The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-10
CLAYTON EXPLAINS ] [ VEL OPMENT OF q A I [ EDUCATION
University Provost Outlines Progress of Needs of Ala bama Schools and
 Colleges

by Dr. P. F. Claxton, provost of the University of Alabama. former United States commissioner of edu- cation, in an address recently made in Birmingham.
 Alabama has an enviable record in education" said pr. Claxton. She has made good provision for educa- tion, and has used wisely the facili- ties at her command. This is true likewise of her land grants.
 within two weeks after Alabama was admitted to the Union work was started toward establishing state university. Organization was carried forward speedily, and the University of Alabama was estab- lished the following year.
 .In March, 1926, there was passed the special city and county act, and in 1854 the first general school law. providing state and county officers and an appropriation for state and county education was adopted.
 First Normal School
 Tn 1867 the schools of Alabama became free, theoretically at least. I understand that there are even now nominal fees charged in some schools, but tuition Is theoretically free and is practically, to al intents and pur- poses.
 "The first normal school was es- tablished in 1878 at Florencep In this step Albany was early. Since that time three other normal schools have been established and maintained on a high level. Just a little later came the establishment of the Agricultural and Mechanical Arts college at Au- burn, and the technical school for women at Montevallo. These were designed to be technical schools, to train men and women for vacations.
 About that time some one in Ala bama caught a great vision. The need was seen for agriculture. schools for young men who could not afford to so to college and who had not had advantages of a high school education. This led to the es- tablishment of the district agricul- turaI schools, in which field Ala bama was a pioneer. She has been followed by many other states.
 School Funds Limited
 school funds were very limited. Revenue from lands did not yield much. and even in 1902 the total ap- propriation for all education in Ala bama was sso0,000. This included revenue from the three-mill tax and the one mill tax.
 Tn 1907 the bill providing for county high schools was passed, and that was a great landmark. The bill provided that every county, ex- cept those with agricultural schools, should have a high school. and In about five years the program was completed.
 Before that time there wore no public schools in Alabama. In pro- viking for county highs schools. how ever, Alabama was about on an average with other southern states.
 Tn 1915 a bill was passed per. hitting counties to levy special three mill tax, and also the districts to levy a three-mill tax. Every county in the state save one. have now. I am glad to say, taken ad- vantage of that privilege, and more than half of the districts have done so. Practically every city has levied the three-mill tax, and some have increased this, as later provided, to Tive mills.
 Tt was about this time that the office of county superintendent of education was removed from politics and placed on an appointive basis Alabama was about tenth in the south in this respect. This was a fine move. although I know there has been some. dissatisfaction re. garding it in Alabama. If the county beard of education is to be held responsible for the schools of this county. it must have power to selee :. its executive agencies.
 New Education Code
 Tn 1919 the new education code Of Alabama was adopted, and it is the peer of any such document in the country It is studied in the normal schools of tho country and at Colum- bia and ether universities. It has made Alabama's education system famous. N
 Alabama is providing increasingly for her schools. Revenue available for all the schools now Is about S11,O0o.000 each year. In 1919 there was also passed bill providing for s5.0o0 yearly increase in the then SEQ 900 appropriation for normal schools.
 'That four-year period has just ended. and the normal schools re- ceived $40 1000 this year.
 There was also provision that the appropriation for the state university should be increased s1o,00o each year. This year. the last of that period the appropriation was s140,000. E "Enrollment in the high schools has increased enormously. In 1907 thate were in Alabama, 2.000 boys and girls in public high schools. Last year there were more than l5 times that many and this year, with an increase of about 20 per cent over last, there are approximately 55.000 boys and girls in. public high schools of Alabama. Enrolment in high schools in Alabama was last year on an average for white population over the whole country two years ago. Within another year, l pre- dict that Alabama will be on the same plane with other states in this respect.
 Many Go to College
 Tt is significant, moreover, that these figures do not represent en- rollment in the first year or two of high school. but all the way through showing that boys and girls are Completing their high school courses. Not only so, but I find that so or 90 per cent express an intention of go- ing to college. Never anywhere in the United States have 1 seen that record equa,ed.
 This brings enormously increased enrollments in the institutions of higher learning, and it brings higher standards of admission and college work.
 "The length of the school term In Alabama is nearly on an average for the country. It is, l understand, about 120 days, while that for the country is 162 days. In Jefferson county. l understand the school term is longer than the average.
 Alabama is still low in point of illiteracy, college attendance and some other particulars. It matters not so much where we stand, however, as the direction in which we are going, and l believe Alabama Is headed in the right direction. I have vision for education in this state that sees every youth given an op- portunity for education and every talent developed.
 Changes Neceasary