The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-11
INSTITUTES THIS SU MINER
REVIEW OF THE WORK BY
STATE SUPERINTENDENT.
THE BEST INsTlTU TON AT FAYETTEVILLE
Words Of Praise and Encouragement to the
Col,red Te; chers in the Public
Schools of the State from
Supt. Mebane.

| Snecial efforts have been made this
| summer by State Superintendent Me
/ bana and other school officials TO I'M
prove the colored teachers of the State.
| To this end more educational work, III
| the way of institutes, has been done
among them this year than ever before.
| To defray the expenses of such WORK
about $500 of Peabody school fund
money has been used.
This method of expanding this money,
| Supt. Mehane says, was an experiment
He continued:
THE FIVE institutes for these teachers
were held at Winston, Goldsboro. Fay
| etteville. Plymouth and Elizabeth City.
1.-THE first institute. at Winston. was
| in charge of Prof s. G.. Atkins. assisted
| BY Prof. j. w Woody. At this place
! the institute followed Immediately after
the regular summer school, and we had
| 70 teachers in attendance. representing
| ten or twelve counties.
1.-THE institute at Goldsboro was also
under the supervision of Profs. Atkins
and Woody, assisted by others. There
were in attendance 1S1 teachers, repre-
| senting nineteen different counties.
prof. w II. Whitsett, secretary OF
the North Carolina Teachers Assembly,
addressed the teachers mt Goldsboro and
| Fayetteville also. His address was full
of sound, wholesome advice TO the col
| ored teachers as to their work and the
| future condition as a people.
| AT Fayetteville the institute was UNI
| der the supervision Of Prof. Il. T..
| Smith. who, by the way, is the Chester
| field of his race in North Carolina. Here
| we had an enrolment of 1873 teachers
| from seventeen different counties. forty
| seven towns and cities. Among these
| teachers were graduates from Harvard,
| Lincoln Biddle and Shaw Universities;
| Oberlin and Livingston Colleges: Estey.
| Scotia and Bennett Summaries; Hamp-
| ton. St Augustine and other schools.
| Capt. J. d. Mcneil, chairman of the
| local normal board. and ID. T. Oates,
| city attorney. addressed the institutes.
| Rev. G. A. G. Thomas, pastor of the
| baptist church, preached to the teach
| ers on Sunday during the institute.
| r. I. Forest Of the Goldsboro graded
| schools gave some excellent instruction
| to the teachers. Prof. Smith was also
aided by Profs. Woody, VANS Byrd and
4
others in giving instruction.
prof. Smith said in his report to my:
| An event of the institute was the mas
| terful, thrilling, inspiring address aElR
| Supreme Need of North Carolina, de
| livered by Prof Whitsett. 1t is we'll to
note that we emily had $50 TO meet the
expenses Of each institute, but Prof.
| Smith with energy and enthusiasm spent
SS6.74. making up the difference.
SAT Elizabeth City the institute was
under the supervision of Prof. +. w.
Moore Here the enrolment of teach
ers was 100. representing sixteen coun-
ties. Prof s. l.. Sheep, the county SUI
rerinttndan Of Pasquotank county, who
is an able teacher, was one of the prlncI-
pal instructors.
"At Plymouth the work was under the
supervision of Prof. s. G. Atkins, of the
Winston Colored Normal School. Here
we had an enrolment Of 1873 teachers
The county board of education visited
the institute in a body, and Senator
| Ward. ON their behalf spoke kind and
encouraging words. The county super
| intendent was much interested, and
| made strong address to the teachers.
| white citizens showed their interest by
| being present
Just here | will say that the white
citizens Of the various towns where the
| institutes were held showed sympathy
and interest in the efforts OF the colored
| teachers to better prepare themselves
| for their work.
Il will say that Profs. Atkins and
| Woody did all their work practically
free of charge. The same is true OF
Prof. Smith, Atkins and others.
'Ths work was an experiment with
$500 of the Peabody fund. ] quote here
what | wrote DIR. Curry of the work:
| i am confident we have touched more
| colored teachers and inspired more hope
| and encouragement among the colored
| teachers than has ever been done before
with so little money in North Carolina.
| Many of these teachers did good hard
work during the ten days session.
| Many of them will go home and work
more diligently, study more and do bet
/ ter teaching than ever before. My own
| opinion is that we have never spent $500
| to so great an advantage for teachers
Of the colored race before
In addition to the work mentioned in
| this article, | will state that county in
| stitutes for colored teachers have been
/ held in Mecklenburg, Rockingham, Lin
/ coin and other counties. In addition to
the summer school mentioned at Win
ston, a successful summer school has
| been conducted at the 4. and NJ Col
| lege. Greensboro, for colored teachers.
'"The efforts put forth this summer by
| the colored teachers to improve them
selves, TO prepare for their work is wor-
| thy of encouragement and sympathy.
| Instead Of lowering the standard of
scholarship to a level with the coIored
public school teachef's ability, we must
raise the standard of the teachers.
Our colored people need especially
more intelligence, more industry md
more economy, and a general moral up
lift among the great mass of their race"