St. Tammany farmer., 1906-03-03
Education i'm Louisiana.

Education in Louisiana.
The general overhaullDg going
on among the parish superin:end-
ents Of education III Louisiana is IN
line with the policy that has pre-
vailed ever since Mr. Aswell has
been State Superintendent of Edu-
cation. and it will uDquestionably
have q good effect on the puolic
schools.
The weakness in regard to these
positions, 1t was realized months
ago, was due to the. fact that a
great deal Of politics bad crept in
to the public schools, INTO the
parish Boards Of Education, aud
even into the Office of Parish Su-
perln.endent. When the fact was
brought out that these positions,
which should be absolutely free of
politics, II any in the State should
be, we're tiled by members of the
Legislature and other local bosses,
there were such vigorous protests
that number Of reslgnations toll.
lowed.
The work of reform was not
stopped here, however. Under
the suggestion of the recent Edu
cation Convention, that the super.
lnlendents should be practical edu
Gators, the State Board of Educs-
tion adopted q resolution to that
effect. A number of other changes
have been made, and there are
others that will soon follow. The
Board takes the view that the par
lshes have q right to demand that
the superintendent shall devote his
entire time to the public schools,
hence editors and lawyers who
have held these positions, devotiDg
euch hours to them as they can
spare from the law or journalism,
have been asked to give way.
There will be IN all some tween.
y FIVE superintendeDcies changed,
or nearly half of those IN the en-
tire State. This will remove, TO
some extent, the baneful influence
Of politics upon our schools, al
though there are still some reforms
10 be made in this direction. The
work, however, has been well be-
gun, and the good results that will
follow the placing of practical
educators 10 charge, instead OF
politicians, will unquestionab' Y
STIMULATE the people to demand
still further improvements and the
complete elimination of school
politics.
1t is natural TO expect that with
the Improvement III the admins
tration of our schools, consequent
to their control by men better ac
quajnted with the needs of educa
tioDal system, there would be q
decided advance; when this ls ac-
conl aaled by very considerable
increase in the school revenues, we
may look for still greater achieve.
ment.
The reports of the parish super.
intendents snow that the local au
thorltles, the police juries and
municipal councils, appropriated
for public education last year
$s41, $50, or $272,050 more than
for 1904, an increase of nearly one
third. Every parish in Louisiana
gave something directly for their
schools, except Claiborne, East
Carroll. St. Martin and Union. In
q number of cases incorporated
towns have voted school taxes in
addition to the parish approprla
tion. When it is remembered that
there has been a marked increase in
the pro rata division OF State
school moneys among the parishes,
and that all the other revenues
which help to support the public
schools have been swollen, 1t will
be seen that Louisiana Is making a
good financial record in the cause
of education this year, iEhIch..
coupled as it is With the better
administration of affairs, will do
much to improve. conditions and
relieve Louisiana from any stigma
because Of the large amoant OF
illiteracy still existing here. This
illiteracY had begun to decline even
before these recent improvements,
and there should be little difficulty
in getting rid of it altogether now.
Times Democrat.
II npr%r%n~N ncArT~n 4~><s