The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-16
MIR. GUNNELS
 FILES REPORT Statement of Educational Department. RECOMMENDS NEW LAWS Condition of Public School
 System is Shown. Superintendent Says the Scholastic Year Should Begin on January
 1st and Wants the State
 Redistricted.

Hon. H. c. Gunnels. State Superinten- dent of Education, filed yesterday with the Governor his biennial report
 The report, which :. the main is made up of comprehensive educational statistics, Is, accompanied by recommen- 'dations for reforms in the educational laws of Alabama. The suggestions are made after a close observance of the op- erations of the present laws. Education al conditions, 1t is conceded, have stead lily improved in Alabama within the past two years. The Superintendent's recom- mendations are designed to continue the improvement and obviate some difficul- ties that may now be in the way of the further betterment of the public schools of Alabama.
 The report shows that for the coming year each child in Alabama under school age is due $1.3S. For the past year the amount apportioned per capita for each child of school age was $1.S5.
 From the table of statistics prepared for the report it Is learned that the high est average salaries paid teachers of white schools are paid in Marengo Coun- ty. The white teachers of Marengo re- ceive on an average of $50 a month and no other County of Alabama does quite as well.
 xsCNACWb 4A4S &sSRSAs'
 The recommendations of Superintendent Gunnels are succinctly and clearly stat ed in his communication to the Governor, which Is as follows.
 'To His Excellency. w. D. Jelks. Cover
 nor of Alabama:
 "Sr-Having been honored by your par tiality with the appointment of Superin- tendent of Education to fill the vacancy caused by the election of the Hon. John w. Abercrombie to the Presidency of the University of Alabama. 1t becomes my duty, under the law, to submit to you this report of the Department of Education for the years ending September 50, 1901 and 19n2
 While this report has been compiled du' ring my administration, I do not wish to claim any of the credit for the showing made. To former Superintendent Aber- crombie is due, in large measure, what ever of progress the public schools have made in the last two years.
 "The statistical tables in this repor' which have been compiled by Messrs Denman and Swanson, clerks In the once give valuable information as to the con- dition of the public schools of the State I regret that these tables are not aoso lutely complete, but for various reasons
 it has been impossible to get complete | YannrtH from one or IWO Spuhei|S'
 Tn these tables I have attempted t' l show the condition of the public schools as nearly as possible. The enrolment average attendance, length of term. grad' | of certificate held by the teacher. ana tn' | salary paid are splendid indications or tn' condition of the schools. The tables 1T this report cover all such lnIorma'ioi' and are more comprehensive in other re spects than any ever before turhisneu o' this office. Makes Recommendations. CT desire to call to your attenaion cer tain changes in the school law or th' State which 1t seems to me are lmpera tive "First-The nine district agricuitura
 schools and experiment stations snoui'
 be placed under one Board or Coh',o ', In order that local influences may p
 ,,,,r,roIzsd and that the course of stud! mav he uniform These schools are al doing good work. and do not think th' same amount of money could oe use' | to hetter advantage in any other way
 but I believe their eficiency would o l enhanced by putting all Of them unoe l one Board of Control.
 | "secondLIt seems to me that as tn
 State appropriates T.5oo to the Living ston Normal School. 1t should have rep resentation on the Board of Trustees The Board, as at present constituted
 'self-perpetuating' and the State has m representative on 1t. The Governor am | the Superintendent of Educauon shoui be placed on this Board,
 ''Third-The term of office of the Coun
 ty Superintendent of Education should b
 four years to conform with that of tn
 State Superintendent. The term shoul
 begin on January 1. succeeding the date
 the election. change in this law l
 made necessary by the fact that th
 State election is now held in Novembe | instead of August.
 'Fourth--My observation is that. unde
 the new Constitution. it would be bette
 to have the scholastic yeaI begin Januar | instead of October 1, as is the case un
 der present statutes. This would giv full time for the apportionment of tn
 school fund to be made and certined [