The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-11-29
EDUCATION IN ARKANSAS.
State Had Industrial Training Over SO
Years Ago.


| That industrial training, often sup
posed to be recent innovation in
/ American education, was introduced in
to Indian schools in Arkansas eighty
or ninety years ago, is shown by Ste
phen Il. Weeks in bulletin, History
OF Public School Education in Arkansas
| Just issued by the United States bureau
OF education. The boys in these early
| schools were taught the elements OF
| agriculture, the girls needlework and
domestic science, and all were instruct
ed in habits OF industry, neatness, and
| order. At least one school was almost
! self -supporting. As early as lsa0, Cove.
ernor Yell sent message to the assem-
bly, containing recommendations for ag-
ricultural and mechanical training that
mark him as a pioneer in this signifi-
cant phase Of modern education.
DR.. Weeks traces in an interesting
and scholarly way education in Arkan-
sas from the earliest days of private
academies and UNCONVENTIONAL under
takings, on through the blighting pc
Rod Of Civil war and reconstruction
down into the active present, with its re-
markable record Of educational progress
in the face Of great difficulties.
Schools of the ante bellum days IN
Arkansas were not free in our sense,
since the poor were to be educated, not
for the protection of the state, but as
charity. The ideal at first was of
school rendered free from endowment
rather than supported by public taxa
ton. Education, like religion, was left
to personal inclination. The population
was small, Indifferent to culture, bent
on the conquest Of nature, and very
widely scattered. 1T is not surprising,
them" says DIR. Weeks, that no gener.
a! system Of education was developed
during this period"
What progress did take place was soon
halted by the Civil war. During the
war education received seant attention.
The reconstruction period, likewise, was
necessarily period OF adjustment rath-
er than of achievement, but during this
epoch certain important principles were
adopted: Public taxation for
the support of the schools; establish
ment Of the position of superintendent
of public instruction as a separate state
office; the education of the whole peo-
pie, both black and white; and the Ill I
innate ideal of compulsory education.
With the restoration of home rule !
in 1874 and the incorporation OF the !
system unequivocallv into |
the constitution of that year, the per
of public education was as
sured Since that time it may fairly !
be said that the school system has been /
in the interests Of all the
people under policy more or less uni
form.
The slow but steady improvement in
conditions in Arkansas
reached a climax in 1909, when the as
sembIy passed two compulsory attend 4
snce laws. and two acts on agricultural Il
md horticulture in requiring the teach
ng of elementary agriculture and horti
nlture in the schools. the other appro-
,riating 100000 for special schools to
each agriculture, horticulture. and tex
lie manufacturing. The legislature Of
OH passed no less than ID education
lets. covering consolidation OF rural
chools. compulsory attendance, the Gre
ton of high schools. and the establish
nent of a state board of education.
In summarizing the purpose of aspir-
tions of Arkansas in educat ton, DIR.
Weeks SAYS: THE people of Arkansas
ave been thoroughly honest with them
elves; they are not in the habit Of
laiming that their system is better
han il Is or better than that OF other
tates; they have boldly and honestly
ought to know the true situation. re-
ardless Of their relative rank. Their
EDUCATIONAL leaders have recognized their },
BORROWINGS. their blunders. their fail
res. their injustice 20 themselves. AMI
18th steadiness of purpose sometimes
slow. il Is true but none the
IS sure-they have sought TO amend
he errors Of earlier DAYS and to lay
road and deep the foundations Of
,hool system that shall grow and de-
nlop with the increasing strength and
over Of the state