The Frankfort roundabout. [volume] (Frankfort, Ky.) 1882-1908, 1907-03-23
THE keNTuckk EDUCATIONAL
Assoc rIoN


The incorporate the Kentucky
Educational Assoc KS marks the be-
ginning of the frs nanent institu-
ton of it's kind in {hcky. The aim
Of the highest poe({e conditions of
civilization and enH tenment for all
people of the Staten chose who have
been anxiously wat6hEE for years ed
vocational conditiont Ejn Kentucky, |
have grown weary o1&Ae listless atti-
tude of those who h4fe had charge of
the affairs of the SUI toward educa-
tional Improvement. would seem to
the impartial and unpblitical observer
of social and educatlShal phenomena
in this State, that cary conceivable
measure, even to th@1Imost nugatOry,
from the very estabk shment of the
Commonwealth, has uSen precedence
| in our legislative hallA over the one
cause that effects most italy our peo-
pie, their civilization, their industrial
development, their s(cial efficiency
and progress, and especially the
prestige of this great Commonwealth
among States. M
A comparative hist4ry of school
legislation and legislaf1qn affecting in
terest far more insiGhihcant, would
present a travesty on civilization. Our
prisons, jails and insa1e asylums are
lavishly provided To- Our State
Capitol and court hql1ses, represent
ing vast aggregatioH)pf wealth, show
that there has been no lack of enthu-
siasm in making thes& Institutions the
best, and we would MT for a moment
think of having them 6therwise. Yet
the one thing most needful, and by
the aid of which these others are in.
significant, has been sbamefully neg
lected. In thousands Of communities
in the State of Kentucky, may be
seen, by a close obsnrver, in the
shadow of the turretsl Of costly and
elegantly appointed stol barns, little
houses unfit and inad. f.uate for the
shelter of sheep in 2 vsnter blizzard,
where the majority q ~ tp1s andl y!
daughters Of the grea Lmmonwealth
of Kentucky find their nly emancipa-
tion from the slavery ,of ignorance.
The facts are irrefutable. They stand
out in bold and shameful relief be-
fore us. The salary of our horse
trainer is incomparably better than
the salary of him who spends half of
his life in preparation for the train
ing of our youth in the ways of citi-
zenship and social usefulness. In al
most every county in the State of Ken
lucky, the educator, be ne district
school teacher, county superintend-
ent, a city superintendent or college
president, would reap financial gain
by exchanging places with those who
have charge of the criminal and the
insane. Much could be said, and has
been said already, by others, showing
how woefully neglected has been the
cause of education in Kentucky.
But, it is gratifying to know that
the educational wave that has swept
the country during recent years, has
not left kentucky entirely out OF the
path The past two or three Legis-
latures enacted some measures that
indicate the awakening of the law
makers to the greatest need OF the
people of Kentucky. 1t is to be hoped.
that the next Legislature will be SO
alive to the educational needs of the
State that they will do more than all
others in the past toward bringing
Kentucky out of her back ground of
ignorance into the educational van
guard among other States. 1t is to be
hoped that she will at least be
brought from her thirty-second place
in the scale of intelligence closer up
to the front.
The purpose of the Kentucky Ed
vocational Association is to bring these
things to pass. It's aim Is to lift Ken
lucky from this condition that has so
long brought reprOach upon the great
est people in the American Republic.
Even with strong organization, reform
is slow, and without organization is
practically impossible. Even in its
unorganized state, the Kentucky Edu-
cational Association h done great
good. We believe that seak con-
sistently with the facts rg that
every good measure be-
half of the school duri IS