The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1917-07-28
COLORED SCHOOLS.
Statistics and Recommendations Pre-.
sented in Government Report.

Public and private schools for ne.
groes in Louisiana are described in
the report on "Negro Education" lust
issued by the U. S. Bureau of Educa.
ton, Department of the Interior, and
| in a special abstract for the state
For each school the following infor.
nation is given: Location of school
name of principal; character of work
| ownership and control; attendance
| teachers; financial condition. The
descriptive sketch of the more i'm
portant schools is followed by specific
recommendation looking to the future
development of the school. The facts
for the Individual schools were OBJ
tanned by field study of Louisiana
and other southern states covering
a period of neary three years.
Besides listing the private and
higher schools for negroes in Louisi-
ana and other southern states, the re-
port analyses the provision for educa-
ton by the states; discusses means
and methods of education for ne
groes; describes building and equip
ment for typical schools; and attempts
to give specific aid to public and pri-
vate authorities interested in negro
education. The problem before the
colored schools of Louisiana is in
dicated by the fact that illiterates are
still 48 per cent of the colored peo-
pie 10 years of age, and Al per cent
of the children 10 to "A years of age.
The Louisiana section of the re-
port shows that there are, according
to census figures, 1884 colored
people in Louisiana, forming 43 per
cent of the total population. 1t is
pointed out that 81 per cent of all
persons engaged in agricultural pur-
suits in the state are colored, but that,
as result of the ravages of the boil
weevil, the number of farms cult
waited by negroes decreased 6 per
cent between 1900 and 1910. AS
farmers renting and owning land,
they have charge of more than two
million acres of Louisiana soil, and,
if their work as farm laborers be tax
en- into account, they undoubtedly
cultivate a far larger area. The re-
port therefore emphasizes the need OF
agricultural and industrial education,
pointing out that public facilities for
this type of education are still prac-
tically negligible, and, while few OF
the private schools are rendering eff
fective service, they are for the most
part unable to meet the statewide
needs.
Public provision for colored and
white children in Louisiana is COM
pared on the basis of the amount ex-
nended for teachers salaries and the
number of children Of school age.
'sThe public school teachers of Louisi-
ana received S3,O18, 479 in in salaries
in 1911-12," says the report: sOf u
tlis sum $780,, ,103 was for the
teachers Of 2O4,385 white children,
and s211, ,376 was for the teachers OF
161, 500 colored children. On per
capita basis this is S13.73 for each
white child of school age and Sl.3l
for each eolored child" The in
eoualities between the figures for
white children and those for colored
children are greatest in the parishes
where the proportion Of negroes IN
the total population is largest. :,
Private schools for colored pupils
in Louisiana number "a, according to
the report. They have property
valuation of $1,116,987, an annual
income of s122,031, and an attend
ance of 9210 pupils, Of whom o5o|
are in elementary grades. The prl-
vate schools are almost entirely sup
ported by denominations. Only II OF
the "a schools play any important
part in the educational activities of
the state. It is pointed out that a
few of the remaining schools may oe
justified on denominational grounds
the majority, however, are so ham,
pered by small income or poor man
agement that the state receives little
benefit from them.
The most urgent need of the color.
ed schools in Louisiana is trained
teachers. The report declares: "The
supply now depends almost entirely
mon the secondary schools, most OF
which are private institutions. VI the
nrivate schools, however, only SIX OF
fer fair preparation and two others
include one or two teacher-trainlng
subjects in their general course. me
pupils in the graduating classes OF all
the schools offering teacher training
= AGGREGATES only about 100, an an
nual output obviously inadequate to
meet the need for teachers IN a state
with over 10000 colored people and
I 400 colored public school teachers. y
The report summarizes the educa-
tional needs for the schools OF Loulsl'
ana as follows:
|. The strengthening and exten'
of the elementary schools. The only
AGENCIES able to supply this need are
the state, the parish, and the loca
nublic school district.
2 Additional supervision and cor
relation of the educational activities
of the state. To this end the plan OF
the State Department of Education
to co-operate with the General Edu
cation Board in employing super
visor for colored schools should De ell
couraged.
facilities. To this end secondary
sehnols with teacher-training course:
shonld be provided, more summer
Schools and teachers Institutes shouit
he maintained, and the private schools
should cooperate with the state De
partment of Education by piacins
more emphasis on teacher-tfalnln'
courses in accordance with s1at'
standards. .+;o,
in gardening, household arts, ana SIM
nle industries. In developing LII
work the parishes should realize tn
nossih;l;tjes of the Jeanes Fund IN
dustrial supervisors. .,,u