Thirty-fourth annual report of the Department of Education to the General Assembly of the State of Georgia for school year ending December 31, 1905 [1906]

THIRTY-FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT
FROM THE
IIEPAKTMENT OF EDUCATION
TO THE
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
OF THE
S1'ATE OF GEORGIA
FOR THE
School Year Ending December 3 1 , 1905
ATLANTA, GA. The Franklin Printing and Publishing Company.
GEO.W. HARRISON,Manager. 1906

ATLANTAG, A.,J u n e 25, 1906.
To His Ezcellency, Joseph M. Terrell, Governor of Georgia.
DEARSIR: I n accordance with the requirements of the law, I have the honor to subinit to you the Thirty-fourth Annual Report from the Departmeut of Educatiou of the State of Georgia.
Rsspectfully, WM. B. M E R R I T T ,
State School Commissioner.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Jos. M. Terrell, President - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - --.Governor.

W. B. Merritt, Executive OFficer- - - - - - - - -State School Com'r. J o h n C. Hart . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - Attorney-General.

Philip Cook - - - - - - - - - - -

- ----Secretary of State.

W m . A. Wright - - - -.- - - - -- - - - - - - - - --Comptroller-General.

J. N. Rogers, Secretary of Board-. - -. -----Clerk to S. 8. C.

STATE SCHOOL COMMISSIOSER'S OFFICE.
W. B. Merritt- - - - - - - - - - - .. - - - - -State School Commissioner. J. N. Rogers- - - -- -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --------Clerk. Miss Julia Ector-- - .--- - - - - - - - - - - - .-- - - . . - - S t e n o g r a p h e r .

STATE EDUCATIONAL IPU'STITUTIONS.

University of Georgia.. ...................Athens ..,... ....D. C. Barrow, Chancellor. Georgia School of Technology.. ..........Atlanta ........ K. G. Matheson, PIesident.

Georgia Normal and Industrial C a l l ~ g e..Nilledgeville. ..M.M. Parks, Presid~nt.

State Norm31 School. ......................Athens.. ........E.C. Branson, President.

North Georgia Agricultural College.. ... Dahlonega.. ....G. R. Glenn, President.

......... Georgia School for the Deaf.. ............Cave Spring.. ..W. 0. Connor, Principal.

Georgia Academy for the Blind..

Macon.. .........Q. F. Oliphant, Principal.

... Georgia State Industrial College
for Colored Youths.. ..................Savannah... .R. R. Wright, President.

THE THIRTY-FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT
FRO51 T H E
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
TO THE
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA.
Gentlemen of the Geizcral Assembly: The statements touching tlie condition and progress of edu-
cation, and the statistical reports required froin the State School Commissioner in the Acts of 1892, page 82, can riot give to the General Assembly every detail of our educational work, nor present so vividly as desirable tlie interest, tlie efforts, tlie difficulties encountered, and the triumphs of patrons and school officials in the work of educating the children of the State. I trust that each member of the General Assembly lias not only conferred earnestly with his constituents in regard to school problems, but lias also visited the schools and inspected the methods and quality of the work. I t is a matter of frequent occurrence, and gratifying to meet members of the General Assembly visiting our common schools, high schools and colleges. I want to assure you that the patrons of the common schools, though less demonstrative, are not less appreciative than those who represent institutions for higher education.
ANOTHER YEAR O F EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS.
The year 1905 has been notable in the histoiy of our State for its material prosperity. Our educational institutiolns, from kindergarten to college, have enjoyed a large share of this pros-

perity. There has been a general forward n ~ o v e n ~ e anltong all lines of educational work. There have been some notable instances of progress in school districts, in counties and in institutions for higher education.
In many rural con~munitiesthe patrons have provided for long-term schools, and have built splendid schoolhouses. There is nothing in the State that so surely guarantees prosperity, culture and happiness to the next generation as the hundreds of modern school buildings planted in the midst of con~munities whose people are united in their sentiments, and who are determined to give their cl~ildren the best possible educational advantages. There are many recent instances where schoolhouses worth one 01- two hundred dollars have been torn down and replaced by houses costing from one thousand to two thousand dollars.
In several counties the school officials and interested patrons have aroused enthusiasm for good schools in every district of the county. Elsewhere in this Report you will find a brief account of the work by counties as reported by the County Superintendents. T o an observer and co-worker in the educational field of this State it is more evident that one of the most effective forces in educational progress is efficient supervision-supervision that inspects, supervision that gives time to details, and supervision that gives wise and eilthusiastic leadership.
As a means of arousing interest, County Co~ltestsfor pupils have proven most effective. I n another part of this Report will be found several programs of these contests. O u r school work needs not only thorougli supervision and full report through statistics and specimens of written work in the schools to school officers and patrons, but teachers and pupils need t o be encouraged, their interest and enthusiasm i~lustbe awakened. There is life and treinendous gro'wth in enthusiasm.
Progressive school communities and counties have turned

to the recent local taxation law a s a means of securing longtern1 schools and a satisfactory school system. Within the last year many school districts and four counties, namely, Fulton, Hancock, Monroe and Randolph, have voted for local taxation for schools.
HIGH S C H O O L S AND AGRICULTURE.
The want of high schools is being keenly felt throughout the rural districts. I t has been found easier to bring the high school to the rural pupils than to try to take rural pupils to the high schools already established principally in the towns and cities. If the Legislature will enact a law that will encourage the establishment of rural high schools, these high schools, with the proper course of study, will bring t o the pupils of the rural districts advantages which they have sorely needed. These pupils need high school work to prepare them for usefulness and happiness and good citizenship; they need the high school work to prepare them to enter the institutions of higher education in our State. I n the Report
of Professor Matheson, of the State School of Technology, I
note that only one-tenth of the students enrolled in that institution are from the rural districts. In some of the rural high schools of our State agriculture is receiving a great deal of attention. Agriculture can best be taught in rural schools where the necessary land for school gardens and experimental work can be secured. Our people are beginning to appreciate the advantages of agriculture as a branch of study in our common schools, high schools and colleges. In his message to the General Assembly last year, the Governor of Georgia gives some timely suggestions touching agricultural education :
T 66 he groundwork of our prosperity is agriculture. And yet the State has rarely given direct assistance towards its development. In the past it has encouraged railroads and manu-

:Srmmary of Statistics, Census of 11903.

Summary of Statistics for State, 1905.

Summary of Reports of County School Commissioners for 1905.
(Scl~oolsnot l~ncierlocal school latau.)

Summary of Reports of Supzrintendents of Schools in Counties, Municipalities and Districts Under LocaI Schcol Laws, 1905.

Tabulated Reports from County School Commissioners. 1905,

TABLE No. I.

!

~Vumberof Teachers; Grades of Teachers; Number of

Normal-Trained Teachers; Average Monthly

Salaries Paid Teachers.

TABLE No. 2,
Number of Schools; Monthly Cost; Number of Visits of Commissioner; Number of Days Schools were Kept in Operation: Enrollment ; At tendance,

TABLE No.3.
Schoolhouses and Other School Property.

TABLE No. 4.
Receipts and Disbursements.

TABLE No,5.
Private Schools; Number of Local School Systems; Number of Colleges; School Libraries.

TABLE No. 6,
Branches of Study Taught.

TABLE No. 7.
Institutes.

Tabulated Reports from Superintendents of Schools in Municipalities and School Districts, 1905.

TABLE No.I.
Number of Schools: Number of Teachers; Number of Normal -Trained Teachers ; Length of School Term; Average Monthly Cost per Pupil.

TABLE No.2.
Enrollment ; Attendance ; Grades.

TABLE No. 3.
Financial.

TABLE No. 4.
School Houses; School Libraries,

Institutions Conferring Degrees.