Newspaper Page Text
EDUCATIONAL, ECONOMICAL, AGRICULTURAL.
By VV. M. Holsenbeck, Mrs. J. F. Sheafs and W. Hill Hosrh.
STATE SUPERINTENDENT BRIT
TAIN OUTLINES EDUCATIONAL
NEEDS OF STATE.
IN and address before the Oeobgla Ed
ucational association at Savannah
Thursday night, State Bui>erintendent
of Schools M. L. Brittain advocated
higher wages for teachers, more funds
from the state, and local taxation for
the schools. In part, he said :
“It has custom to outline at
this annual meeting our educational
needs. The unanimous co-operation re
ceived from you has been of great
value to me in pressing questions upon
the members of our general assembly,
and so this evening I shall again out
line to you the measures which seem to
me to be cheifly needed htf our public
schools at this time.
“Sinee 1914 the cost of living has ad
vanced 50 per cent. During this time
the working man from apprentice to
superintendent has received increase in
wages. But, in spite of the fact that
they lielong. with one exception, to the
poorest-paid profession in America, in
few instances has the pay of teachers
advanced. Uncle. Sam, himself, is urg
ing these very pupils to accept govern
ment service at a greater wage than
their instructors. It is eveh worse. At
a recent conference of cotton mill su
printendents, one of them reported
that his teacher, with a monthly salary
of SSO. naturally was having difficulty
in securing the attendance of some of
the larger mill girls in the fifth and
sixth grades, because they were earn
ing $52 a month —$2 more than she
could get with her lang and careful
training for her vocation.
“We are scarcely paying enough to
retain the competent, to say nothing of
making the profession attractive to the
best. This being the ease, the state,
city and county must see that the
schools do not drift Into the deaden
ing hands of unsuccessful intellectuals.
Some help can he furnished by married
women who formerly taught and were
driven from the congenial task liy
laws which required resignation with
matrimony. All such regulations sltould
he revoked at once and the effort made
to secure the best of trained workers.
More Funds from the State.
“The state, county, city and town
should realize the necessity of pro
viding funds. The state at present has
set aside $3,200,000 for public schools.
The amount should lie even greater
next year. This will lie sufficient, how
ever. No other state has ever thought
it could maintain a good system of
schools by appropriations from the
treasury alone. The members of our
legislature who desire this must think
that all that is necessary is to increase
the appropriation some thousands or
some hundreds of thousands so that a
few days or a few weeks can be added
to the present so-called fr*e term. Our
hardest task is to make them see that
this is nttterly inadequate; would be so
even if every dollar received by the
state treasury were apprporiuted sole
ly to the schools, and every old veteran,
lunatic and other state institution were
cast adrift. Every other state has
found that it must have local initiative
and aid to give proper educational ad
vantages, and Georgia will prove no
exception. However unpleasant, it is
a duty to show this by actual facts.
“Compare DeKfllh find Carroll coun
ties in north Georgia. DeKalb, during
the five years she has had local tax,
lias gone far ahead of Carroll. Leaving
out their respective county seaffc, which
have excellent systems, look at the dif
ference. Every citizen of DeKalb has
access to a good school with terms of
standard length. The rural parts of
Carroll county, with as good or better
land, have inferior—markedly inferior
—schools, because of the leaning on
the state as a crutch and doing little
or nothing from the county in the way
tif furnishing educational advantages
to her children. Carroll is beginning
to see tills, and to correct it. The same
comparison may Ik* made with south
Georgia—Terrell and Toombs, for in
stance. Throughout the former there
are nine months’ school alj over the
county. Outside of Lyons, Toombs de
pends mainly on the state, and natural
ly has much less educational opportuni
ties for her boys and girls than can be
found in Terrell. The same is true of
Lee and Webster and Mitchell and Lib
erty counties, for instance. Mitchell is
divided into live districts, with a cen
tral high school in each. The children
too far to walk are transported to
these. One rural district bonded itself
for a ten-thousand dollar school. This
progress has been made possible by the
county-wide local tax, which is rapidly
giving Mitchell patrons 100 per cent
better school opportunities than those
possessed by the neighboring counties,
depending on the state treasury
for school support. Fifty-four counties
have realized such facts through the
constant campaign maintained from the
state department. Pass the senate hill
allowing the constitution to lie amend
ed for this purpose and we shall have
n statesmanlike measure that will
mean definite efficiency and progress.
worth more than any increase the state
treasury could bear.
Equalization for Weak Counties.
“The argument will he made that we
have some few counties so poor that,
even with local taxation added to state
aid, they could not have efficient
schools. This, is true, and should he
provided for. An equalization fund, as
recommended last year, should be ap
propriated to see that an equal term
arid salary wage for teachers may be
secured even by the weakest communi
ty. One hundred thousand dollars set
aside from the regular state school
fund for rural communities would cor
rect such marked injustice to this
state. While some counties now have
barely five months', others have eight
or nine months' free public term each
year. We want legislation by which
we can stop the world from saying that
Californians love their children six
4
times as much as Georgians love theirs,
sinee they spend that much more upon
the education of each child, by requir
ing district, county and town local tax,
as well as state aid. The contention
that we can give our children proper
educational advantages from the state
treasury alone makes us ridiculous in
the eyes of every educational authority
from Maine to Texas.
“Thb principal of equalization, re
quiring the strong to help the weak, js
right for the nation ns well as for each
commonwealth. There are some states
in the union ten times as able as oth
ers. Literally, I mean, that some can
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Winder, Ga.
THE WINDER NEWS, THURSDAY MAY 2, 1918.
secure ten dollars for educational work
with the same means that certain oth
ers can get one. The only way to rem
edy this inequality in wealth is by ap
propriation from the national treasury.
It is the nation's business as well as
the fate's to see that the citizen is
trained—at least as much as it is to
improve the roads, and the large num
bers of soldiers among those drafted
who could not read and write makes
us realize this as never before.
Illiteracy.
“Again it is a duty to recommend an
illiteracy cum miss ion. Our laws make
it legal to educate pupils from 6 to 18
years only with public school funds.
A commission should be appointed and
furnished with enough money to give
training in evening and day classes to
those who were denied the oppor
tunity qf educational advantages in
youth. The legislature of North Caro
lina has appropriated $5,000 for this
purpose. With the aid of private funds
furnished chiefly by Savannah ladies
efforts were made some time ago with
success in half a dozen counties. This
work should he done systematically'
and planned to cover the whole state
until there is no man or woman in
Georgia hut can at least read and write
tip* English language. As shown by
the 1910 figures, only Louisiana. North
and South Carolina, Alabama, Ken
tucky, Tennessee and Virginia had;
more white illiterates, and Louisiana, j
Alabama and South Carolina only had j
a larger per from the negro race
than Georgia,
'“Two years ago we secured the coin- 1
pulsory education law. It was mild in
character, but was the strongest it was j
possible to get through the legislature.
Weak as it was, it was in advance of
puttie sentiment, as shown by the facts
in 90 per cent of Georgia. Statewide
in application, it yet left its enforce
ment practically in the hands of the
local educational authorities. The
Georgia law is already superior to that
of most southern states about us, but
should be amended by requiring each
board of education to enforce it on pen
alty of withdrawing funds. This law
must have ‘more teeth’ if the citizens
of the future are to be protected.
County Superintendents of Schools.
“In 1909 the legislature passed a law
requiring county superintendents of
schools to be elected by the people. It
| was a cheap piece of demagogic legisla
: tlon, and, while its addition to the
number of candidates undoubtedly
pleased ward heelers and the other mil
dewed men who. infest political cam
paigns, it was reactionary and hurtful
to the educational interests of the
state.* Its injurious effects have al
ready been felt. This law should be
changed, and the boards of education
should get the best superintendent pos
sible from anywhere in or out of the
state and make women also eligible to
this position.
“At the last session of the general as
sembly the act required by the federal
authorities was passed enabling us to
take advantage of the aid extended to
the public schools for vocational educa
tional. The state board was appointed
by the governor and immediately ar
ranged to meet the rather difficult re
quirements of the United States offi
cials. The plan of the Georgia hoard
was among the first approved and a
$l.OO ARTICLE FREE!
The boy or girl giving the neatest and best answer to the third question, may select any
$l.OO article from our stock, in addition to the souvenir. In case of a tie, those tying will
receive the same prize.
THERE WILL BE SOMETHING FOR ALL OF YOU. Remember the time, 3 to 5 p. m„
TUESDAY. All children are invited. •
check for $21,000 was received last De
cember, the first aid we have ever re
ceived from the United States tor ele
mentary and secondary education. This
was one-half of the appropriation to
this state for the first year, and has
been given already to the schools meet
ing the conditions required for train
ing in agriculture, home economies and
trades and industries. Besides the fi
nancial aid thus extended, we shall de
rive most decided benefit from expert
supervisors who will inspect and certi
fy as to the quality of the instruction
given. Aid is withdrawn from any
school not measuring up to the stand
ards required. Especially will the dis
trict agricultural schools derive advan
tage from this inspection and certifica
tion, though it will brace the educa
tional work in many ways besides em
phasizing the industrial and practiacl
side of education. The aid extended
will increase from $41,500 this year to
$62,000 next.
Other Legislation.
“We need a state board of examin
ers with complete authority for the
holding and grading of examinations.
Our school laws should be codified, ar
ranged and systematized by authority
of legislation. There are many gaps
and repititions naturally, since 1577.
Additional schools for defectives
should be established, and especially
those for subnormal children. The li
brary work should be aided. The sala
ries and expense fund of the supervis
ors should be made larger. Towns in
counties with local taxation should be
allowed a greater rate than the rest
of the country where they wish to tax
themselves for this purpose. These
things we need. They will cost, of
course, but it is just as patriotic to
train our children properly for efficient
lives as to subscribe for war funds.
“We have been called on to help with
increased food production, conserva
tion, thrift stamps. Red Cross and oth
er war work service. Every teacher
worthy of the name will respond.
“Each school house should be a com-
A
munity center to teach patriotism and
to B give proper information as to the
cause and real meaning of this war to
every citizen. The teachers as public
officials should encourage the thrift
stamp and Red Cross work and place
renewed emphasis during these times
upon food conservation and production.
It will not make it less efficient, but
transform many a pale anaemic insti
tution into a real throbbing center of
life, and learning as well as of patri
otic activity."
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