The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1903-08-13
PERINTEND ENT
HARKISON'S REPORT TO
BOARD OF DEUCATION.
ENFIELD, N. G.. Aug. 3, 1903.

ENFIELD, N. G.. Aug. 3, 1908.
Hon. Board eff EdnEation
for Halifax County.
Gentlemen IL beg to submit here
with my report. Never in the history
of old Halifax has her public schools
been In so nourishing a condition as
they are at the present time. There
seems to be more interest in education
al matters and more enthusiasm. So
far as any record haye will show, we
haye had longer term during the
past fiscal Year, both for the white and
coiored schools, than ever before. The
white schools have beep taught on an
average Of 3 little over six months and
thc s:olored little over five months.
This is very encouraging and yet there
is much to be desired In the way OF
improvement. You will pardon me
for calling your attention to some OF
the little defects in our present system,
and to some of the obstacles that stand
in the way OF cur progress. One OF
the most difficult problems that comes
up before US today is the selection OF
committeeman and 1t is my opinion
that in making this selection, person
al consideration should:be laid aside and
men selected for this Office who will
give it the time and attention that 1t
needs. In The past, as a rule, we have
endeavored to appoint committeeman
from differene parts OF the township !;
one at one end, one at the other and
one in the centre. This, I think, is a
mistake for several reasons, one of
which is, that it gives the teachers a
great deal OF unnecessary trouble in
running from one end of the town.
ship to the other to have their vouch-
ers signed another is that there Is too
great temptation for each committee
man to employ his own teacher for
bis own school without even consult
ing the other committee men and with
cut going through the formality of a
meeting as prescribed by law, end Of
tentimes when this formality is COM
piled with, the selection of teachers
has all been "cut and dried" before the
meeting. Another reason is that it is
expecting great deal of committee
men, who are paid SO handsomely for
their services, to leave their farms and
go some distance to attend these meet
ings. Most Of these obstacles in the opin
ion OF your uperlntendent, can be over
come by appointing three committee
men for the township, situated near
together and near the most convenient
| and accessible point in the township
meetings then can be easily held with
out Inconvenience and our committee
men can easily keep up with the
amount Of money in the various dis
t:icts. As it is now, it is almost i'm
possible for any but the secretary to
know how much is to the credit of the
various schools. This has often result
ed in their signing vouchers for more
money than is to the credit OF the
schools. have tried to overcome this
by requiring that at least one OF the
committeeman who signs the voucher
be the secretary this, however, is an
| arbitrary rule and cannot be enforced
since the law states that any two com
snitteemen may sign. Another thing
that has given me great deal of trou-
BILE is not getting an accurate census
tor the county. The law says that the
census shall be taken in August, an6
the census blanks states specifically
What information is to be obtained
The committeeman, from some cause
ignore great many of these question.
and thus make 1t impossible for your
/ superintendent to furnish the statistics
that. the State superintendent demands
The things that are generelly left out
Of the census is the number of school
houses, the kind of houses, the value O
the property, and the number of chill
dren between twelve and twenty-ons
who cannot read and write, and tn,
deaf and dumb, all of which can anl
should be obtained.
After a careful consideration Of thu
subject, am firmly convinced tina
there is but one solution of the public
school problem, il we ever expect tn.
public-schoo!s to reach that state O
efficiency that we all so much desire
and that is, consolidation. We hay,
entirely too many small schools scat
tered all over the county, and the,
never will be much better than the,
are now, until we can do away will
them and build better houses, large
houses, have good desks, have thes'
houses centrally located, have NOR,
scholars and letter teachers. In bring
Ing this about -there will be many oh
stacles to overcome and much opposi
ton from people who will, after the,