Lower coast gazette., 1914-07-11
Of School Directors,

cUuStOGT ANVIL tiiS, Ky AlS1
port on the Public Schools in Plaque
mines Parish.
During the Scholastic Year-July !.
1913, to July l, 19l4-most Of the thir-
ty.fve white schools within the parish
operated for the full session of eight
months. Some terms were shortened
because of the impossibility of securing
teachers for a time, but an effort has
been made to remedy matters. by al
lowing these schools TO operate during
the summer months, then too, some Of
them were compensated for some of
tie time lost, in the form Of better
higher salaried teachers. The average
length of the session in the white
schools Of the parish, not including
time taught since June GOTH. was sew
Ell and four tenths months. All schools
we're visited once, and some two. three
or more times during the session. TAX
ing circumstances and conditions into
consideration, the year from an educa-
tional point Of view WAS a successful
one, but there is much room for I'M
provement, and With your earnest CO.
operation and assistance ! hope to make
next wear much better, as we'll as each
succeeding year during my incumbency
better than the last.
Two teachers examinations were
held during the session, in which sew
teen white applicants and two colored
qualified as third grade teachers, while
one white applicant qualified al a sec
ond grade teacher. ldesire to mention
in this connection with some little
pride and satisfaction, that Of the thir-
ty- three white teachers with US at the
end of the session; nineteen are now
attending the summer normals OF the
state, hoping to either raise the grade
of their certificate, or have it extended
and incidentally becoming better, more
efficient teachers. In addition to this
| understand that several prospective
teachers from the parish are attending
the same schools, with view OF taking
up the work Of teaching later on. Of
the teachers not attending the summer
normals, some are married, or planning
to get married, two are teaching, and
a few are not attending for apparently
no reason, except that they prefer
spending their vacation otherwise. Eve
Of the Blk. colored teachers employed
by us are attending the summer NOR
q mails. All expect to teach for us again
next session. .
Trustees were elected for four years
in most of the schools Of the parish
during the session. There were a few
schools however. where peculiar con-
t ditions existed. These will require at
: %tention early next session.
r / found during the session that tea
: cheers as we'll as trustees were more O,
less always at a loss as to just wha'
$ were their rights, duties, privileges
and responsibilities. | have therefore
undertaken the preparation Of mater
ial for a Manual which l would recon
mend that you first approve after du'
reading thereof, and then asthoriz'
& me to have printed and distributed t
n the teachers and trustees of the variou
b schools Of the parish. l feel sure sha
I the results secured in the way OF close
N cooperation ard better service On tn
n part of the teachers will well be wort
the small outlay fer printing and dis
tributing.
. The white enrolment during the ses
sion was 99998, colored 5lS. This show
p that while the enrolment is slight
larger than that of the previous yeal
y as would naturally be expected, barrel
u more than one third of the educable
= are in school. The matter is therefor
worthy Of our serious consideration
" The small enrolment in the case: OF Il
u white children may be due to necessit
or lack Of INTEREST," in education on tt
y part of the poor, but there is anoths
= reason we might almost say diametr
q cally opposite to this one. and that
= that quite an appreciable percentage
" the children Of those who are comfor
= ably situated financially; and even
those who can barely afford to pay Il
:. expense, attend the city schools to pu
: sue school subjects which they shou
be able to pursue just az Successful
NJ at their " community public schot
One reason for this condition no dou
lies in the fact that these people jud,
w Of the STANDARD Of the work done
w exterior appearances, another perha
w is that they do not care to have tn
W children educated under Circumstance
~ ~ which they consider, not altogeth
wv w without reason, anything but satisfs
w tory. The school house and surrour
w inks usually are not such as to inspi
y pride. The teacher is generally ST
sat posed to be deficient, while in most
De stances she is only handicapped by
'ee lack Of material to work with. Il
truthfully say however, that even !
der such circumstances the work dc
is usually up to or nearly up to stal