The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-19
INDICTMENT OF
SOUTH'S EDUCATION
GROWS APPALLING
CONTINUED FROM PAGE g.,


more than Pennsylvania spends annually
for the same purpose The total value of
New York property is SIS, 900. 900 600, only
$4,000, 900 900 more than the eleven southern
states, but New York spent In 1907 s21, =
100000 more than the eleven southern
states spent for educational purposes.
A few years ago the superintendents of
education of all the southern states Joined
in statement concerning educational
matters In the south. That statement was
in the nature of an appeal to the south
ern people, and was published In the lead
ing southern papers. From that paper ]
take the following:
Comparative statistics of undoubted
authority show that OF all sections of our
country the public schools Of the south
have the poorest houses and equipment,
the most poorly paid teachers, the short
est school terms, and the most Inadequate
supervision. The average salary of teach
ers for the country at large is $40 for men
and $40 for women, while the average
salary for teachers In the southern states
is 1858 for men and $30.47 for women
The average length of the public school
term for the country at large Is 145 days.
The average length of the public school
term for the north Atlantic states Is 1913
days, the average length of the public
school term for the southern states, in
Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, Ar
kansas. Georgia. Texas, Virginia and
Florida Is 90 days.
For every woman and child Of its popu-
lation the country at large Is spending
$299 for the education of its children.
The south Is spending barely 80 cents
The country at large is spending So 20
for every pupil enrolled in its public
schools. The southern states are spend
ing only 1886. The country at large is
spending for every child of school age In
the United States an average of s10.57, the
southern states are spending for every
child of school age within their borders
slO5. Twenty-four per cent of the
white population of the United States
dwell in the southern states that COM
posed the Confederacy, while 64 per cent
Of all white illiterates over 10 yeaSs of
age is to be found in these states"
According to the latest report of the
United States commissioner OF education.
the average number of days attended by
each pupil enrolled In 1913. In five south
ern states Is as follows: Arkansas. 59.7
North Carolina, 609; Mississippi. as; Ala
bama, 1870, and South Carolina. 50. Ar
kansas is the lowest and the others follow
In ascending order. ''Expfnded per CAPT
ia of total population; Mississippi, IS
cents: South Carolina, $1.07; Alabama
N2s; North Carolina, $1.S2, and Arkan-
sas, Sill.
As shown by the report of the state SUI
perintendent of education, the total en-.
rollment in Alabama in 1905 was 542. III;
In 1909 the total enrolment was 406,226, q
decrease In four years of 1877 4Sl.
-Four years ago the state superintendent
of education in Alabama was very ac-
tive worker In the cause of education,
and he used plain language. He said
THE average school house In the rural
sections Of Alabama Is a disgrace to the
district, the county and the state. The
farmers horses the farmers cattle are
frequently better housed than the far
|-mers children while attending school.
Deserted negro cabins. abandoned old