The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-07-01

has caused similar inc.e,.- ~ sh~'no-
tai secsfpts Shsch aGioa u:e<i - ssstSso
from -lsAtse fss, .. w- Ssss shss =
!, What ben eogis have been tas eaus-
OF the sts nd.til OF oUr public .ehu-ol
term, wtth weafy' Thtses.- fnvsss.
when t&,s ~vplsssl ron 70 iesaa ~~
haze Rsae psux1 cs.. And .-atsI .lhes
We are hope lrss our at,~tnpi. 20 ~
crease tie school trim or 10 mak- 'ur-
ther ecuex, ionAr rAc,suo-menr.
The statistic. shown above w-r-
sufhaien,ly interesting, 10. warragt 10
yes; CATION. A seriops problem COZ.
fronted us. 1'hk necessity Tor ehxrs~
In our school msehi sery Avi ts.. sdop-
IAos of . aseW sysl ohl ~As. tos pale OF
TO BE- qIsssl onsa.. -s. -...
The township feature OF the n-~
school law IL the remedy offered Tor
our failure under the oAi. syseeNs .na
Ne baSc Abs sdAhi- faith an. As -noc<ss
We helisys ~ wiD mark n. aew sra 10
In our educational growth 10 this State
II IN friends Of popular es.G .s-!or viii
60 operate 70 Shst end. '.'''-' -.r-H .
Our uhSst iobs- rSai lsn 10 thai The
ppmhee Of school districts N the state
has increased more rapidly than has
tHc sCuoOi popuiatiOu, tof s'tATXe 70
say, tire 'AveFay~' attendance IN our
pub blie schools ~ the, St.t~ has no,
increased since lS>>, but on The con
trary, notwithstanding the increase in
population, there were no fewer ehil-
dre n IN she' pusiic ectiools in lessc than
in lsss. This being tr~s. the number
Of school districts dining this period
should not have increased, but We fiud
the number of school districts IN l>ss
TO ts CO sSS aHd in, lsl'1 the nAmbes Nas
.,2i9, and this Increase. in the pumt@r
Of districts without corresponding
increase in the average Attendance
means that the new diNricts were ne.
|cessarhy weak, Ar. we'll As 10 make
weaker the old districts from which
they were formed. This constant di.
Vision OF old districts has been stsAty
drain upon our school fund, and this
cAuse together " ith, 0lir former method
| OF ApportiOnipg The school fund has
been the secret OF our failure TO in
crease our school term in proportion
to our increase in taxation.
Chdef'the district system two. thirds
iUf ulFe isciEeo4 fund Uf each 'county was
}.apportioDsd 10 hs DISTRICTS " hits and
cplQfsd, per CAPITA. and the Femaj ~ NJ
One-thifd was given TO the wean dis
tticts TO eFhalize the school term over
the county ,consequentiy a'stfopg dis.
tTicb or ueveD. .an average .district re.
| ceived only its per capita .part OF two
| thirds OF the school fund. 70 illus.
trate, take a'tounty with total sciioo
fund OF $4,000, the law directed thal
two hir d. s, Of this fund or - 900 shoult
be appOrtiOned among the districts il
the county per capita-the remaining
$4,000 was given to the weak district,
in addition totheir per capita part o.
the s9,OOQ., From this illustration, il
is clearly seen, that under systeH
7 where there are no weak districts PEI
rloapits, and where they formerly fsav'
kbad . thrse months school, with tn,
weak districts eliminated, the. Sam
school fund would have given fou
and one half months schd6f term.
The new law, making the townshi
the unit, practically. eliminates tn
weak districts, and proyides for tn
money to be apportiOped by Count.
Boards Of Education, per capita, hpol
the basis Of the school population
white and. cOlOred. in. The townshil
| district as reported by, the commiite
in their annual census report.
The abolition of the district commit
l
that has caused the greatest dissSiis
faction among certain class, especial
ly those who are ambitious TO serv
! the public in that capacity. 1h
J number of committeeman has been to
large and the result has been .inoom
. potency and confusion, p,n
/: The County Commissioners, onl
three men, are chosen TO manage tn
> finances of a county, and why fOu
d. hundred and City school commute.
men should be required for one count
? to manage its schools is not easily ur
. derstood, and many counties have
: greater humber than this In lss
: there were G,9Is licensed public soho'
+ teachers in North Carolina. Tbef
were 22,6sQ public school committe'
: men to supervise the work of the.
, teachers and this large mum Der do,
p n Of j include, the County boards Of EdI
F cation, AUD tue County Superinier
5 dents. This gives q ratio OF abo,
i three and oHe-fhird Supervisors to 2,
FIERY teAeiser, and YET fhe schools hav
t suffered from want of supesvis;o VI
Five carefully chosen coipmitteemen
t each township district with the ASST
I taIce of the Count BSard OF Ednei
3 tion and the County supetV isor, wi
q be. sufficiently ample to prosest ar
: promote the, school, interest of ri
s county. A greater number than th
would destroy the Unity, harmony ar
Il autonoDy, Of, the system. ..-.....
;. From this hurried Reyiew Of our oe
law and the experience. Of our sis.e
r States, operating under similar pls
we may epito.nfze The adv dntagps
= township system a. follows: n, A
: children, Of a township viii rscei'
& GleauaT rates. (2l. Fewer and larg
b schools, better wages ard better te
- cntrs 't3) 1t will add dignity ~
III usefu lnsss, to abe County rSuPsrvisf
a giving him less anxiety, over petty ID
8 tails, and enable him to superyi
q schools more systematically and i
q telligently. ~ IL affords @faciliti
J. for grading the country schools AZ
'0 essa blisbing . uniform and sstisfa
tory course Of study, having in, vie
'e the entire school population OF c
'e township. Under the section" Of {
=! new law allowing pttse. school fuods
q, two or more, distrietsato be coubjps
.Jif they shall SO desire, ., central hi
er school could be established at co
- venientf point where every pupff
- the township of requisite educat NON
~ advancement would have the right
D. attend. The primary, schools in {
1e township would be feeders OF the &c
q. traf higH school, and theicentraa hi
to scheeis would be- feeders to. the e,
r Ieges and the Cnjvsrsity each grade
er tiop being q component part Of . p
fected harmonious and efficient 3
or tenn, instead of Struggling and s,rtl
% Cling noDetities ae ~ the case a
q. with the average public school.
o. Greater dignity would attach to .pu
be lie education in the common school
~ the State: pubic opinion viii ha
M greater respect for it, and public. pr
q. will be. aroused. fsS The question
district boundaries, and the consss
- petitiOhink for the transfer Of chi
RI rem from one school 20 another will
~ ioaees vex,.COuB6y B0arda Of Edu
" tion and County Supervisors. i
23 matter will be entirely under the &C
- troll of the township comittee. (7J
On puts the school interest Of the tov
II q H. - - L., a