The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-02-04
A Paper on Illiterscy.
1Continued From First Page.

IC0ntinued From First PAGE.
United states Commissioner Of Educa-
ton for Isgi-oj gives the average
length Of terms oi the public schools
81 the I nited States liI.g day., or over
months. North Carolinas 10 the
shortest term Of all--G3 days. south
Carolina IL next with 20 days, Aiabans
with ~; oklahoma with -. These
four are the only states or TerritorIss
that have less than a four months
term for their public schools. New
Jersey school term IL over three
times as long a. North Carolins's, be-
ing lg1 days. Rhode Islands IL three
times "a long-lS9 days. Massacbu-
setts has 1876 days term; Maryland lsG:
District OF Columbia lst; Connecticut
ISIS; all nearly three times a. long ~
North Carolina term. There are II
states that have an months term or
longer; ~ States that have Z months
or longer: 81 states that have six
months term or longer. This include.
Virginia; and Arkansas and keutucky
have nearly six months term There
are 81 States that have = i've months
term or longer. This includes beOr-
sia 10 days. Louisiana l0S; MIssis-
sIppI l05; West Virginia lOl Texas
100; and Florida lacks 3 days OF having
n i've months term
But the average length Of school
terms does not give correct idea OF
the relative amount OF education that
~ being actually received by the chill
dren Of the different states. These
figures show what the States are Off
ering TO their children in length Of
term. but :he per cent. Of children that
take advantage Of these opportunities
varies in the different States. Thus
in North Carolina I'll per cent. Of the
school population was enrolled in the
public schools; in Kansas, where school
attendance in compulsory, ~ per cent.
was enrolled. 10 compare what il be-
ing done in each State towards educat-
ing the children, we must take into
consideration both the per cent. Of
school population enrolled and the
average number Of days attended by
each pupil. Thus In North Carolina
the average number Of days attended
by each pupil enrolled was 1872. II 81
per cent. of the whole school pOpula-
ton attended for 1912 days, this was
equal TO 23.J days, If the whole school
population had attended.
Making this comparison we find
Massac husetts leading all the States in
the amount Of education its children
are receiving. Seventy-two per cent.
Of the school population Of that State
were enrolled and attended for lll
days. This ~ an average Of 1913 for
the whole school population, and is
over four times what North Carolina
Is doing. Connecticut and California
~ days, and Ohio 81 days, are doing
very nearly four times as much IA our
state. TweDty-0ne States are doing
mt least three times as much a. North
Carolina. Thirty-six States are doing
at least twice as much as North Caro-
lima. This includes Missouri. 60 days;
West Virginia, 81 days; tennessee 81
days; Kentucky, 10 days, and Texas,
~ days; Arkansas and Arizona i5, are
doing nearly twice as much as we, Vir-
ginia and Georgia lack only six days,
Florida days and Mississippi days
OF doubling our effort. Maryland is
doing nearly three times as much as
North Carolina in the matter of in
structi0n, besides furnishing free text
books.
THE CAUSE or DUB INFERIOR SCHOOL
SYSTEM.
III we compare the cost of the school
system of all the States we shall find
Just relation between the expenditure
for public schools and their efficiency.
Looking first at the amount expended
per pupil, We find the average for the
United States to be $lS.9S. The aver
age for North Carolina is $40. This
IS next to the lowest, South Carolina
spending only $3.50 per pupil. Nevada
leading with an annual expenditure
OF $lO25. Nevada is a sparsely settled
State, and education is costly; but
Massachusetts, is a thickly settled
community, yet it expends for educa-
tion SEEDS year for every pupil,
nearly ten times what North Corolina
spends, though the wealth of Massa.
chusetts is not six times the wealth of
North Carolina. OF the Southern
states, Maryland spends $40 OF; Mis-
souri,, 1892, Kentucky. $l27S; West
virginia, $ll.62; New Mexico, $40 50
(all OF these, three or four, and Mary
land i've times as much as we are
spending) Florida, 5000; Louis
lana, Sob; Oklahoma, $941; Virginia,
1902; Texas $50; Arkansas, 81 80, all
these spending upon their children
over twice what We are spending.
The average expenditure per capita
for education in the United States in
lS0i-D5 was ~ 80. The per capita ex-
penditure in North Carolina was I6c
south Carolina comes next with 42c
then Alabama with SOC. Nevada leads
with $i.72; followed by Colorado, 81 40:
California, $3.50; Massachusetts, $43l.
Maryland spends $2.10 per capita
West virginia, 81 81; Missouri, sl.93;
kentucky, sl.77, and Florida and
Texas, 1.42; Oklahoma and Virginia.
Sl!O7; Arkansas, $l.03; New Mexico,
99c.
The amount of school tax for every
adult male in the United States was
S9o2. The amount in North Carolina
S2I3. This was the lowest of all
states and Territories except Okla.
homa, ~, though very little behind
south Carolina, sale, and Alabama
~ IA. Iowa leads this column with
$!o,06, followed by Massachusetts,.
$l451.
other things being equal, such a |
density OF population, cost of living.
ETC., the salaries of teachers is a good
index OF the efficiency of schools, and |
the estimation in which they are held
oy the people. In the report before
alluded TO only 43 States report sala-
ries OF teachers. OF these North Car |
olina pays the lowest salary, both to
women and to men, averaging s2l .6s |
per month for the former and s24. go
for the latter. The States not report
ing are: West Virginia, Georgia, Al
ALBANIA, South Dakota, New Mexico
and Idaho.) For women teachers
Virginia and Mississippi pay nearly
$21 per month; Kentucky, Florida. |
Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee
between $50 and $35. Texas SAG 16. |
Arizona pays the most to women
teachers, $13.l5, and California 1910,
OF SCHOOL rAxEs OF ALL
THE STATES.
1t is true that North Carolina is 200.
It's true per capita
valuation is only 1861. the lowest of all |
the States except Mississippi, $685., and |
south Carolina, $34S. We cannot ex. |
pect as large a school fund from North
Carolina as from more wealthy States
But we can do as much in proportion
to our means, and unless we are con-
tent to drop still further behind our