The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-05-01
MONEY FOR SCHOOLS.

Mrs. W. H. FELTON, of Gainesville. is
one of those who believe that this state
has need of better public schools. She
does not pretend to say that our pub
lie school system is a failure. but she is
sure that the results flowing from it
are not what they should be. In her
opinion it ought to be given a thorough
overhauling, with the view of finding
out what the trouble with it is. If ii
is not being wisely administered the
fact ought to be known, so that steps
could be taken intelligently to improve
the administration Of it. If it is a fall
ure then a better system ought to be
adopted without delay. The first thing
to do is TO find out why the expendi-
ture for schools produces no better re-
suits With that information in hand
it may be possible to bring about re-
forms.
Mrs. FELTON, calls attention to the
fact that only about forty percent of
the children of the state attend school.
1t is not to be wondered at therefore
that there is so much iliteracy. But
the school system is not wholly re-
sponsible for this condition of affairs.
There are parents-thousands of them
who do not seem to care whether
their children attend school or not. OF
course children, if permitted to follow
their own inclination in the matter.
will shun the school house.
Mrs. FELTON, hints that there ought
to be compulsory education. 1t is
doubtful if that would work we'll be-
fore a public sentiment in favor of
education were created; before parents
were taught to appreciate educational
advantages. And it has seemed to us
that if the counties were required to
raise a certain amount by local tax
alton, as a condition for receiving any
school money from the state, an inter-
est in public schools would be awaken
ed in homes where there is at present
little or no thought given to education.
That which costs nothing is never APP
preciated as much as that for which an
effort is made.
In most of the counties the public
schools are open only three or four
months of the year. and in many of
them the attendance, even during that
short time, is far from what it ought
to be. If there were a local school tax
in each of those counties that would
produce as much as is received from
the state, the attention of the people
would be drawn to the schools, and an
interest in. education awakened. The
people would feel they ought to get the
worth of their money.
Mrs FELTON, points out that the ne
groes are getting more money from
outside sources than the whites, and
suggests that all of the money that
goes for education in the state in the
course of year should be pooled, as
it were. and divided per capita. OF
course the money contributed from out
side sources to the education of ne
groes would still be used for that pur-
pose, but the negroes would get less
than they get at present from the state
school fund.
But would the additional amount
which the white schools would get if
this plan were adopted be sufficient to
justify the making of an issue in re-
gard to it? That is a question that
cannot be intelligently decided until the
figures are at hand. This educational
question is one that is pressing upon
the attention of the entire South with
steadily increasing force. The South
ern people would like to do as much
for their children as is done for the
children of the people of the Eastern
and Western states. but their means
will not permit; besides. the negro
children are almost a dead weight upon
them.