The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-09-17
ADDRESSES LAST NIGHT
SUPT. MEBANE: DEFECTS IN
OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM"
PROF. MOSES. "DUTY OF A TEACHER =
Another Session to be Held this Morning in
the Graded School Building. Some
Interesting Subjects are to
be Discussed,
be Discussed,

who are attending the association, now
holding sessions in this city, met last
night i'm the House of Representatives
to hear the addresses by Superintendent
of Public Instruction Afebane and Prof.
Z. p. Moses. Superintendent of the Raj
eigh Public schools. Both addresses
were full of interest, and much valua-
BILE information to the teachers. and
were weii rece:vec.
Superintendent Mehane was the first
speaker. His subject was: The Need
of Power Among the Public School
Teachers"
He said he was glad to meet the Wake,
county teachers and hoped that they
were wide awake.
He spoke of the difficulties the teach
err had to overcome in the battle of
Internationally, politically and socially,
and urged upon them the necessity Of
being men and women of power.
He spoke of the conflict which was
before them. He named the enemies
they were TO meet. They are ignorance,
prejudice. politics. and last. but not
least Indifference. He enlarged upon
each of them and gave his impressions
as to how they should be met and sue
cessfully overcome.
He said these foes were bitter and
strong and that Dewey's and Schley's
We're needed in the ranks of the public
school teachers to fight them.
He spoke of the ignorance and incom-
potency which clogs the public schools,
and urged the Importance of remedies
which would rid them of these evils.
He read the following extract from a
letter from DR.. Curry:
I'VE need to get rid of incompetency
in both white and colored schools, to
divorce our schools from politics and
mere local selfishness, and give the chill
dren the benefit of men and women who
know how and what to teach
He also read the following from the
New York School Journal:
1T would he amusing to find Method
list arithmetic. or Presbyterian gram
mar, but it would he no more amusing
than it is to hear the people talk about
a Democratic State superintendent or n
Republican County examiner. Here is
question our great Northern and
Southern associations should handle
without gloves. In conversation with
many teachers from all parts of the
Union we have never found one who
did not condemn party politics in educa-
tional work as an unmitigated curse.
Why then do not teachers unite and
uproot the evil? 1t is our firm convic-
ton that teachers need to be united on
those essential reforms that ultimate
~ concern their welfare This political
business is the first one that should be
attended to-. 1t does no good to discuss
nh in q al bnfo ~
associations. Whit we want is concert
ed action. If half of the three hundred
thousand teachers in the United States
should unite with the determined pur-
pose of driving party politics and sec
tarianism out of educational administra-
ton, it would be done in less than five
years"
He said that one great trouble arose
from ignorant school committeeman
No matter how good the work of a
teacher. no matter how faithful they
may be. and the sacrifices that have
been made to secure the education, these
all receive no consideration at the hands
of the ignorant committeeman.
These ignorant incumbuses want to-
compare the work of a teacher with
that of q common laborer.Npaying no at
tention to the fact that the teacher has
spent his time and money in securing his
education.
He said that North Carolina had never
had a strong, well developed class of
public school teachers.
Our men and women are somewhat
transient. They do not remain in the
work long enough to develop much
strength. Our young men use the pub
lie schools as a stepping-stone to other
professions, simply because we have not
the mean to employ them in the public
school service. Even young farmers
cannot afford to leave their farms fer
three months in the winter for the
meagre salaries paid
Until we have money, and not until
than will we have young men of brains
and talents in the public school work.
Our young ladies generally teach
without any definite plans. They teach
this winter, the next, and by the next
they expect something may happen, and
the something generally does happen
they get married.
In speaking of the teachers power,
and his efforts to secure additional power
he said that in some counties the pub
lie schools and it's work is in the hands
Of grasping court house politicians.
The teachers nave had no voice III the
management Of the public schools, but
this management has been in the hands
of five or six men around the court
house who often had more interest and
consideration for their own reelection
than they have had for the public
school work.
The County Supervisor should be elect
ed by the teachers of the county. Those
who should be entitled to vote are
teachers holding first grade certificates,
college men and private school men.
He spoke of the obstacles to overcome
in the way Of the County Boards of
Education, many of whom count prog
ress by the amount of money saved. He
said he did not mean by these remarks
that he believed in squandering the pub
lie funds, but it did seem that some coun-
ty supervisors seemed to think that the