The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1916-06-23
n ..-r~44N9WH 4FeaTI a77F~TW1TN "NH n M F"W
:. IN. Sheriff isssas Slate
trient On secondary Schools

DOn1e 40 4 was AHkeu
BY q County Beard Of Education to
secure an opinion from the Attor
nsy General ias the State felaiiys to
the legality sd secondary schools.
Alter careful consideration the
Attorney General gave quite q lsna
thy opinion. IN which he declares
the Law passed 10 1891 classifying
the schools an primary and sec.
ondafy'' has been repealed.
Space viii not permit TO give
the Attorney Generals opinion in
detail but briefly he says;
1t 10 clear 70 my mind thas il was
the purpose OF the Legislature in the
passage Of the Act In 1899 10 aboliab
the secondary district school, and 10
supply in its place the county high
school. II this were not true it would
then not be necessary 70 consolidate
these high schools with the diktrict
schools, OF 10 perElit the high school 10
be taught In the district schools under
The supervision OF the high school board
and the state and County Superinten-
.endsnts. as ID provided for In the sth
Section OF said Act
He says further:
I have examined the Acts Of 1909,
Chapter 284, and the Acts OF 1913, Chap.
ter ~, with the result that the opinion
given above 10 strengthened
In both these Acts no classified.
tons OF schools are mentioned
cep. elementary and high schools,
Therefore, there are two grades Of
schools. and there In no provision
made for Issuing certificates to teach.
ers OF secondary district schools.
This. therefore. confirms the opln.
ion herein expressed bat the Act Of
1899, creating high schools, was in.
tended 10 abolish secondary diatriGt
schools In the counties wherein such
high schools were created, and sup.
ply their places With a county high
school, leaving the district schools.
limited to the primary schools.
Although the opinion Of the At.
torney General eliminates the e 6
ondary school. this does not mean
that the children Of the rural dis
tricts are not to have the advantage
OF a school beyond the elementary
grades. 1t means that these schools
must be better graded by being
made third-clsss, or two-year high
schools.
1T 10 a fact. that in every elemen.
tary school where the secondary
school has been established, entire.
ly too much time and funds Of the
elementary school have been ex
pended In the teaching Of these sec.
ondary subjects, Our reports show
that the elementary schools can IL
afford this. From these reports We
are forced to acknowledge that our
most serious problem is not the SEC
ondary. or high school. hut the ele.
mentary school. When We know
that ten years ago l41 255 young
people entered the first grade Of our
schools, and that only 9OIS otthcm
completed the elementary grades,
il ia evident that something IL ser
iously wrong with our elementary
schools.
We need better schools and lon
ger terms, am sure you will agree
with me hat ne need more tune
and funds, rather than to divide the
time and funds We now have.
know OF schools where teachers
spend as much time on the eight or
ten secondary pupils Ms they spend
on the fifty or sixty pupils in the
elementary grades. know schools
In Tennessee where one teacher IL
expected 20 teachttte entire eipnrn
tary course OF eight grades and two
years OF the secondary grades. This
Ii. a waste OF money, Again.
know a school in one Of our leadinsf
counties where three teachers were
employed at a total cost Of $200Nl
a month. In this school there was
an average attendance OF about 20
to 80 in the elementary grades, and
an enrolment Of 4 in the 9th grade
and 3 in the 10th. This | call reck
less expenditure OF the children : ,
money,
The secondary schools have
proven satisfactory, W. have :
never been able to standardi1e them
and adopt a uniform course Of study. I
As a result, pupils finishing the SEE |.
ondary grades do not iii the grades '
in our hi.a schools, normal schools |
or colleges. They are insists where '
ever they 20. IL we will consolidate !
two or more Of these weak secon !
dairy schools and establish a third !
or iwo-year high school. am
sure we can accomplish much more !
good. !
i do not believe that all OF the ,
high school fund OF the county "
be expended in one central l
Ised high school, This does mol, :
bring the high school advantagest
,lose enough 10 the people. he. /.