The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-03-21
THE CAUSES OPERATING AGAINST
EDUCATION.

The danger that turks in the school
system is mainly in its short comings.
1t Is not SO good as it might be made.
It has too many imperfect servitors,
too little wisdom In many counties. too
much neglect on the part of parents.
With we'll equipped and faithful men
on the county boards and earnest. ca
pable county superintendents. smaller
school districts and a far better at
tendance on the part OF children of
school age. and the movement would
be higher and safer for educational
progress. there would be better teach
ing. less ignorance. fewer absolute illit-
crates and greater encouragement to
the real friends Of education.
That is about what The Messenger
has been contending for in the past. Tt
Is sincerely anxious to see the ugly stis-
ma of illiteracy wiped out, and North
Carolina no longer posted as the most
ignorant. most unlettered of states.
There is very great need Of an advance.
The enthusiasm for higher education is
all right. but there is a great need OF
enthusiasm also in behalf of lower edu-
cation-the education that can be i'm
parted in the common schools.
SO long as the attendance of children
is SO deplorably neglected by parents,
and so many tens of thousands of white
children fail to use the advantages so
generously offered by taxpayers, how
can f~lliteracy be cured, and the shame
and reproach against North Carolina
shall disappear. The attendance is too
small. the neglect too shameful. What
must be done? What can be lone to
bring the white children to the public
schools? The negro children are going
and wisely. Shall the whites degener-
ate still more? Mr.. c. H. Mebane, who
made an efficient superintendent of
public instruction. writes to The News
and Observer upon the non-attendance,
and concludes that the strong arm of
the law may yet have to be extended to
secure the children the blessing of ed
ucation.
He writes of Catawba county
hitherto referred to by The Messenger.
In that county there are twenty-three
districts that will not have a four
months term. n because of non-at-
tendance uf children. Because Of this
the extra help provided for by the
legislature. Mr.. Mebane probes the
sore. He says this state Of affairs Is
caused by the great number Of small
school districts. The law requires an
attendance of 65 pupils in a school to
share in the extr"; appropriation to
give a four months term. We quote
from Mr.. Mebane:
1.-TWO of the greatest obstacles In the
way Of progress in the public school
are: First. the door attendance; Gee
ond, the great number of small dis
tricts in most Of the counties of the
state.
Instead of combining and making
small near districts strong and eT.e-
tive, the county boards Of education
in many counties have increased the
number of districts. dividing and sub
dividing the territory, thus making
fewer pupils to each school and at the
time shortening the school
term"
The MESSENGER referred some time
ago to his positive evil of so multi
school districts. Larger dis
better equipped teachers with
increased pay-not less than $50 a
month for either sex-and faithful and
assiduous work on the part of the SUI
and county boards would
revolutionize things. Mr.. Mebane holds
for two important things:
The first remedy is to have men on
the county boards Of education who
backbone and the courage to do
their whole duty.
The second remedy is to have a mar
in the full sense OF the word for coun-
ty superintendent.
Let those four men stand shoulder
to shoulder in the work. The. OF