The Forrest City times., 1911-09-01
OUR SCHOOLS ARE
 FORGING ID FRONT
Superintendent Cook Takes an Optimistic View of Future
 of State Schools.

inteBdent George E. Cook said h 8 recent interview:
 Our citizens do not fully realize the magnitude and significance of the great educational awakening ia ArkansaS- There Is no doubt that the next report of the United States commissioner of education. based on the Last census reports. will show a greater per cent of advancement in Arkanszs educstionally than h any other state in the Union. and further. that Arkaasas oa the basis Of her wealth. iz doing fully as much for public education as any of her sister states
 The educational development in Arkansax has been so rapid during the past few years and the advance ment has been along so many phases of public school work that 1t is very difficult to give briefly a comprehen. sive view of the real situation Again. the situation is such that there Is fhe constant temptation to quote com parafive statistics.
 Within a period of ten years our school population has increased over 20 per cent, and the value of school property has increased from about S2,50o .g00 to over s7.000, ,000 and the schools are just now in the midst of what might well be called great building boom. During the past dec ade more than a full school month has been added to the average length of the annual school term This sig nifies an even greater increase for the rural schools throughout the state. for the terms have been more nearly up to she standard in the towns and cities than in the country However. in the face of this rapid progress. which promises to continue, We still nave a long way to go and much to accomplish, for Arkansas still stands nearly af the bottom of the list Of states in the average length of the annual pabIic school term.
 During the past period of ten years. she average wages paid to teachers per capita annual revenue per school has advanced from s32 to s56. and the census child has increased from s4.is to s7-s2
 One of the most striking concrete facts that our statistical table shows fs the fact that for the school year ending June 30. 1910, there were taught a.767, ,97O more days of school than during the previous year. That 1s there were in 1910 either three and three quarter millions more children in school one day or that as many more days schooling was given to the children in school Again. this in crease fur one year over the year pre- ceding Is equal to the complete com mon school course for more than {. .O0o chiidren The returns for the schoo year just closed will soon be avail able. and tre increase for 1911 ovel 1910 is awaited with interest. witt the full assurance that the return. will be satisfactory and continue SC for q number of years.
 During the past biennial term alone fully SZ.G0a. .0o0 have been added te fhe value of school property and the school term increased over two weeks in length During this two-yeai period the State Normal has beer opened. the preparatory department dropped from the university. foul Agricultural High Schools establish ed. elementary agriculture and horti culture has been made a required study in tine common school course compulsory attendance laws have beer made applicable in over two-thirds o tho state. and eight counties hay, elected county superintendents o schools
 The most far reaching and tangible advancement. however, IS evidenced by tho educational measures enacted into law by the last general assembly These gre to very great extent the result of the great educational aWak ening that is sweeping over the state and fanned into flame by the cam Daign Of the state department of edu cation and the Arkansas Education Commission
 Every bill advocated by the com mission and this department was fh@SSN bg ttSialAluTG ana approved by the governor. Our last legislature has gained the enviable distinction ot having been the greatest educational legislature tn the history of the na tion- It has been repeatedly stated by highest authorities that no other state legislature during any one ses sion in any state passed educational measures of so much importance as those passed by the 3Sth general as sembly of Arkansas
 These acts include, first, the three basic educational measures upon which the campaign of the Arkansas Education Commission was based
 IA state board of education hay. ing general administrative control ol public school affairs, power to grant licenses based on degrees and other state certificates. to grant charters