The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-07-13
TO SCHOOL IN WAGONETTES.
superintendent Glenn Tells of the
-DuvaI County System.

Superintendent Glenn Tells of the
-DuvaI County System.
Athens, Ca, July 12.-The address at
the University Chapel yesterday morn
ing in the presence of the teachers at
tending the Summer School as well as
large number of the citizens of Ath-
ems, was delivered by Hon. George P.
Glenn, superintendent of instruction
for Duval county Florida.
Mr.. Glenn's address was a powerful
plea for the Capitalization of schools,
and during his remarks he produced
many facts and statistics to bear him
out in the assertions he made. Speak
ing of the results in Duval county,
where he has been in charge of the
schools for the past few years, he said:
There were. six years ago, in this
county, forty-f1ve rural schools of one
teacher each, for white children, es-
tablished by former administrations
The work of these schools in general
was so unsatisfactory and the per
capita of expense ran so high in many
of them, that the present administra-
ton determined to reduce them in
number to fifteen schools of three
teachers each. In choosing sites for
the centralized schools, the ones hav-
ing the greatest number of school
children within a radius of one and
half miles have been preferred. This
distance was chosen as a legal dis
lance, the law fixing the distance at
which schools must be established.
Five of these schools are now in OPP
Grafton. each accommodating the
children of about 60 to 100 square
miles of territory.
THE concentration of children into
these now schools is accomplished by
wagonettes, especially designed for the
purpose, and provided by the Board
of Public Instruction at public ex-
pense. They are of such capacity as
to carry eight, ten, twelve, fourteen,
sixteen, eighteen and twenty pupils,
respectively, and cost from $40 to 800
each. Twenty-seven of these comforta-
ole vehicles are now running at an
average cost of $22 per month. These
twenty-seven conveyances enabled us
to close twenty-four of the old one
teacher schools, the current cost of
which had previously been not less
than $3.50 per month for each.
Hence the transportation system
now in operation produces a current
saving of 1852 per month over the old
method Taking from this 1925, the
increase In salaries for eight assist
ants at the centralized schools, and
there is still left a net saving of $237
per month, which will pay for twenty
wagonettes annually, if the term be
only six months, or it will lengthen the
term of the schools, or we can devote
it as we see fit
1.-THE number of teachers is reduced,
ind in one large district six teachers
We're doing the work, and now three
teachers are doing it a great deal bet
ter Financially therefore, the trans
portation in Duval county is a very
decided success. Professionally there
seems to be nothing Objectionable, and
of the many advantages the following
are the most important:
THE teachers work is so well or
ganized that the average recitation Pc
Rod is trebled In the state of Flor
ida the teacher must teach hve hours,
or 300 minutes and most of them are
inclined to teach to the limit; with
thirty to forty recitation periods, max
ing eight to ten minutes to the recita-
tIon, which is a farce, l don't wonder
that the parents are dissatisfied and
want a change the next year. with
ten minutes to the recitation all that
the teacher can do Is to hear what the
pupils have or have not learned, ana
she does not do that well.
THE country maiden may continue
her education without fear of molesta-
ton by vagrant vagabonds, and the
youth prolongs his school days because
he can progress. When girl reaches
her teens in many parts of the ooun-
try, she ceases to go to schooi' pc
cause her father thinks it inadvisable
for her to get out of his sight or out
of reach of his shotgun. When 1 used
to visit my schools in the country dis
tricts 1 would find few, If any, girls
in school; now 1 find young ladies in
those schools nearly 81 years old And
l find young men there who are at
least as tan if not taller, than am,
who are seeking to increase their |
Knowledge. and now under this sys-
tenn. they are able to do this;
"The average attendance is increased
12Is per cent. giving corresponding |
increase of school funds from the |
state. Many children, formerly so