The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-05-02
PRESIDENT SMITHS ADDRESS
A PLEA FOR BETTER SCHOOLS
THEME WAS DEVELOPMENT SCHOOLS FOR MIS-
sIssPPI THAT WOULD STUDENTS CITIZENSHIP
HIGHER EDUCATION.

indication of the greater appreciation
for teachers of ability.
The school improvement work, in
Guiding the girls canning clubs and
the boys corn clubs, together with the
establishment of 70 high schools with
four-year courses were other exam
pies of the rapid development of the
educational facilities of the state.
Agricultural High Schools.
Doubtless the most significant edu-
| cational movement in Mississippi to-
day." said the speaker, lis the rapid
development of and most satisfactory
initial work being done by the Coun.
ty Agricultural High schools. TWEEN
| ty-seven of these schools have been
organized with an enrolment of more
than 5000, and it is probable that
within the next year there will be not
| less than 80. These schools should
not be restrained in their work by
too strict entrance requirements. Let
the invitation be, All who will may
come"
The Mississippi Normal College in
this city is a source of pride and in
spiration to every patriotic citizen
throughout the state and it was due
to the liberal spirit of Hattiesburg and
Forrest county in appropriating the
funds that made this institution pos
sible. 1t fills a long felt need among
the teachers for just such an institu-
ton, and indicates something of the
scope of it's usefulness and influence
on the future history of educational
progress in Mississippi.
Mr. Smith made his address practi-
cal and serviceable by outlining what
seemed to him to be a feasible state
wide plan for the definite organiza-
ton and federation of the states
forces looking to the economy of time
and money in working out the plans
for an adequate public school system
for the entire state. His plan in
cludes the systematic federation of all
the schools from the elementary coun-
try schools to the University. The
primary function of the school in this
system is education, but since all civic
problems resolve themselves into a
Question of aduoa+iop tho rocDoneiI,i1i
ty of leadership is thrown upon the
schools. He followed with the inevi-
table conclusion that the primary pur-
pose of a public school system is to
prepare the boys and girls of all the
people for the life and occupation of
manhood and womanhood, and only as
a secondary purpose, the preparation
of students for a higher institution of
learning.
Plan For Federation of Forces.
Il will call your attention briefly to
the plan for celebrating the forces"
said Mr. Smith, "using the institutions
and organizations as they now exist,
as largely as possible. We have the
four state educational institutions,
each reasonably we'll equipped for its
specific work, well developed system
of academic high schools located in
the stronger centres throughout the
state, which, connected with the ele-
mentary schools below, complete the
educational ladder through these high
er scientific, technical and profession
al institutions, for as many as can
and will find the ladder" Probably
no part of this system needs to be
abolished, but it should be strength
ened and made to conform to the new
plan which has the training for citi-