Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-09
TEACHERS POORLY PAID
TERMS AVERAGE, ONLY ABOUT
THREE MONTHS OF THE YEAR.
Educational Conditions Are Better
Than in Several Other Sections Of
the South and Are Improving.
BY VIM. e. CURTIS.

BY VIM. e. CURTIS.
| Written for The Evening Star and the Chicago
| Record Herald.
| JACKSON, Miss, March 81, 1905.
Although still far behind a majority of
states. educational conditions in mississippi
| are much better than in several other sec
lions of the SOUTH and are gradually i'm
proving. The attempt of Gov. Vardaman
and others to deprive the colored popula-
ton of educational privileges has failed.
Public sentiment recognizes that the educa-
ton of the colored children Is not only
duty. but is essential, to the moral and ma
| teriaI welfare of the state, and demands
! that they shall have a fair show. The at
| tempt to limit the appropriations for col
| ored schools to the proportion of taxes
| paid by the colored people was defeated,
and will probably never be made an issue
| again. The educational privileges enjoyed
| by the two races are theoretically the same,
| and l am told that there Is little ground
for complaint concerning the administra-
| ton of the law.
The total school population of Mississippi
| is 4O3.647, of whom 21O. T66 are colored and
| 192,sS1 are white. The total average at
tendance during the season of 10000 was
233175-a little more than one-half the chill
| dren of school age, and the proportion of
the races held good. OF white children the
| average attendance vas 1l5.O79 and of COL
| ored children 1896. The number of teach
| ers employed was 1922, of whom 1924 were
white and 1898 were colored. The average
| monthly salary of the white teacher was
80 and of the colored teacher S19.6 The
average number of days taught was 5000,
little over three months. The average ex-
penditure per capita of children in at
tendance was Sl5.H for whites and 1927 for
negroes
| The number of applicants examined by
| the state board for teachers certificates
was during the last year 9.7S7. of whom
4,392 We're white and 1896 were colored
Disbursement for Education.
The disbursements for educational pur-
poses last year, according to the report of
| the superintendent of education, were dis
| tributed as follows:
Universty of Mssissinn $9ds o9s q
Agricultural and Mechanical College
Industrial Institute for white girls Sas 20
Ai ,eon agricultural Ag11euitural and Mechanical Col
Holly Springs State Normal school 49,. Ssse 20
Deaf and iG 4um aIe I Blind II 46s 81
According to the report Of the n az aeS -
commissioner OF education, the expenditures
Tor education were $1.671, pa, of which
1900 saSs: oas were raised by state taxation.
S296,66o by local taxation and S124 sra
came from other sources
"A pamphlet published by the state au-
thorlt1es for circulation at the St Louis ex-
position says: The legislature of 1904 ap-
proprlated So,NO,OOO for all purposes OF
this amount Sa,755, 267 was for public educa-
ton. or something over ~ per cent of the
total appropriation. The money available
this year $500 for common schools alone
not counting the colleges or institutions
for the unfortunate, is about 50, 700, Co.,"
There is, as you will see, great dis
crepancy In these statements. which L am
not able to explain.
Better Schools Desired.
Mr.. Whitfield. the superintendent of ed
ucation, says that while the educat ional
conditions in Mississippi are much i'm
proved and are hopeful, they are by no
means satisfactory. THE people show
their desire for better schools" he saws
by their Willingness to be taxed to main
tam them. About one-half of the counties
are leyying taxes to extend the terms of
thelr schools; many. other counties would
90 SO II 1t were not for the fact that after
levying taxes for current purposes the
maximum tax limit fixed by the legislature
WILL not permit levy for schools The
average salary Of white teacher in the
rurai schools Is $3385, the average term
for the state is ITO days. SO that the aver
age white teacher receives only S1S6 for
| a years work. which will not pay neces-
sary expenses and leave teachers means
to qualify themselves for their duties. Our
terms are too short, the compensation of
our teachers is too small and our school
HOUSES III the main are uncomfortable and
| poorly equipped.
"One of the greatest needs of the state
is Tree rural high schools. The citizens
or our towns are to be commended for the
progressive spirit they have shown In pro-
Vldlng such schools, but we must consider
the TACT that less than 10 per cent of the
children of the state live in towns and 90
per cent of them have no such advantages.
Then, again. We must educate our teach
ers. Less than 10 per. cent of them have
any preparation for their work. They are
poorly educated, inexperienced have no
knowledge of school organization or dis
| cipline, or even an ilea of how to teach the
| fundamental principles Only one other
| state besides Mississippi has failed to make
| provision for the training of the great mass
| of its rural teachers. In my opinion the
greatest need of our educational system to-
! day is a first-class training school for
teachers, centrally located and so organ
| lied that the teachers who receive the
smallest salaries can avail themselves Of
| its advantages.
The school houses of Mississippi as a
rule are disgrace to the state. 1t Is i'm
possible to maintain good schools in I'M
comfortable houses and 1t will be impossi-
BILE to have the schools that we ought to
have as long as our school houses are as
uncomfortable as they now are.
Industrial Schools Needed.