The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-10-08
SCHOOLS OF WAKE
More Teachers Must be
Employed.
County Superintendent Judd Says One
Instructor in School is Not
Enough. County Will be Net
Worked With Schools.

The schools of Wake county will
open between the first Mondays i'll
October and November, but where
new school houses are being built
more time will be allowed for open
ing
superintendent (. V. Judd. speaking
of conditions III Wake county, says:
THE County Board of Education in
its quarterly session on October End
thoroughly considered the question Of
the employment of two teachers ia
the rural schools. 1t is the unari-
nous opinion of the Board that one
of the great hindranceS% to efficient
teaching is the fact of one teachers
having TO run the whole gamut of
studies from the primary readers to
sthe,. highest branches of the public
schools, Thereby making it obligatory
upon the teacher to divide the six
hour day into so many periods that
she has not enough time with each
class to accomplish any real good. lii
most cases the recitation becomes. as
L have often observed, mere quiz
routine of questions and answers.
Every teacher should spend at least
one-half as much time in preparation
III the class as is consumed by the
recitation itself She should gain
such mastery of the subjects to be
taught both from the textbook arT
parallel readings that the pupils VIII
always look forward to the class hour,
happy in the anticipation of some new
light and rmatiOn-Something
that could not be obtained without the
teacher. But this kind of teaching
requires time. more time than, in the
ordinary one-tcacher school, can be
uevoteu to the several classes. Hence
arises the need of larger schools,
thereby making possible the employ
ment of two teachers, a better classi-
fication of pupils, and the introduce
ton of the graded system.
1T is a miSnomer, however, to
speak of grades in a one-room school
building with one teacher, and it is
in view of these facts that ten out of
the fourteen houstas ordered to be
built in Wake county this summer
have been planned for two commodi-
Gus rooms AT five other places ad
ditional rooms have been built. |
am convinced that the low average
attendance throughout the county,
and the reason the period, of full at
tendance lasts so short a time, is due
to d feeling that the children are not
properly cared for The children
come home in the evening complain
ing to parents and, in their own Ian
gudge, say: We haln't said but one or
two. as the case may be, lesson to-
day The parents conclude that their
children are not making proper pro-
gress and so grow careless and feel
little interest as to whether they at
tend or not
notwithstanding all that has been
sad, the amount of funds to be eX-
pended must always be considered.
The funds should be economically eX-
pended. and to this end / would ad-
YiSsn 4,
er schools to employ their assistants
for such months only as she is needed
In this way the salary for assistant
teacher may be saved for month
at the beginning and one or more
months at the close of the session.
1t may be objected that this would
be rather unsatisfactory to assistant
teachers. SO it might be, but it is not
judicious expenditure of public
money to pay two teachers in schools
of twenty or thirty scholars. l be-
lieve it would be a wise and feasible
plan to employ one of the most ad-
Vanced of the pupils to teach the prl-
mary classes in school not requiring
two teachers the entire session.
II am much gratified at the out
look for education for Wake county.
The people are restless ana dissdelS-
fled with present conditions and are
ready for forward movement. This
is indicated by the great number VINO
daily5visit the office with sundry mat
ters touching their schools, by ths
large number of entered Schools start
ing a month or more in advance OF
the public schools. by the generous
,way i'm which patrons have contri-
buted to the erection of school build
ings and by the willingness in several
pIaces to tax themselves for better
schools All these are harbingers Of
a greater day for Wake county. Aud
vet thev are only the first light streaks
of a dawning day 1hefe IS great
deaI of work TO be done. Better dis
tricts must be formed. in many places
Continued on Fourth Page)