The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-12
THE YEAR WITH THE SCHOOLS.
sCPERINTENDENT AsHMOREs RE-
VIEW OF THE WORK.

S,3Gs, nm Increase of 2O2 Over the
Previous Year-GOOd Work OF
Teachers and Pupils Commended.
Need of Additional School FRciIi-
ties Discussed-PubIic Interest in
the Schools and Why 1t should BE
Maintained.
The annual report of Superintendent OTIS
Ashmore 10 the Board Of Education viii
shortly be issued. It was completed some
time ago, and the members of the board
are for the most part already familiar with
its features The report. however, will be
Of interest to the teachers of the schools
as well as to the patrons.
SuperintendIn mt Ashmore deals with va
rious matters. some of which rave already
been given to the public in the monthly
reports to the board. The total attendance
upon ALI the schools last year was 1858,
divided as follows city. white 1851: city.
colored, 2,l6l; total city, 6O15; country,
white, 673 country, col1red, 1.6S); total
country, 1858; grand total 1888, being an
increase of 2O2 over the previous year. This
is practically the same increase as has
been shown by the schools during the
present year and verifies the statement
made by Superintendent Ashmore in his
report that The average annual increase in
The school attendance is between 200 and
800
In the city there were nine white schools
with ninety-three teachers, and three col
ored schools with thirty-eght teachers. In
the country there were twelve white
schools with sixteen teachers and twenty
seven colored schools with twenty seven
teachers, making total of fifty-one
schools in city and county, with III teach
ers.
The lack Of sufficient school room in the
city, resulting in the shutting out of about
one hundred white children and several
hundred colored children is discussed at
length. This subject was recently con-
sldered by the board, the same difficulty
having been found at the opening of the
schools this year. The percentage of at
tendance was somewhat less than usual
owing to the unusually severe winter and
the prevailing epidemics peculiar to chill
dr6n. In spite of this, however, the gen
eral character of the work accomplished
by the schools was very satisfactory. The
superintendent testfies 10 the fidelity with
which the teachers discharged their du-
ties and the general good behavior of the
pupils The manner in which the physical,
intellectual and moral growth of the chl-
dren is developed in the schools is dis
cussed
The crusade conducted by the supern-
tendent against the selling of cigarettes to
school children and the effective measures
adopted to put a stop to IT, several of the
dealers having been indicted and fined, are
mentioned, and stress is laid upon the evil
effects upon children, morally physically
n o Of bo of
In discussing the need of additional
school facilities the superintendent makes
the following statement: when the in
creasing wealth and population of the city
are considered, we'll as the Importance
of education, to say nothing of the right
of tax-paying citizens to share in the ben
etts of the schools, there should be no hes
tancy on the part of those vested with the
power to supply the means for furnishing
proper school facilities for our increasing
population. 1t may be confidently stated
that the cost of education per capita in
this city and county is very low. Indeed
by comparison with a great many other
cities of the country, Savannah stands
among the lowest in this respect The
economy and safety with which our public
school funds are administered will chal-
lenge comparison with any city in the
United States"
The good work done by the High School
regret is expressed that the board found
1t necessary to re-esta blish the admiss on
fees, thus causing a reduction in attend
ance from 39S in 1S96-'97 to 307 in 1888.
Under the head of Public Interest in
the Schools" Supt Ashmore makes the
following pertinent remarks when we
consider the matter of public education
in the light of its development of mind
character and citizenship or in the light
of the money expended for its support
the public schools of Savannah are her
greatest interest. This important fact is
sought to be impressed upon the minds of
every teacher. and, indeed, of every pupil.
1t should also impress the members of
the Board of Education with the response
bility of their trust, and inspire teachers
and pupils TO use Alright the means and
privileges placed in their hands for up
lifting the young.
Very few persons realize the extent of
the growth of the public schools of Savan-
nah in the last few years, not only in ehe
number of pupils enrolled, but in the meth
DDS of teaching and in the character of
the work done. Most persons uncOn-
sciously judge of the schools as they were
when they themselves attended the schools
as pupils, moi realizing their quiet. steady
growth from few hundred pupils to over
5000 Twenty years ago gthe number of
pupils enrolled in the county was only
4,oZS, while the number for the past wear
was S,56S-an increase of over 100 per cent
This large number of children. coming
from the homes of all classes. must be
trained by ia teachers for CITIZENSHIP Not
only must the intellectual powers be devel
oped trained and strengthened but the
moral qualities as well, for what is power
without the means OF directing it Alright
hut an engine potent with untold danger
The Important tnsk is one which deserves
me warmest cooperation of parents and
teachers. If those parents who seem 10
think that the work of the teach
er is very easy and unimportant in
character would visit the schools thew
would realize how much the teacher is do.
Ing TO help their children, and how much
patience and skill it requires to guide ard
direct 5000 boys and girls in a way that
is best suited for their welfare. Aside
from the lessons taught in books thew
would see system of management that
looks to neatness. promptness and accura-
cy. They would find lessons in politepes,
and kindness taught by concrete examples
in the schoolroom, and they would barn