free of cost. The peo-
pie in the country can no more afford to
do this thing than the city people can.
and why should any individual be called
up to put his hands in his pockets and
pull out so or s2 to pay for the wood
consumed in the country schools? Even
if the people were willing to do it, it is
wrong and unjust to make it a condition
of comfort to our children. 1t always has
been a difficult matter to get a supply of
wood for the schools in some districts
even by paying for it. We think the
| board of education will be greatly diSap-
pointed in some of their projects by find
ing them impracticable. Did they ever
ask themselves what are the Inducements
to become a committeeman? They are
! often blamed and abused when doing their
I best, particularly those who are the
hardest and most active workers for the
schools: often called 10 account by their
~neiehbOrs and set at variance with their
best friends. because of some trivia
school affair that ought never to bave
disturbed their pleasant relations. We
would advise the honorable board to gel
the experience Of the working men on tbs
committees; not those who complain OF
ayary- hing that Is done and never dc