The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-05
PRESIDENT MURPHEY |STHEF|RST SPEAKER Formal Sessions of Educa-
 tional Association Begin
 ENORMOUS CROWDS
Many of Visiting Teachers Were Unable to Crowd Into Large Auditorium at the High
 School Yesterday

ucational association was formally opened yesterday afternoon at the High School auditorium with the annual address of the president of the association, D. R. Murphey of Anniston
 The crowd was so great at the High School building that it was impossible for anything like all of the teachers to obtain admittance to the room and the halls were crowded with people trying to hear the words of the president
 The address of welcome was made by Dr. J. H. Phillips of the Birmingham schools in the absence of MT. Exum Phillips welcomed the visiting teachers to the city in his usual delightful man. ner. The response was made by P. M shaekelford of the Troy Normal School
 Professor Murphey was then intro duced and said in part:
 'Within the past decade Alabama has experienced a marvellous educational awakening Not only men of education. those in the learned professions, but the rank and file of our citizenship have come to value education as never before. As a result of this interest in educa- ton a greater advance has been made in the past ten years than in any other period of our history.
 "When we view step by step the prog ress made, we can but feel that the fu- ture is bright and glorious. We cannot believe that a people who have witnessed so marked an advance in their educa- tional system, will permit the car of prog ress to be arrested or It's direction re- versed. We are forced to be optimistic of the future.
 Every educational institution in the state has profited by this uplift. Pri- vate and denominational schools are stronger and are doing a better work than ever before. Our university has advanced from a second rate college to a standard institution, with support that will enable 1t to become to Ala bama what the great state universi- ties are to other sections. The Poly technic institute, the Girls Industrial institute, the agricultural schools and the normal schools have all been given increased support and markedly in- creased in efficiency. These units, an industrial school, a school of trades and system of county high schools have been added. The schools of the coun- ties have been placed under the con- trol of county boards. The teaching force has greatly improved in schol- astic and professional training. State aid for building and improving school houses has exerted a wonderfully stim ulating effect on communities to inn prove the school buildings, single In which 75 per cent of the schools were taught in other than school buildings, now having more than 90 per cent of It's schools taught in These several school units with the single exception of the give us an unbroken sys- tenn of schools from the elementary school through the university.
 Hopefulness for Future
 "Sueh an achievement Is so brief time, especially since much of this accom- plishments has taken place in a period of national financial depression should in- spire us with hopefuness for the future. It is inconceivable that a people who have manifested so much faith in education, so much willingness to shoulder the burden of it's cost, should hesitate at this juncture to render any moral or material aid that may prove necessary in further advanc- ing education in the state, when they have had clearly set before them, and they fully understand wherein our school sys- tenn fails to measure up to the require ments of the time, and have clearly per ceived the means by which they may be made to do so.
 This being the case it cannot be con sidered a reflection upon our school sys- tenn. or of disposition to discredit the state, to point out our deficiences, to state clearly and emphatically wherein our schools fail and why.
 "Some would attempt to conceal the inadequacy of our educational facilities for fear that the reputation of the state would suffer beyond It's borders. forget ting that we could not conceal the facts if we would, and that we should not if we could. A physicians declaration of his patients physical bankruptcy Is not for the purpose of casting aspersions upon him, but to influence him to take the remedies leading to recovery. Knowledge of conditions must precede any effort at improvement. Consequently any effort to slur over and conceal the imperfections of our educational system so that only it's admirable features may be disclosed will not prove hNlpful but will impede progress Such procedure, even though inspired by
 
 reputation of the commonwealth, must in the end prove harmful, if at all success | ful. by creating feeling of satisfaction at home which has no solid foundation upon which to rest.
 "The truth of the matter is that while the higher units, of our educa- tional system have been well taken care of and are highly satisfactory that the great school or the people the elementary school, is inadequate to the education of all the shildren of the state and have not yet been put upon a basis to render the most effective service.
 County Superintendents There are now among the county su- perintendents some of our most enthu- sastic and effective school workers men who are accomplishing things in their counties. men who are really ] leading the educational forces under them and inspiring them with their ideals and purposes; men who are i'm proving their teachers through compul- sory reading courses, consolidating schools, stimulating communities to