HIGH SCHOOLS.

There are now ten high schools established in as many different towns, besides two that are supported by tuition. Three of these have been lately established, and another town has erected a building for a high school and will soon have it in operation. This shows that the people are no longer content with a knowledge of the three "R's”. simply, or even with the curriculum of the modern grammar school.

In addition to the direct benefits that arise from the establishment of a high school, there are some indirect advantages. As the teachers of a town are usually selected from its residents, by advancing the standard of education in a town there results the employment of more highly educated teachers. It establishes, too, a higher mark or degree of attainment to which pupils will aspire before finally quitting school.

The establishment and successful maintenance of a high school by the small town of Barrington, which has only five district schools to rely upon for its high-school pupils, shows that high schools might easily be established in many other places where they are not found, and where the children are deprived of all higher education.

PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

During the last few years many private schools have been established, and in some of the large manufacturing towns the enrolment of the private schools rivals that of the public schools. As to what is taught in them, how much and how well, it is difficult to say. The State board of education thinks that a list of studies should be prescribed for all schools in the State, both public and private, and that supervisors should be appointed to visit and report upon them.

FREE PUBLIC LIBRARIES.

There are now thirty-eight free libraries in the State, containing 144,269 volumes. It is estimated that eighty per cent. of the population are in reach of a library, and when a few more shall have been established the State will be able to claim the distinction which possibly no other can claim, that free schools and free libraries have been placed within the reach of the entire population. The public libraries serve the very important purpose of harmonizing and unifying the heterogeneous mass of people gathered into the State.

POLITICAL FUNCTION OF THE SCHOOLS.

One of the prime objects in the establishment of the public schools is the preservation of a republican form by government by educating the masses of the people and thereby enabling them fully to understand their rights and to maintain them. To assist in this, the pupils should be thoroughly instructed as to the American system of government, as to American statesmen, inventors, generals, and other celebrated men, so that, although their parents may continue to cherish the fondest affection for their native land, the children shall be fully imbued with the ideas and sentiments of this country.

SCIENCE AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING.

The State board of education claims that industrial training must be given a place in the public schools, not that it should supplant anything, but that it should be made supplementary to the regular course. This kind of instruction is particularly needed now, since apprenticeships are no longer in vogue.

The State superintendent thinks that this want can be met to a large extent by giving instruction in the natural and physical sciences. "In the upper grades of our grammar schools and in the high schools, if physics were taught experimentally, the pupil would acquire from a thorough course in that study all that aptitude for handling tools, that acquaintance with the nature and uses of different kinds of materials, that opportunity for the development of whatever latent inventive genius there may be, which are claimed to be the real benefits to be secured from manual training.'

Geology, mineralogy, botany, and zoology are already included in the course, and it is only necessary to modify the methods of instruction in them to meet, to a large extent, the demands for manual instruction.

RECOMMENDATIONS.

The State superintendent thinks that the time has come when the district system of conducting the schools should be abolished, and he cites a number of disadvantages arising from it: such as, placing the expenditure of a large amount of money in the hands of a scattered body of persons whose principal aim sometimes is to use up the money;" frequently the poorest teacher of a town is paid more than the best; a school is sometimes closed for months because of the wilfulness of a trustee who can not secure the appointment of the teacher whom he desires, or because the school building is no longer fit for occupancy and the voters refuse to make the necessary improvements.

It is also recommended that a minimum standard of qualifications should be required of all teachers. At present no standard whatever is established, but it is left to each town committee to determine for itself what attainments shall be required. In some towns the teacher is required to be thoroughly qualified, while in others the committee is satisfied with recommendations and promises. It is not recommended that the State determine the degree of education exacted, but that it shall require that every teacher shall at least reach a minimum standard, leaving it to each town committee to say how much higher the standard shall be raised.

ARBOR DAY.

An act was passed by the Legislature in January, 1887, making such day as may be appointed by the Governor "Arbor Day" a holiday.

SOUTH CAROLINA.

[From Report for 1887-88 of State Superintendent James H. Rice.]

GENERAL CONDITION.

The report of the State superintendent for the year 1887-88 acquires additional interest from the fact that it is not founded alone upon reports made to him by the school commissioners of the different counties, but to a large extent upon his personal observation, as he visited during the year every county in the State, met with the teachers and trustees of many districts, and in many towns delivered addresses upon educational

subjects.

The public free schools are meeting with more favor each succeeding year, and the people are manifesting their interest in them by their efforts in many ways to improve them. Large and comfortable school buildings have been erected in many towns and bal taxes voted to supplement the regular school tax imposed by the State. It is claimed that during the last two years more money has been expended in the erection of good school buildings than in any similar period in the history of the State. Special mention is made of those erected in Greenville, Spartanburg, Winnsborough, and Rock

Hill.

The enrolment of pupils shows a large increase; the total number being 193,434, an increase of 18,417 over that of the preceding year. large increase, being 139,557; an increase of 14,036. The average attendance also shows It is unfortunate that these favorable statements should be offset to some extent by the unfavorable one that the average duration of the public schools was only three and six-tenths months. It should be remembered, however, that in many of the larger towns and prosperous districts the schools are continued for eight or ten mouths by local taxation or private subscriptions, The State superintendent recommends that the Legislature enact a general law allowing all school districts to levy a local tax to supplement the amount received from the gen

eral State fund.

TEXT-BOOKS.

The law requires the State board of examiners every five years to make a selection of text books to be used in the public schools. Accordingly in September, 1888, the board

met and

Resolved, That the peculiar condition of affairs in this State, by reason of which not only in each county but in each school district there are teachers and pupils of different cases and races possessing different capacities to teach, learn, and purchase books, it Mould be injurious to educational interest to adopt a single list of text-books for the

State."

In order to secure flexibility in the system and to meet the varying wants of the chols, and at the same time to prevent frequent changes in text-books in a school. which impose vexatious and unnecessary expense upon parents," the board adopted sevemal series of text-books, from which the county boards were allowed to select a single feited his pay from the public school fund. series for their respective counties. Any teacher refusing to use the books adopted for

SCHOOL COMMISSIONER.

explained to a large extent by the perfunctory manner in which the officer discharges Much prejudice exists against the office of county school commissioner, which can be ever, that to abolish the office would be a fatal mistake, but efforts should be made to in

crease the efficiency of the office. and yet it can get the votes to fill the office, when, as a matter of

"The law requires this officer to examine every teacher,

fact, he can not, in many instances, examine a single teacher. This is a blunder and worse than a crime." It is recommended that, after the selection by the voters, the man selected should be required to stand an examination before the State board of examiners, and if he fail to pass a satisfactory examination the office be filled by appointment. It is especially important that the office be filled by one thoroughly competent to superintend the schools of the county, as the people, on account of their poverty, are unable to send their children from home to be educated.

INDUSTRIAL TRAINING.

"There is quite a demand for industrial training schools. These must be built on special foundations or the experiments made by the schools of the larger towns. We can not add such features to our three months' free schools. It is greatly to be desired that private benevolence would furnish at least one model. fill such an institution, and soon they would be multiplied."

TENNESSEE.

Our boys and girls would

[From Report for 1886-87 of State Superintendent Frank M. Smith.]

APPRECIATION OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

There is practically no opposition in the State to the public schools; but, on the contrary, the people appreciate fully the great advantages conferred by them, and are demanding that the school term be lengthened, and that the schools be improved in other ways. The county courts, too, are making more liberal appropriations in behalf of them.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

The schools districts are identical with the civil districts; and, according to the law, no authorities except the county courts have the power to establish new districts; but, by a misunderstanding of the law, school directors have in many instances divided their districts into quite a number of smaller districts. As a consequence there are in some cases as many as two hundred districts where there should not be more than twenty. This tends to greatly weaken the eficiency of the schools, for instead of having two or three schools with several teachers and two or three hundred pupils properly graded into different classes, there are found a number of small schools struggling for a bare existence and in which all the grades are taught.

In order to prevent oue school in a district from being overcrowded with pupils while the others have a very smali number, the directors are authorized to say which school different pupils shall atten?: but all the schools in a district must be maintained the same number of days, and when the public funds are not sufficient to keep up the schools for five months, the county courts shall either levy an additional tax for the purpose or submit the proposition to a vote of the people.

DIRECTORS.

One school director is elected annually on the first Thursday in August, to hold office for a term of three years. If a vacancy occurs at any time the remaining two directors appoint one to serve out the unexpired term.

TEXT-BOOKS.

Only the district directors have the power to adopt a series of text-books, but the directors of a county may meet together and adopt a common series, but their action shall not be binding on the directors of any district who wish to adopt different ones. County superintendents have no authority to adopt text-books for the county.

CONVENTION OF COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS.

A convention of county superintendents was held in Nashville on the 6th of December, and proved to be a very interesting and important meeting. Subjects pertaining to the educational condition and improvements were considere 1, and such an interest was manifested in the proceedings that it was resolved to hold an annual meeting in Nashville on the second Tuesday of December, and that all school officers and teachers might become members.

NEW LEGISLATION.

Arbor Day established.-The Legislature, in March, 1887, made it the duty of the county superintendents to set apart annually some day in November as "Arbor Day," when the pupils of each school. under the supervision of the teacher, should set out trees around the school buildings and otherwise improve and beautify the appearance of the grounds,

wo that the day should be one of enjoyment to the pupils, as well as of instruction in

the importance of this subject.

[From Report for 1887-88 of State Superintendent Frank M. Smith.]

GENERAL STATEMENTS.

The growth of the public school system of Tennessee since 1873, when the present school laws went into effect, has been exceedingly gratifying; the enrolment and average attendance have nearly doubled, and the school-houses and school furniture are now far better. The length of the school term, however, is not much greater.

Teachers' institutes were held during the year in ninety of the ninety-six counties of the State, and were attended by four thousand three hundred and fifty teachers.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

Great injury has been done to the cause of education in some of the counties by the formation of a large number of school districts; in some counties there are eighty or ninety districts where there should only be eight or ten. In some of these districts the directors are utterly incompetent to discharge the duties efficiently. In most of the anties the school district and the civil district are identical, and in these counties we find the best schools. It is better to have a few schools attended by a large number of pupils than to have a large number of weak, struggling schools. In some cases the district directors have assumed the authority of forming new districts, an authority which belongs only to the county courts. The directors may determine what school in a district each child shall attend, but they have no authority to establish a new district.

COMMON-SCHOOL DIPLOMAS.

The State superintendent has had prepared a common-school diploma, a transcript of which is to be given each boy or girl who completes the course of studies required by law to be taught in the public schools; viz, orthography, reading, writing, arithmetic, English grammar, geography, United States history, elementary geography of Tennessee, and elementary principles of agriculture. This idea meets with general approbation, and it is thought that it will stimulate both teachers and pupils to more thorough and

better work.

GRADED SCHOOLS.

In many counties graded schools have been established; and in the towns of Gallatin, Morristown, and Johnson City boards of education have been elected, corporation taxes imposed, and all the necessary arrangements made for running the schools ten months in the year. In Tracy City there is being erected a good school building, which when completed will be equal to any in the State.

COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS.

In several counties of the State women were appointed by the county courts to serve as superintendents of schools. The State superintendent decided that according to the Constitution and laws of the State women are not eligible to the office, and in this decision he has been sustained by the attorney-general. The State superintendent called the attention of the county courts to this fact, and also as to the advisability of reappointing men who had shown themselves specially fitted to discharge the duties of county super

intendents.

LOCAL TAXATION.

The law requires "that when the money derived from the school fund and taxes imposed by the State on the counties shall not be sufficient to keep up the public schools for five months in the year in the school districts of the county, the county court shall levy an additional tax sufficient for this purpose, or shall submit the proposition to a vote of the people." In several counties these additional taxes were levied. In Dyer County the court raised the tax from fifteen cents to twenty cents on a hundred dollars' worth of taxable property, and so satisfactory were the results that when it became necessary the next year to reduce the rate of taxation the reduction was made in county expenses and not in the school funds.

SCHOOL FUNDS.

distinct, also to keep an account showing from what sources the funds are derived and The county trustees are required by law to keep the State and county funds entirely

to whom they are

paid. They are also required to report to the county superintendent

and to the district directors whenever any funds are received. These requirements are

constantly disregarded.

Another evidence of the reckless management of the school funds is the want of cor respondence in the balances left over June 30, the close of the fiscal year, and the amounts reported as on hand the next day, July 1.

The superintendent estimates that the schools lose each year at least one hundred thousand dollars by the non-collection of poll taxes which should be collected.

ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC SCHOOL OFFICERS.

The association met at Nashville December 11, 1888. The session continued for four days, during which time many topics relating to the public schools were considered and plans for their improvement discussed. The superintendent thinks that this annual meeting of school officers will prove of great benefit to the schools, and in order to secure a full attendance of the county superintendents provision for defraying their expenses should be made by the county courts.

TEXAS.

[From Report for 1887-88 of State Superintendent Oscar H. Cooper.]

PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.

The obligation of the State to provide for the proper instruction of its youth in the elementary branches was recognized while Texas formed a part of Mexico, and it was one of the charges brought against that country by those who proclaimed its independence that Mexico had failed to establish a system of public instruction as required by its constitution and for which it possessed eminent resources. It was again recognized in the constitution of the Republic of Texas, and in the successive State constitutions of 1845, 1866, 1869, and 1876. The State now has a fine opportunity to establish one of the best educational systems of any State or Territory in the Union. The interest-bearing fund of the common schools and the State University is already $20,000,000; the income from which is larger than that from the endowment funds of any other State, and there yet remain unsold thirty million acres of land which will greatly increase the school funds. "It is the general impression, doubtless well founded, that better work has been done in the schools during the past two years than has ever been done before. This is due chiefly to the general progress of the State in intelligence and wealth, and to the increased interest every where manifested in the schools; but the establishment of a standard in the examination of teachers has contributed an important part toward this result."

There are some defects, however, which mar the beauty of the system very much.

LENGTH OF TERM.

The average school term in the country schools is five months; in the town schools eight months. As these are the average lengths of the terms it follows that quite a number of the schools do not continue so long. All the schools of the State should be open at least six months, as required by the State constitution; but, as the increased income from land sales, leases, etc., will only be sufficient to meet the increase in population, it will be necessary to impose local taxes or to increase the State tax.

LOCAL TAXATION.

"It is the rule throughout the United States that the chief part of the fund used to support the schools of the district is levied, collected, and disbursed in the district. This system makes the people more watchful of the schools and accords closely with our notions of local autonomy."

It is left optional with each district whether it will try local taxes or not, and at present out of the three thousand school districts less than three hundred impose local taxes. It is not to be expected that many districts will vote the tax so long as the present law remains which requires a petition for an election by a certain number of land-holders, as in some parts of the State the number of the latter is quite small. A law should be passed abolishing the "community" system, as it is impossible to hold an election for local taxation where it is in vogue.

TEMPORARY DEFICIENCIES IN SCHOOL FUNDS.

"The most serious criticism made on our present school system is the uncertainty in the time of payment of teachers. Temporary deficiencies in funds to pay teachers are of common occurrence, and become pretty general during certain months of the year. This is the time when the balances carried over from the previous year have been generally exhausted and the collector of taxes has not begun to pay the local treasurers the school taxes collected for the year. The general explanation of these temporary defi