The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1914-03-21

Recommended IldL LuS StdtS DOdru VI
education be given authority to estab.
lish and assist in supporting one or
more schools in each of the parishes
that may be interested; these schools
to teach as many as eight grades, and
have them taught by the most compe-
! tent negro teachers that can be Sc
cured, bringing into the schools such
negro men and women as desire to be-
come teachers. "Of course the grad
yates Of such institutions would not
be very highly educated" the report
states, "but they would know ten thou
sand times more than the negro teach
ers who are now teaching the negro
public schools of the state"
Other important recommendations in
Mr. Harris report are that the legisla-
ture provide for the employment of
physicians to make medical inspec-
ton of the school children; that all
fees Of the public schools be abolished,
and the schools made absolutely free;
that free textbook readers be furnish
ed the school children from the first to
| fifth grades, inclusive; and that the
law be made definite so as to provide
for the borrowing of funds for current
expenses by school boards, pending the
collection of the school taxes.
The report is published in three vol
umes, the first two Of which the en-
tirely taken up with school statistics.
The enrolment Of white children in
the schools was 199,9S7 for the session
of 1911-12 and 2O5,793 for the session
of 1928 For the session 1911-12 the
average attendance was 119,945, and
for the session 1928, the average
was 137,433. In 1912 the negro
school term was 35 months and $4,000
negro children were enrolled, with an
average attendance of $3.50; for the
session of 1928, 87,729 negro chill
dren were enrolled for a school term
of 43 months, the average attendance
being 60,595.
The 1901 white male teachers in the
public schools for 1912 received an
average salary of $685. per month;
the 1905 white female teachers re-
ceived an average salary of $58. In
1928, 1893 white male teachers re-
ceived an average salary of 1888 and
1858 white female teachers taught for
$57.96 month. The average salary
for the negro teachers, both male and
females, was about $3.50 a month dur
ing the two years.
Public School Receipts.
The public school receipts for the
session of 1912 were $5,S67, 967, and for
the session 1928 they were $685.
ISL, state institutions excluded. In
round numbers, the receipts were ap-
proximately $6,OOO,OOO for 1912 and
$7,000,000 for 1928, an increase of
$1,OO0,OO0. The school census Of 1911
gives a total of 526,26S children of
school age in the state. OF these, 3O4,-
1877 are white children and 222,111 are
negro children.
For the session of 1928 there were
employed SO Louisiana State Univer-
sity graduates, AZ Tulane graduates, 40
Newcomb graduates, 143 Peabody grad.
yates, 229 college graduates from other
states, $40 graduates from the State
Normal school, As graduates Of normal
schools located in other states, 1854
teachers holding first grade certificates,
| 1,156 holding second grade certificates,
and 367 holding third grade certificates
There were 1856 native Louisiana
teachers employed and GAG teachers
from other states. The total white
teaching force was 5,601.
Mr.. Harris believes that "the people
of the state are genuinely interested In
the education of their children. This
is conclusively proven in numerous
ways; they are increasing the school
revenues a million dollars year; they
are employing all of the available com.
Ipetent teachers; they are providing
good high schools for practically all Of
the children Of the state; they are i'm
proving the country schools; they are
incorporating in the school curriculum
practical work designed to make efflc-
lent bread-winners of boys and girls;
and they are employing superintend-
ents fitted by education and experience
70 perform efficient service.
During the last two sessions the
schools have been remarkably free
from discussions and misunderstand-
ings among patrons and school officials,
which if present interrupt the progress
of schools. The school conditions gen.