The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1912-05-03

eacher teach 1885? The record shows
hat more than two-thirds of the Ne
gro teachers employed are on the
Third Grade register. The great
majority of these have had practical
y no training in the Science of Edu-
cation and the Art of Teaching.
OF the 1884 Negro teachers EN-
ployed in Alabama, 126, or So per
cent, hold Life Certificates; As, or
per cent. hold First Grade; sos,
or 25.5 per cent, hJld Second Grade;
and 1602, or 67.2 per cent, ho.d
Third Grade Certificates.
Fifteen years ago when the Negro
school population of Alabama was
about $4,000 less than it is today, our
teaching force in the public, private
and UNCONVENTIONAL schools was
about 2,4O0, about 200 of them being
in the private and denominational
schools While the number of pub
tic school teachers has remained
the same there has been
an increase of 125 per cent. in the
teaching force of the private and de-
schools There are IN
these schools today about $50 teach
ers. These schools now enroll about
10000 students against 1000 fifteen
years ago. The increase in the num-
Der OF students was 125 per cent
The increase in the total number of
teachers and students was the same.
Adding to the 1884 teachers in the
public schools the $50 in the other
schools of the state, the grand tota4
of teachers for the Negro is
about 1884.
The average salary during the past
year for white teachers was Sab for
the males and $3.50 for the females,
while that for the Negro teachers was
only sl69 for the men and $3.50 for
the women. We can not hope to get
me best grade of teachers for this
sma salary. AS a general rule, poor
sa airy means poor teacher. CAS- is
the teacher so is the school," The
State Superintendent of Education
we says that, "The Negro teachers
with an income of $169 and $3.50 re-
spectively by the men and the wom-
an receive really less than is being
paid to inferior men and women of
that race who are employed as team
sters, washerwomen and cooks. Ne
groes thus employed usually get their
hoard in addition to a larger annual
cash income than is paid to the Ne.
gro men and women who board them
selves while teaching the Negro
youth"
There are Practically No Negro Pub.
lie High Schools in Alabama.
The remarkable and praise-worthy
movement during the past few years
to establish county high schools has
not even touched the Negro. Includ
ing the District Agricultural Schools
there are about 200 public high
schools in the state for the educa
ton of white children. There are
according to the recent report of the
United States Commissioner of Edu
ca.4on, four for the Negro. Added to
this very small number there are a
few grammar schools that give their
pupils years training in high.
school studies after the completion
of the prescribed elementary course
In the white public high schools
last year there were enrolled II 500
students, or about 8 per cent of the
white school population and about 4
per cent of the total enrolment. In
the Negro public schools there were
enrolled in high-school classes 4eS
pupils, or about IA per cent. of the
Negro school population and about g
per cent. of the total enrolment
About 450 white teachers devoted
practically all their time to the in
struction of pupils in public high
schools, while not more than 40 per
cent of the 20 teachers, instructing
Negro high-school students, devoted
all their time to that grade of work
Practically none of the Negro public
high schools require the same amount
of work, or number of credits, and
in the same studies, for graduation
as is required by the white public
high schools for a diploma.
The high-school situation for Negro
education is more serious than that
of the common school. The State feels
that it ought to do something toward
INN rtiOU a nrinooru od,,ootiO,, 70 tb q
Negro youth There seems to be
little or no public sentiment favoring
high-school education for any per
cent. of Negroes at public expense
The outlook is by no means encourag
ing.
President Williams, of the National
Association of Teachers in Colored
Schools, says "If Negroes are to
have any leaders of considerable in.
telligence for the masses of their
people who are being pushed farther
and farther out of contact with the
white people every day, they too
must have a considerable number of
high schools maintained at pubic ex-
pense. Social and economical con-
ditions among the colored people
themsel' es demand them. And the
very presence of the elementary
schools makes high schools a neces-
sity, not only for the sake of pre-
pairing efficient teachers for the
elementary schools, but also to
give fitting outlet for the bud
er schools"
What reasons can be given why we
should not have a larger number of
public high schools in this state?
Why should not these Mgh schools