We further recommend that no person shall be eligible to the office of county superintendent who does not possess a diploma from a college or university legally empowered to grant literary degrees, or a diploma or State certificate issued according to law by the authorities of a State normal school, or a certificate from the State board of education, or a first-grade certificate from a county or city examining board; nor shall he be eligible unless he has a sound moral character, and has had successful experience in teaching within three years of the time of his first election. We further recommend that in each county the tax levied by the county board be sufficient to secure to each district in the county six months' school each year; and that the one-mill State tax be restored. We have placed before you as concisely as possible the evils we seek to remedy; and, in like manner, recommend a system which has received the approval of the most eminent educational bodies and men in the land. We sincerely hope that the substantial outlines of the system will be adopted, and that immaterial details may not delay your action. We recommend that this report, if adopted, be printed at the expense of the association, and that a copy be sent to each member of the State legislature. We further suggest that a committee be appointed to draught a bill embracing the system herein outlined, and to further the passage of this bill at the next session of the legislature. Respectfully submitted, JOHN MACDONALD. J. H. CANFIELD. The State Teachers' Association adopted the foregoing report, and added to the original committee the following gentlemen: Hon. J. H. Lawhead; Hon. H. C. Speer, Superintendent R. W. Turner, of Jewell; Superintendent J. H. Lee, of Riley; Superintendent Matt. Thomson, of Wabaunsee. For additional information concerning education in Kansas consult the Index. KENTUCKY. [Report of 1884-86.] The Kentucky report of 1881-86 shows that the condition of the public schools of that State has been one of almost uninterrupted progress, and that the prospects for continued improvement are very encouraging. The greatest drawback arises from (1) a want of interest and appreciation, which is very decidedly marked in some counties; and (2) a lack of funds, caused in part by this want of interest and in part by the slender resources of the people. Hence proceeds the indisposition or inability in some sections to raise local revenues to supplement the State grants, which results in turn in the continued existence of poor, even wretched, schoolhouses and the employment of underpaid teachers. "When they [the trustees] try to employ a first-class teacher and ask the district for a tax or a subscription, they are met with the following reply from the patrons: 'I thought it was to be a free school! I paid my taxes; that is all I'm going to do. The public money pays the teacher $20 a month; that's more than I can get working on a farm. You needn't say anything more to me. I am against the tax. The trustee leaves in disgust; and the energetic, thorough teacher, with an ambition, is soon on his way to other more appreciative States, or to a more remunerative profession."-(Superintendent of Ballard County.) A comparison of the county superintendents' reports for the two years covered by the State report shows the growth of a much more hopeful tone, though there is still a strong undercurrent of such complaints as the above. Particularly is this noticeable in the increased willingness to raise funds by local taxes and subscriptions. The superintendent of Boyd County says: "When the present school law took effect there were 37 districts, 4 good houses, 11 medium, and 20, if not 31, that should be condemned; 2 districts had no house at all; 14 houses were at once condemned. Eleven of these districts have voted tax to build new houses in place of condemned ones; 8 of the new houses are completed; 1 brick, worth $800; 7 frame, average value about $400. Three others will be built in the spring, with probable cost of $3,500. At the end of five years from the date of the new law it is hoped and believed every district in Boyd will have a good, comfortable, healthy school house. A vote for county tax in August was defeated by only 27 votes; at another time the tax will carry." The superintendent of Lyon County: "The school houses were found to be a disgrace to civilized communities, so 18 out of 28 were condemned. The people are responding nobly, and next year, instead of houses valued at $20, $50, and $75, an increase of value is confidently expected at the rate of $300, $500, and $800." Superintendent Pickett shows that the cause of education is not merely keeping pace with the general development of the State in material prosperity, but is considerably outstripping it. A marked feature of this report, and one which distinguishes it from most Southern school reports, is the information it gives as to the condition and prospects of the colored schools and as to the sources from which they draw their revenues, showing what the white inhabitants of Kentucky are doing for the education of the negroes. This matter is treated of more in detail in Chapter XIV. The following extracts show the superintendent's treatment of the principal topics of interest: Total increase during this period, 79,129; white, 45,894; colored, 33,235. The extraordinary relative increase of the latter over the former must be referred, mainly, to the extension of the school age, in 1882-83, to correspond with the school age of the white children. The increase of the census of white children for 1836 over that of 1885 is 9,993, while that of colored children, is only 1,905. SCHOOL REVENUES. The increase of the school fund, as apportioned, from 1880 to 1886, is $399,864.33, and the increase in local taxation and subscription from 1880 to 1885 is $205, 165.75, making a grand total of $605,030.08. Thus while the number of school children has been largely augmented, the increase of the general school fund for the same period has been correspondingly greater, producing an increase of the per capita from $1.25 to $1.65 for the white school children, and from $0.48 to $1.65 for the colored school children. Of course this is referable, first, to the additional 2-cent tax voted by the people in 1882; secondly, to the acquirement of the just proportion of the school tax from railroads, turnpike roads, banks, and other corporations; thirdly, to the increase of the taxable property of the Commonwealth; and, fourthly, to the increasing popular interest in the common schools. This speaks well for the progress and prosperity of our people. It is, in fact, the practical realization of one of the fundamental principles in political economy-the increase in the wealth of a State, intelligently directed, exceeding the ratio of the increase in population. THE FOURTH INSTALMENT OF THE SURPLUS REVENUE. Kentucky, with her inborn intelligence, energy, and sense of independence, and with her vast and varied material resources only needing further development, must continue to rely mainly on herself for the proper conduct and sustenance of her common schools. Every importunate effort in any other direction contributes to lessen her selfreliance and her self-respect in regard to her schools. Yet there are legitimate claims that the Commonwealth has upon the General Government, which in no sense should be ignored by your honorable body or disregarded by your obedient servant. In virtue of the large and unavailing surplus in the Treasury of the United States, the following "suggestions" were prepared and published by the superintendent for the special consideration of the last General Assembly, and as they are of equal force at present, they are duly reproduced: "In the common school report for 1880-81, pages 218-222, the origin of the school fund is succinctly recited. It will be seen that under the Deposit Act of June 23, 1836, Kentucky received $1,433,757.39 from the General Government, that sum constituting the three instalments. The fourth instalment, calling for $477,919.13, has never been paid, or, in other words, has never been deposited, as the law clearly requires. According to the act of Congress the deposits were subject to call in ratable sums by the Secretary of the Treasury if wanted to meet appropriations by law. These instalments have never been called for, and no law has ever been enacted by Congress preventing the payment of the fourth instalment. It is still due, and there is a large surplus in the public treasury at Washington. That amount should be legally collected and added to the common school fund of this Commonwealth. "Kentucky has suffered largely by the late war. According to the United States eensus of 1880 as compared with that of 1860, in assessed valuation of property there was a decline in this Commonweath of 31 per cent., or $177,648,722. In simple terms, 'the loyal State of Kentucky' was subjected to the sacrifice of more than one-third of her property in support of the Federal Government in the late war. She has sustained this loss, while her sister States of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois have, respectively, enjoyed for the same period an increase of 60 per cent., 77 per cent., and 102 per cent. in assessed valuation of property. "In common with all the late slave States, Kentucky has not only suffered from the deprivation and depreciation of property, but has had imposed upon her a mass of illiterate freedmen, whose descendants must be educated for citizenship, and as 'mixed schools' will not be tolerated in the South, a dual system is a necessity in every Southern State, thus imposing an extraordinary burden in the way of additional taxation upon the white citizens. In Kentucky, for the school year ending June 30, 1883, they apportioned for the support of colored teachers $92,845.36, while the colored people contributed only $16,661.19, the entire revenue derived from them. This is not stated in reproach to the colored people, but simply in justice to the white tax-payers. "It is not the province of the superintendent to say what other Southern States should do, but in regard to Kentucky, and in virtue of the foregoing statement, he respectfully suggests the following: "First. That, inasmuch as there is a large surplus revenue reported to be in the United States Treasury, which is not needed for the ordinary expenses of the Government and is not demanded for the payment of any portion of its debts, and inasmuch as 'the fourth instalment' has not been paid to Kentucky for common school purposes, the General Assembly take such steps as may be necessary for the proper consideration of the matter. It should be added that Virginia and other States are moving in the same direction. "Second. In consideration of the facts stated above, and that Kentucky has annually and largely contributed to the creation of the surplus revenue in the Federal Treasury by the regular payment of taxes thereto, she is in a position to expect, as a moral and political obligation, her legitimate quota of such surplus, independently of all form of subsidy or of compromise of her inherent rights as a State. "Third. Creation involves the obligation of legitimate preservation. Inasmuch as a large additional citizenship, with equal political rights and privileges, but of unequal material, had been created in Kentucky by the power of the Federal Government, and in view of all the facts given, the superintendent suggests that such steps shall be taken as shall lay before said Government that which is due, both to the white and the colored citizens of the Commonwealth, in regard to the necessities of the common school system of Kentucky. "Attention is invited to the following compendium from the United States census of 1880 in regard to Kentucky: In response to the proposition concerning the "fourth instalment" indicated above, the honorable joint committee on education favored the "suggestion;" the superintendent accordingly drew up a bill covering the whole ground, which duly became an act of the General Assembly, approved April 12, 1884. In accordance with the second "suggestion," a bill, drawn also by the superintendent, guarding the character and credit of the Commonwealth in the event of national aid to common schools, was introduced in the senate, and finally, by executive approval, became a law on the 12th of May, 1834. No special action was directly taken in regard to the third "suggestion;" but as Kentucky was always rated and ranked as "a loyal State" by the General Government, and in view of her heavy loss in property, her slaves alone being assessed in 1860 by the proper State officers at $108,876, 402, and that she is maintaining, as already shown, at the expense of her white schools a system of common schools for the very descendants of those slaves, the superintendent hereby "suggests," as a matter of law and as a measure of relief, that these facts be duly represented to the General Government. A low rate of interest on one-tenth of the value of the emancipated slaves of the "loyal citizens" of the State would, with the present census of pupil children, maintain the system of colored schools, with a fair appropriation for the building of school-houses. The State would compensate for the increase of the school census. This plan is entirely practicable by the execution of a bond by the General Government in favor of the Commonwealth, draw ing interest, without invading the principal, at 4 per cent. per annum until the system becomes at least measurably and by degrees self-sustaining. NEW LEGISLATION. Night schools.—The following act was approved February 26, 1986: Whereas, the management of the night schools in the city of Louisville by the board of trustees of the public schools of said city has developed the fact that a large number of the applicants for admission are by laboring people of both sexes who are unable to read and write, have to be excluded under the present law because over the school age; and whereas such people, ignorant from misfortune, poverty, or lack of opportunity, are children in knowledge, and manifest a laudable ambition in seeking knowledge to overcome their ignorance and become better citizens by studying and attending school at night after their toil of the day; and whereas it is manifestly to the interest of the puble at large that every person know how to read and write, without which knowledge they can not properly or fully discharge the duties of citizenship under a free and enlightened Government: Therefore * * the board of trustees of the public schools of any city in this Commonwealth, having a population of 20,000 or over, are hereby authorized and empowered to admit as pupils in the night schools under their direction and control such persons over the pupil age now prescribed by law and under the age of 40 years, at their discretion, and under such rules, regulations, and restrictions as the said board of trustees provide, not inconsistent with the laws of the Commonwealth: Provided, That on no account shall the pupils admitted to said school by virtue of this act be enumerated as pupils under the common school law of the State. * Payment of teachers' wages.—For the purpose of providing for the monthly payment of the wages of the teachers of the common schools, the superintendent of common schools in any county is hereby authorized to borrow for said purpose, at a rate of interest not exceeding 6 per cent. per annum, a suficient sum of money duly estimated from the apportionment table furnished by the superintendent of public instruction. Substitution of district for coun'y taxation.-County taxation has been repealed and district taxation substituted as follows: A tax may be voted at any time, once a year, or for three successive years, after notices have been duly posted, for the better payment of teachers, for the extension of the district school for a longer term, or for the payment of any debt contracted by the trustees on account of the common school. The tax shall not exceed twenty-five cents in any one year on the hundred dollars' worth of taxable property in the district. School-house sites.-A site for a school-house may be purchased, a school-house built, repaired, or furnished, without submission of the question to a vote. Adoption of text-books.—Instead of trustees adopting text-books, from lists recommended by the State board of education, to be used in their respective districts, the county superintendent shall adopt from said lists text-books to be used in their respective counties. Text-books for indigent children.-The county judge of any county is authorized to make an allowance out of the county levy, not to exceed $100 in any one year, for providing necessary text-books to indigent children, provided they attend the public school. State teachers' institutes appropriations.-Five hundred dollars shall be appropriated annually by the State for the benefit of the State teachers' institutes. Duty of superintendent of public instruction.-It shall be the duty of the superintendent of public instruction, whenever it shall come to his knowledge, to report any habitaal neglect of duty or any misappropriation of common school funds on the part of any of the county superintendents or trustees of common schools of this Commonwealth to the county attorney, whose duty it shall be to prosecute such person in the circuit court of the county in which such neglect of duty or such misappropriation of funds may occur. Age of eligibility for county superintendent.-No person shall be eligible to the office of county superintendent who is not at the time twenty-one years old. Terms of office of county superintendents.-County superintendents shall hold their offices for four years, or until their successors are elected and qualified. Eligibility to office of county superintendent dependent on certificate of qualification.-No person shall be eligible to the office of county superintendent unless he shall have first obtained a certificate of qualification from the State board of examiners, which may be granted on an examination held before them or upon a written examination held before the county judge, the county attorney, the county clerk, and a competent person selected by them. The result of said written examination to be forwarded to the State board of examiners, who may, if they deem it suflicient, grant a certificate, and, if they refuse it, shall notify the aforesaid county board, and no certificate can then be granted the said applicant for the election then pending. The State board of education shall designate to the county board the character of examination required. Report of county superintendents.—Under penalty of a fine from twenty to fifty dollars, county superintendents are required to report for payment, at the legal periods, schools duly taught. Buying of teachers' claims, etc., prohibited.-No county superintendent shall be allowed to buy for himself or another any teacher's claim, directly or indirectly, or to act as agent for the sale of any books, under the penalty of removal from office by the superintendent of public instruction. Certificates.-No certificate, except first class and second class, shall be issued to the same person more than twice. Recommendation of normal instructors.—The superintendent of public instruction may recommend able and experienced normal instructors to conduct the county teachers' institutes. Taxes.- No tax shall be levied upon the property or poll, or any services required of any white person for the benefit of a school for colored children, and no tax shall be levied upon the property or poll, or any services required of any colored person for the benefit of a school for white children. For other information concerning education in Kentucky consult the Index. LOUISIANA. For statistical and other information concerning education in Louisiana contained in this Report consult the Index. MAINE. [From Report for 1886-87 of State Superintendent N. A. Luce.] There was a slight decrease in the number of schools, but the number of pupils was larger than in the previous year; the school term was longer, being on an average twenty-two weeks and two days-an increase of one week and three days-and there was a larger proportion of experienced teachers and of those who had enjoyed the regular and systematic training of the Normal School. It is a legitimate inference, therefore, that more thorough, effective, and successful work was accomplished, and that greater progress was made by the pupils. SCHOOL DISTRICT SYSTEM. There was an increase of nine in the number of towns having the town system of managing the schools, causing a reduction of 89 in the number of school districts and of 26 in the number of parts of districts. This was a decided improvement, if we are to judge by the language of Superintendent Luce: "Not till we are rid of that iniquitous product of educational folly and democracy run mad-the school district system-can all of our schools be brought up to full efficiency in the annual amount of schooling which they should offer to every child in the State." TEMPERANCE INSTRUCTION. The law enacted by the Legislature in 1885 requires that "all pupils in all schools supported by public money or under State control" shall be instructed in "physiology and hygiene, with special reference to the effects of alcoholic drinks, stimulants, and narcotics upon the human system;" and that no certificate shall be granted to any person who has not "passed a satisfactory examination in physiology and hygiene, with special reference to the effects of alcoholic drinks, stimulants, and narcotics upon the human system." This law has been in force two years. There were some serious difficulties encountered in its introduction. There were a great many young pupils who could not read and could understand only the simplest statements. Such instruction could only be given them directly by the teacher-by word of mouth. This was a method of teaching with which many of the teachers were utterly unacquainted. A second difficulty was that, although text-books on physiology and hygiene were used in many schools, few of them directed special attention to the effects of alcoholic drinks, stimulants, and narcotics upon the human system. Consequently, new textbooks had to be introduced. As was to be expected, many parents were opposed to such instruction for different reasons, and the more so when asked to supply their children with books on the subject, which they frequently refused to do. Notwithstanding these difficulties, however, the law was very generally complied with, so that such instruction was given to nearly all the pupils probably to between 80 and 90 per cent. of them. |