The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-11-20
correspondence.
nuR PUBLIC sCHooLs AGAIN.

r,rrpSpOndence ofThe Progressive Farmer.
The Constitution, as we have
learned it, declares that provision
shall be made for a four months
school in each dfstrict. Four months
Of schooling isqonly 80 days. There
we're as per 1898 report of Superin-
tendent of Instruction, 5,083 school
districts in the State. There were,
ner same report, AS, 1862 white chill
dren of school age in the State-an
average to the district of 81.7 in an
area 80 miles square. There were
schools taught not 80 days, but an
average of II days in 1927 of these
school districts, leaving 786 white
districts without any schools, and
each of the other districts nine days
short of the constitutional number.
Taking another view of it, there
are AS, 1853 white children in the
State One of these is entitled to 80
days tuition in a public school,
which would make SO, 22O, 800 days.
We find the average attendance for
Il days is only 144, 357, which makes
all the children received in 1898, TO-
2I9,347 days, leaving %, 971, 613.
Reducing these figures will show
that the white children in 1898 re
ceived only three tenths of the tut
ton the Constitution authorizes pro-
vision to be made for, and there has
been a marked Improvement, too, in
the last ten years.
Whose fault is this? Let us dis
cover if we can.
We have learned that there are an
average of sly children to each dis
trict and that 1927 districts run
schools for Fl days, hence %, AIS, sos
days tuition were provided, and
only 10, 1853, 347 accepted. So then it
appears that out of every one hun
bred days provided for less thirty
four days were accepted. This
Is, indeed, the sad feature of this
picture. These are the white chill
dren of our State of which we speak.
Even these points show a marked
advance over a few years back. The
cOlOred public schools do not keep up
with the whites but are rather on
the decline.
In the discussion of this educa-
tional question let US look at facts
and prepare as best we can to meet
them as they are. Could we look
into the private school and college
satisfies as we do those of the pub
lie schools, the veil of sadness over
the condition of our white children
would undoubtedly rise some, and
and as we beheld the excellent work
being accomplished in the private
schools, academies, high schools and
colleges, both male and female, of
course our hearts would swell with
delight. But we might look in vain
for more than two out of every ten
Of boys and girls enjoying these
high privileges. Where are the
others? The evidence is clear that
not 30 per cent. of Il children are
getting half the schooling they ought
o. have.
Suppose that all the children of
the State could enjoy for the next
fifteen years school advantages equal
To those furnished in the graded
schools of our cities and towns, what
then would be the standing Of our
State as compared with the present?
Whodesires to see the test made?
But if we had the best schools that
could be provided in the reach of the
children, what per cent. of average
attendance would we get? Those,
whether white or black, who do not
take advantage of the schools of
course can generally hope to be only
humble "hewers of wood and draw
ers Of water" for other people, for
the lowest wages paid. 1t is no dis
grace to work. Manual labor is
honorable, but the head and heart
and hand all properly educated is the
greatest need of a republican or a
Democratic or any other government.
What shall we do about it?
J. W. DENMARK.
Wake Co, N. G..