Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1917-07-26
COIORED SCHOOLS IN KENTUCKY.

Public and private schools for Me-
groes in Kentucky are described in
the report on Negro Education just
issued by the U. S. Bureau Of Educa-
ton, Department of the Interior,
Washington, and in special abstract
for the State. For each school the
following information is given: Loca-
ton OF school, name Of principal; char
acter Of work; ownership and control;
attendance; teachers; financial condi-
ton. The descriptive sketch Of the
more important schools is followed by
specific recommendation looking to
the future development Of the school.
The facts for the individual schools
were obtained by a field study of
Kentucky and the other Southern
States covering a period, of nearly
three years.
Besides listing the private and high
er schools for Negroes in Kentucky
and other Southern States, this Fed
eral report on colored schools analyz-
es the provisions for education by the
States; discusses means and methods
OF education for Negroes; describes
building and equipment for typical
schools; and attempts to give specific
aid to public and private authorities
interested in Negro education. The
problem before the colored schools of
Kentucky is indicated by the fact that
illiterates are still q per cent. of the
colored people 10 years of age and
over and 8 per cent. of the children
10 to IA years of age.
The Kentucky section of the report
shows that there are, according TO the
Census figures, 261.656 colored peo-
people in Kentucky, forming II per
cent of the total population. It is
pointed out that per cent of all per-
sons engaged in agricultural pursuits
in the State are colored and that the
number of farms cultivated by Ne
groes increased A per cent between
1900 and 1910. AS farmers renting
and owing land, they have charge of
almost four hundred and fifty thous-
and acres of Kentucky soil, and, if
their work as farm laborcrs be taken
into accout, they undoubtedly cult
vate much larger area. The report
therefore emphasizes the need of ag-
gricultural and industrial education,
pointing out that public facilities for
this type of education are still prac-
tically negligible, and that, while
few OF the private scoools are render
ing effective service they are for the
most part unable to meet the State
wide needs.
Public provision for colored and
white children in Kentucky is COM
pared On the basis of the amount ex-
pended for teachers salaries and the
number of children of school age.
The public school teachers of Ken
lucky received So, 79O,562 in salaries
in 1912" says the report. "Of this
sum s., 389, 354 was for the teachers of
4170Sl white children and $4O1, 2O8
was for the teachers of AZ, O47 colored
children. On per capita basis this is
So. 10 foi each white child of school
age and 1888 for each colored child. +"
The per capita expenditure for color
ed children in Kentucky is among the
highest in the Southern States.
Private schools for colored pupils
in Kentucky number II, according to
the report They have a property
valuation of 1857, 54S, an annual in
come of $48, $40, and an attendance
of 1,l76 pupil, of whom l,OO7 are in |
elementary grades. Most of the pri-
vate SCHOOLS are supported by denom-
nations. Only 6 OF the II schools
play any important part in the educa-
tional activities of the state. II is
pointed out that few of the remain
ing schools may be justified on de-
nominational grounds; the majority,
however, are so hampered by small
income or poor management that the
state receives little benefit from them.
The most urgent need of the col
ored schools in Kentucky is trained
teachers. The report declares; "The
supply now depends on the State
Normal and Industrial Institute and
Il fhYal A.