The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-24
APPALLING NEED
FOR EDUCATION
Report of Association Signed
by DR.. Phillips
BIG PROBLEM FOR S0UTHi
When Meeting Is Held at jacksonville
the Needs VIII Be Thoroughly Dis
cussed So That All May
Profit BY Opinions. y
BIG PROBLEM FOR SOUTH,

Washington, December pa report cal
culated to awaken interest in the forth
coming meeting of the Southern Educa-
tional association at Jacksonville Fla.
has just been issued by the committee
or aims and purposes of the association
The report disclaims the existence of the
association is due to sectional sentiment
but" it adds, there is a community
OF Christian educational matters in the
southern states, such as belongs to no
other group of states In the American
union"
The impoverisnment of the endowed
and private schools and the passing from
the educational system which met the
needs of the white citizens in former
days. to a system of schools supported by
the people. and framed to meet the needs
of all citizens, and the demands of the
twentieth century, have rendered nee
essary educational changes radical as to
principles and revolutionary as to
methods"
THE enfranehlsement of the negroes
the report says added to the citizen-
ship of these states a generation ago. an
exampled burden of illiteracy, the mode
of relief from which 1t is our duty to
determine, and to accomplish.
Dlscloses Great Difficulties.
'The effort to provide rural schools
in any sense worthy of the need has dis
closed from the Appalachian mountain
section to the pine woods of the Mssis-
sippi, difficulties that are almost the de-
spair of all who know what efficient
school management means.
TO these difficulties affecting primarily
the development of the schools for the
white race, is added the enormous bur-
den of responsibility entalled upon the
white race by the presence of the negro
and the necessity for preventing his de-
gradation, and helping him to a bett ter
and more useful life
THE conditions named have marked
the section In which we live with a de-
gree of llliteracy that is appalling The
south has "a per cent of the native white
population Of the country and "a per cent
of the native white illiterate of the north.
To this is added the enormous and dan
gerous burden of negro illiteracy."
While the association appreciate the
interest and sympathy of phllanthropists
everywhere, the report says the problems
confronting the educators are too COM
Ilex to be easily understood by study
at a distance, too delicate for unsym-
pathetic handling, and too great for any
thing less than united effort to be ef-
fective in their solution.
In dealing with the municipal schools
graded schools, high schools and college
work as to coordination and methods,
we need to know at once what can and
what cannot be carried out under our
conditions.
Must Train the Negro.
And when we have strengthened our
faith and hope by mutual counsel regard
ing the work Of education for the white
races, we need to look well to that other
work for which. whether we wish 1t or
not, we are held responsible TO the world
and our position in the training of the
negro race.
ITO study and discuss problems and
policies with which we who live and work
In the southern states are concerned. to
compare the experiences of each so that
they may be profitable to all. to lnvesti-
gate conditions and needs peculiar to our
own sections, and to encourage each
other In these efforts, are the aims of the
educational association.
However widely the educational needs
OF the south may differ from those Of
other sections. they are still in an impor-
tant sense national needs, and must be
considered In the light of national ideals
and in the broad patriotism which re-
CARDS sectional problems as vital ele-
ments in the life Of the nation"
The report is signed by j. II. Phillips.
Birmingham, Ala. Charles D. McIver.
Greensboro n. c., and P. 3. Dueton of
the University Of Mississippi.