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Educational Publication, No. 61 A State System of Public Schools BIENNIAL REPORT OF E. C. BROOKS Superintendent of Public Instruction Published bt the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Raleigh, N. C. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAET I A State System of Public Schools PAET II Statistics for 1920-1921 Statistics for 1921-1922 PART III Report of the Director of School IIovse Planning Report of the State Supervisor of High Schools, 1919-20, 1920-21, 1921-22 96,14 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL State of North Carolina, Department of Public Instruction. Raleigh, N. C. To His Excellency, Governor Cameron Morkison, Raleigh, N. C. I am submitting to you in accordance with law a report of the adminis-tration and operation of the State public school system, for the biennial period including the years 1920-21, and 1921-22. I have endeavored to include in Part I a rather full description of the State system of public schools and how they are operated and maintained. In Part II is presented the statistical report, given in detail by counties and special charter districts, including the State appropriations and the State loans. Respectfully submitted. State Superintendent Public Instruction. A STATE SYSTEM OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS CONTENTS Page I. Building a State System of Public Schools 7 II. The State Equalizing Fund 10 III. The County Unit of Administration 13 IV. Planning and Locating School Buildings 17 V. Building Community High Schools 21 VI. Vocational Training in Public High Schools 24 VII. Progress in Higher Education 28 VIII. The Certification of Teachers 30 IX. Progress of the Teachers 32 X. Supervision of Negro Education 34 XI. Illiteracy and Compulsory Attendance 36 XII. Supervision of Instruction . . 38 PART I A State System of Public Schools I BUILDING A STATE SYSTEM OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS In building a system of public schools three factors are absolutely essential: (1) The purpose, or what is the aim of the promoters; (2) effective organ-ization, or what machinery is set up in order to make it possible to accom plish the purpose; and (3) the cost, or how is the revenue derived and ex-pended. The framers of our Constitution, in providing that every county shall main-tain at least a six months school term, had unquestionably the aim that the minimum to be accomplished through a State system of schools is to afford every child the opportunity of securing at least the instruments of knowl-edge— that is the skill to read and write and use numbers. And this is about all that we can expect from a school system conducted for only six months out of twelve. The reading and writing on an average will barely rise above that of a third grade child. But the constant use of numbers in daily affairs will probably cause the skill in the art of using numbers to rise somewhat higher. About 30 per cent of the white children of the rural districts have only a six months term. The remainder of the country districts have as a rule between seven and eight months, and all of the towns and cities as a rule have from eight to nine months school term. The average for the State is over 140 days or seven months. The term for the Negroes is a few days less. It is not difficult to conceive that the purpose and ideals of the people who voluntarily levy taxes on themselves for better schools are higher than those of our backward counties that reluctantly patronize the minimum term of 120 days. We find in the former a finer conception of life and the purpose of living. The people desire better homes and more culture in them. They choose healthier modes of living and for their children a better physical growth. They realize the importance of training in the vocations such as the high school can give. They seek to exalt the amusements of young people and give direction to their recreation in order to create a better social life. They believe that intelligence and character are the basis upon which good citizenship is founded. They have faith in these things and believe that the school is the agency to cooperate with the home and the church in realizing their aim. Therefore, they voluntarily levy extra taxes on them-selves in order that they may secure these benefits for themselves and their posterity. Then how is the public school system organized and equipped so as to accomplish so far as possible the purpose of the people? The State system of public schools consists as a rule of eleven years or grades of work based on a school term of at least eight months or 160 days. A large number run nine months or 180 days. If the school term is 120 171 8 Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction days the pupils will accomplish in one year only a part of what children ac-complish in the schools of 160 and 180 days. Therefore, instead of completing the elementary school in seven years, pupils require so much longer time that very few remain in school long enough to pass up into the high school. The first seven years or grades are usually styled the elementary school and the last four years or grades are called the high school. For convenience in administration and instruction, certain city schools are divided into three parts. The first five or six grades are called the elementary school and the last six or five grades are divided into two parts and called the junior and senior high schools. Moreover, in many of our rural districts only two or three years of high school work are permitted because of the small number of teacher;^ employed. And these are likewise called junior high schools. The equipment of the schools will be discussed under the head of "Planning and Locating School Buildings" and "Building Community High Schools." The State Board of Education and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction were created by the Constitution to have general supervision of the system, and to enforce the acts of the General Assembly which is directed to plan for a "general and uniform system of public schools," and the Supreme Court interprets this to mean a general and uniform system of public schools under State supervision, having the county, not the district, as the local administrative unit. The counties are required to raise, together with what the State supplies, the necesssary funds to provide the minimum term of six months. The county commisioners are commanded by the Constitution to provide the funds, and, if they fail, they are liable to indictment. All other county school officials, the county board of education, the county su-perintendent and the district committeemen are created by the General As-sembly, and either or all of them may be abolished at any time. The duties of the State and the county officials are prescribed by the Gen-eral Assembly. There has been much confusion in the minds of many people as to just what are the duties of each. The school laws, therefore, should be codified and the duties of each clearly set forth. Such a codification is now under way and will be presented to the next General Assembly. A detailed account of the administration of the schools will appear elsewhere in this report. But what is the cost of the State public school system and how is it financed? The General Assembly has enacted that each county must levy a rate sufficient to provide a six months school term. In May, each county board of education prepares a budget setting forth the amount needed for ad-ministration, teachers' salaries, operating expenses and buildings. When the budget is complete it is submitted to the county commissioners, and if they approve it the tax is levied at once. If they disapprove it and the two boards cannot agree the county board of education is directed to bring a mandamus against the commissioners to compel them to levy taxes suf-ficient to run the schools six months and the court decides the issue. After a maximum rate designated by the General Assembly is levied for teachers' salaries, if the amount derived from the tax authorized to be levied is insufficient for this purpose, the State Board of Education appropriates from an equalizing fund an amount to help pay the salaries of teachers for six months. All other school expenses are borne by the counties. Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction 9 In all counties that have provided local taxation to enable a part or all of the county to extend the term beyond six months, the county boards handle the finances of each district in the same way as that described above with this difference—the State gives no assistance except in aiding the counties to maintain high schools in the rural districts, and the district committee has some voice in determining the size of the special tax rates. A few special districts chartered by the General Assembly, such as the city schools, have exclusive control of the special local tax funds, subject to certain State regu-lations. The Equalizing Fund, the erection of school buildings, the salaries and the improvement of teachers are discussed more in detail elsewhere in this report. A complete financial statement will appear in the statistical report. The May budget is merely an estimate of the cost. After the schools open the counties are required to submit a corrected budget to the State Depart-ment of Education, setting forth the actual salaries of teachers and ths cost of maintaining the schools. This is prepared in November, and hence called the November budget. The State Department checks this budget district by district in order to see that the law is observed as to the number of teachers and supervisors employed and the salaries paid. Then the Equalizing Fund is paid on the approved November budget. The total cost of maintaining the schools for the year 1921-22 was approximately $20,000,000. The exact cost will be given in detail in the statistical report. At the end of the school year each county or city system is required to have an audit made setting forth the revenue and the expenditures on forms provided by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. II THE STATE EQUALIZING FUND AND COUNTY TAX RATES It is the duty of the State to make as nearly equal as possible the financial burden of supporting the public school system in all the counties. This principle was incorporated in the Constitution which provides for "a general and uniform" State system of schools. For several years the General As-sembly has set apart a fund known as the State Equalizing Fund, ^hich has been expended in equalizing the burden of supporting the minimum con-stitutional term of six months. But very little assistance has been given those counties having small per capita wealth, that desire to increase the school term beyond six months. It is almost as necessary to provide as-sistance for increasing the term beyond six months as it is to give aid in maintaining the six months term. But I shall discuss this question somewhat in detail under the subject "Building County High Schools." The present method of distributing the State Equalizing Fund is unsatis-factory. The acts of the General Assembly specify that after the counties have levied a certain uniform rate, if the amount derived from this rate in any county is insufficient to maintain the schools for six months, the remainder may be drawn from the State Equalizing Fund. This would be a fair basis if the State had such supervision over the valuation of prop-erty in the several counties as to make it possible to equalize property values. There are serious differences of opinion among the leaders of the State on this question. The General Assembly of 1921 inaugurated a greatly im-proved tax system whereby the State levies no ad valorem tax on property but derives all of its increase from inheritances, franchises, incomes, etc. The ad valorem tax on property is left entirely to the counties. Therefore, there is no impelling reason why the State should enter a county and assess the valuation of property since it levies no ad valorem tax. The special session of the General Assembly of 1921 limited the amount of the Equalizing Fund to $832,250.00, plus any balance from other public school funds. This was necessary because the progress made by the counties created a demand for $710,000 more than the State had set apart for the year 1920-21. After making provision for paying this amount the General Assembly readjusted the tax rates and fixed a maxi-mum amount for which the State would be liable. Forty-six counties in 1920-21 received aid from this fund. The General Assembly of 1921 changed the method of apportioning this fund &nd in 1921-22 sixty-three counties received aid. In making provision for the six months school term, the distribution of the Staft Equalizing Fund has heretofore depended in a large measure upon the valuation of property in the several counties. Changes in property values due to natural causes, or to the arbitrary action of public officials, has caused the amount of the Equalizing Fund appropriated to individual counties to vary considerably. It is very desirable, therefore, since the State 1101 Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction 11 levies no ad valorem tax and since it is disposed to leave the determination of the values of the property of the several counties to the local officials, re-serving only a supervising relationship to it, that the Equalizing Fund shall be apportioned on such a basis as to make it impossible for reductions in property values in a county, except from extraordinary causes, to affect the amount to be apportioned from the State. In other v^^ords, we should divorce the State Equalizing Fund so far as possible from the revaluation of property. This can be done if we will determine, in advance of the levying of taxes and the opening of schools, the amount of money that shall be apportioned from the State to the several counties. If the State Board of Education is authorized to determine the amount due each county by June 1st of each year and to certify this amount to each county before the taxes for the year are levied, then the law may require the county commissioners to levy a tax suflficient to produce the remainder nec-essary. If this is authorized then no rate will be specified in the law. The method of determining how much shall be apportioned from the Equalizing Fund to each county can be worked out by a rule that will be fair and reasonable. The counties can then know in advance how much to expect from the State, and the tax rate will be determined by local officials in accordance with needs. The change in property values may affect the rate levied but not the amount of funds to be raised. "We have had great difficulties every year since the schools were reorganized in 1919 in making the Equalizing Fund meet the needs of the Counties that really deserved assistance. After the revaluation of 1920, the General Assem-bly of 1921 fixed a definite rate of 30 cents for each county to levy before it could draw from the Equalizing Fund. At the same time the counties were authorized to revise the values of 1920. All but about 30 counties made considerable reduction in values. None made an increase in values. As a result, the Equalizing Fund calculated on the basis of a 30 cent rate on 1920 values would have been totally inadequate if no county had levied more than a 30 cent rate. We advised the counties to levy a rate that would produce a sum equal to the amount that would be raised by levying 30 cents on 1920 values. As soon as possible the rule was tested in the courts. The first case was heard in Nash County. The court held that the rule was fair and the State Board of Education made it the rule for distributing the Equalizing Fund for 1921-22, and 1922-23. But it will be necessary for the General Assembly of 1923 to adopt some other method of distributing this fund, and a method will be presented to the Generhl Assembly which I believe will divorce the Equalizing Fund from the revaluation of property and at the same time relieve State officials of that very irritating problem of entering a county and assessing its property values. But the State should, in my judgment, continue to have reasonable supervision of these assess-ments. But what shall be the size of the State Equalizing Fund? The burden on the several counties of supporting the schools will be equal if the State levied one rate sufficient to run all the schools of the State and disbursed the funds from the State Treasury. Many are advocating today this method of financing the schools. If the State should levy such a tax it would be a State tax. But under the Constitution the State is prohibited, so it seems, 12 Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction from levying more than 5 cents. Therefore, this method of financing the schools is impossible. But in determining the size of the Equalizing Fund that shall be apportioned from the State Treasury we may calculate what rate on a relatively fair valuation of property would be sufficient to pro-vide a six months school term in every county of the State. Having that as our basis, it would be easy to calculate how many counties could not run their schools six months on this rate. The difference between what that rate would produce and the amount necessary to run the schools six months would be the amount of the Equalizing Fund due that county. In this way the total amount for all the counties can be easily determined, and this will give us an idea of the size of the Equalizing Fund for 1923-24. If this policy should be adopted by the General Assembly it is very apparent that the amount of the Equalizing Fund will be approximately $1,250,000. If it is made less than this amount the county rates will go up accordingly. If it is made more than this amount the county rates will go down accordingly Having determined the amount of the Equalizing Fund, and having adopted a fair method of distributing it that will divorce the administration of schools from the question of the revaluation of property, we shall be able to continue our educational progress with less friction in our dealings with local officials and better relationship will be effected between county offi-cials and the State Department of Education. Ill THE COUNTY UNIT OF ADMINISTRATION We are developing a State system of public schools with the county as the unit of administration. This was the purpose of the framers of the Con-stitution, and the decisions of the Supreme Court in recent years have so directed our tendencies that legislation to be successful must be in harmony with the county unit idea. The county unit of administration has a distinct advantage over the district system. It malves it possible for the county board of education to locate buildings advantageously and economically. High schools may be estab-lished according to the needs of the whole county, and the per capita cost of instructing high school pupils may be materially reduced by proper or-ganization. Large school units will bind small districts together and encourage cooperation, thereby breaking up the clannishness of the people that has had a tendency to perpetuate the tribal age. Large community schools create a more wholesome social life among the young people and have a tendency to raise the culture level of all the people. In these stronger schools vocational subjects may be introduced and the teachers of these subjects may extend their instruction to all the adults of the county. If the schools are rightly located and organized, better instrucion in health and hygiene may be carried to the people. All these distinct advantages may be derived from a county system of schools intelligently planned and efficiently directed, without increasing the per capita cost of instruction beyond what it would cost to instruct the same children in small districts. For nearly a quarter of a century after our school system began to take shape there was a tendency for the county to break up into small districts. A number of such districts were chartered by the General Assembly and made independent of the county authorities. A still larger number was authorized to vote special taxes to supplement the county school term. Only in this way could they have good school facilities a generation ago. The principals or superintendents of these local tax or special charter schools being in many instances professionally superior to the county superintendent, developed their district schools into independent units, while the county as a whole had a distressingly poor system of schools without unity and with poor supervision for the most part. Within the past decade, however, the decisions of our courts and legisla-tive acts have had a tendency to make the county the unit and bring all the small local tax or special charter districts under county control. This has given the county boards of education very broad powers, as a codification of all the school laws will show. The chief executive school officer of a county is the superintendent. He likewise has very broad powers, but his duties are little understood by the average citizen of the State. However, the suc- [13] 14 Keport of Superintendent of Public Instruction cess of the county system depends more upon the superintendent than upon all other officials. In the first place he must be a good business manager, or the county will actually waste much of the public funds. In 1900 we were spending less than $1,000,000 annually for public education. We are spend-ing for the year 1922-23 about $20,000,000. If we compare the expenditure of $10,000 annually per county with $200,000 annually per county, we shall have some idea of the great change that has taken place within a period of twenty-two years and of the increased responsibility attached to the office of county superintendent. A study of the per capita cost of instructing the children in the several counties discloses the fact that, as a rule, the more highly trained county superintendent employs better teachers and secures the instruction of the pupils at a less per capita cost than does the less skillfully trained superin-tendent who employs an inferior grade of teachers. There are a number of well informed people today who in their private business would secure the best expert advice in the spending of as large sums of money as the average county superintendent spends today. But they are unable to see the need of securing the best expert advice in spend-ing this sum for the education of the children. A poor superintendent can waste more of the $200,000 to be spent by him in one year than his pre-decessor twenty years ago had to spend, and the taxpayers as they go about their daily affairs may not know that their money is being wasted. How may a competent superintendent practice economy in the expenditure of public funds? 1. By using good judgment in properly locating school buildings and In so planning them that they may be of most service to the people. It is well known that a good business man can secure better results in spending money for the erection of a business building than can an inefficient man. This is especially true in the erection of school buildings. 2. By organizing the schools so as to secure the instruction of a larger number of pupils at a reasonable per capita cost without reducing the ef-ficiency of the schools. A good superintendent who knows how to organize his schools and to group his teachers can secure good instruction at a less per capita cost than can a poor superintendent. 3. By using good judgment in selecting teachers. Superintendents in the past have spent money unwisely because they have not been skillful in this respect and they have cost their counties many times the salaries paid them. A good superintendent who is careful in selecting teachers, in measur-ing their qualifications, and in the application of the salary schedule may economize considerably at this point, and at the same time improve the char-acter of the instruction. 4. By providing professional training and the possibilities for the ad-vancement of ambitious teachers. The moving teacher is more expensive than one who remains in the community and grows as the school grows. Wherever teachers remain only a year and then move on the loss to the pupils is great and the effect on the community is bad. Many teachers hold-ing the high certificates and drawing the highest salaries may do inferior work because they have poor direction from the superintendent's office. Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction 15 5. By safe-guarding the school revenues. A number of counties have gone into debt because no one seemed to know how much of the revenues belonged to the school fund and how much to the general county fund. We have a large number of superintendents in the State who are skillful in keeping the school finances separate from the general county fund and are able to give substantial aid to county authorities. Being good business managers, they know what the school funds should be and how to plan the program for the year. The business of the average county is becoming too great and too complex for one man. If he is a good business manager, he cannot give the necessary attention to the character of the instruction in the school room. As a result, nineteen counties have seen the wisdom of employing professional assistants, known as supervisors. They are under the direction of the county suprinten-dent but they work with the teachers, giving them needed assistance in or-ganizing classes and instructing children. This is necessary if the grea'est returns possible are derived from the expenditure of public funds. A skillful business man, preparing to erect a building costing $200,000, will employ the best architect obtainable, paying him at least 5 per cent of the total cost for expert supervision. In addition to this he will employ a contractor and pay at least 5 per cent for his supervision, and he knows that such supervision is necessary. The same good business judgment should be used in spending $200,000 in the education of the children. However, officials in a few of our counties feel that they are economizing when they employ a superintendent for $1,200 or $1,500, and allow no office help and no pro-fessional assistance. People then wonder why the schools are poor. They would not wonder that a building costing $200,000 was unsafe as well as unsatisfactory if they knew that in order to save a few thousand dollars, no architect, no contractor, and not even the owner had any supervision v/hatever of the construction of the building, but allowed the workmen to do as they pleased. A well organized county system of schools will demand a competent county superintendent and a professional assistant who super-vises the schools during the school term. The records in the office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction show that a well organized system of schools on the county unit plan, having both a superintendent and a professional assistant, can be maintained at a lower per capita cost per pupil than can a poorly organized system of schools on the independent district plan. The six months term is now under the county unit plan if we omit a few larger cities that operate under a special charter. But all special tax districts should conform to a general county plan in order that the whole county may go forward. Wherever we have good supervision the tendency toward the county unit is very marked. But wherever it is poor the tendency is always toward the district as the unit because the superintendent is without sufficient leadership to give assurance that the district will be improved if it becomes an active part of the county system. The small local tax districts detached from the county system are today in many counties a hindrance to the general educational progress. This is true because they have secured to themselves all the corporate wealth of the county, and, seeing poor leadership in county affairs they hesitate to become a part of the county unit. As a result, there are outlying backward 16 Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction districts having little taxable wealth that are a charge on the State and the county. They not only increase the per capita cost of instructing the chil-dren of the county, but they stand in the way of a better organization of the schools and the general tendency is for county officials to neglect them. The defect is not in the district but in the county administration. The most expensive part of a county school system is an inefficient county superintendent, and it is tragic to see the children of a county seeking an education while the administration flounders hopelessly in an attempt to spend the people's money wisely. The efficiency of the county superintendent, however, has improved greatly within the past three years. This Improve-ment is one of the most noticeable features of our educational progress. A large majority of the counties have very competent men who are rendering exceptionally fine service. And any action that would tend to reduce the salary of superintendents below the level of the living of a competent man would work untold harm, since it would weaken the county administration and emphasize the importance of the little independent local districts, which are without proper guidance because their funds are too limited to permit them to employ expert supervision and the county is unable to give them the needed supervision. The city schools have in the past secured the best executives because they were at liberty to go out into the world and employ the best skill. But many people have a notion that a county superintendent need not be skillful. The administrator of a county system requires more skill, as a rule, than does the administrator of a city school system. A good man in either ca-pacity will demand a living wage, but a poor man will take the superin-tendency at any price, and one poor man may waste an amount in one year that would maintain a good man on a high salary for at least five years. It will not be difficult to prove this. I am not arguing for higher salaries, but I am insisting that county boards of education should be encouraged at all times to secure the best men possible, and having selected them they should maintain them. The public school fund is increasing at a rapid rate. The people are demanding better schools. Teachers are improving at a satis-factory rate, and the one executive that can give the right direction to this progress is the county superintendent. IV PLANNING AND LOCATING SCHOOL BUILDINGS The counties for the first time in our history are in a fair way to erect suitable school buildings for all the children. The cities and towns have a fine enthusiasm for providing better buildings and they have voted bond Issues amounting to nearly $15,000,000 during the past two years. The counties are providing large brick buildings with auditoriums for the rural consolidated schools. This has been made possible through the aid of the Special Building Fund authorized by the last General Assembly. This fund amounts to $5,000,000, and is loaned to the counties for a period of twenty years, the counties repaying one-twentieth of the principal and the accrued interest annually. The entire building program under construction at this time is estimated to cost, when completed, about $25,000,000. The idea of a State loan fund for aiding the counties in erecting school buildings is not new. In 1903 the General Assembly very wisely set aside the State Literary Fund, then amounting to about $200,000, to be used as a loan fund for building school houses. This amount has been increased as the State has sold its public lands and by legislative appropriation until today it amounts to $1,028,117.00, which is now loaned at 4 per cent interest to one hundred counties in the State on a ten-year basis. One-tenth together with the accrued interest is repaid and reloaned, making about $150,000 an-nually which the State may loan from this fund. But this has been totally inadequate. The counties had only one other alternative—local bond issues. But this required a vote of the people. As a result, the strong wealthy cen-ters could secure bond issues by levying a reasonably low tax rate, while the more backward districts, in many instances, if they were in favor of education, could not secure a bond issue of sufficient size to provide the necessary buildings without levying a tax rate that would be almost pro-hibitive. Since the wealthier centers were already bonding themselves, they were not enthusiastic about assuming additional burdens in order to help the more backward districts which were little in favor of education anyway. As a result, the counties had a tendency to break up into district schools and the rural sections for the most part were being neglected. The General Assembly of 1921, however, made it possible for the counties to secure funds to erect buildings in the rural districts and this paved the way for a county unit system that will make better schools possible for all the children of the county. This was done, as was said above, by creating "A Special Building Fund," of five million dollars. The State was authorized to sell bonds amounting to this sum and loan the proceeds to the counties. In June following the act of the General Assembly, the State Board of Educa-tion adopted the following rules governing the loans: 1. The Special Building Fund will be loaned to counties on a pro-rata basis. That is, each county will be entitled to borrow the same per cent of 2 1171 18 Report of Superintendent of Public Instructiojs" the Special Building Fund that the school population of the county bears to the school population of the State. 2. If the entire amount is not borrowed on this basis the remainder will be loaned to counties in accordance with their needs. 3. Counties may make application at once for loans from this fund on blanks to be supplied by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. 4. Counties are at liberty to begin their building program this summer with the assurance that the loan will be available on January 1, 1922, pro-vided the bonds are sold. If the bond market next December is not such that the entire amount is made available and the counties desiring to secure loans will secure purchasers for the sum needed, this amount will be loaned to the counties in accordance with Sections 1 and 2, above. 5. No loan shall be approved by the State Department of Education until the plans for the building and the location of the same and the size of the district have been recommended by the Director of Schoolhouse Planning. By June, 1921, applications had been received for the entire $5,000,000. But the constitutionality of the act was questioned and the State Board of Education was estopped from making the loans until the courts could pass on its constitutionality. The decision of the Supreme Court was favorable to the State and very far-reaching in its effects. The court made it very clear that the Constitution demands a State system of schools with the county, not the district, as the local unit of administration. At the, present time $3,300,000 have been loaned and the remainder will be §s soon as the bonds are sold. The cost of the buildings aided by these loans amounts to $9,024,635. The applications far exceeded $5,000,000. Over $3,000,000 of the amount already loaned have gone into small towns, vil-lages, and rural districts that could not have secured the necessary funds otherwise for the erection of suitable buildings. The larger towns were al-ready financing their own building programs. According to estimates re-ceived in this office, as was said above, the cost of the building program now under way will, when completed, amount to about $25,000,000. At least half of this amount is spent in the rural districts and in the small towns and villages. But this amount will not be sufficient to complete the necessary building program and either the State should authorize another bond issue to be loaned to the counties on similar terms, or the counties under State supervision should be authorized to issue bonds. Our children cannot be edu-cated unless school buildings are provided. The State Department of Education through its Division of Schoolhouse Planning, has given very careful supervision of the expenditure of public funds for the erection of school houses. This division, composed of one direc-tor and one assistant, was organized in 1920 to give school oflBcials special aid in planning and properly locatng school buildings. The director and his as-sistant are both kept on the road constantly advising with school oflRcials and giving them expert assistance. Much money may be wasted in the con-struction of school buildings, since unwise architects will sometimes plan buildings with a fancy exterior, but the floor space devoted to class room work may be less than 50 per cent of the entire floor space of the buildings. This is the most costly type of structure, and shows a waste of funds. Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction 19 Good judgment exercised in planning school buildings may save millions of dollars of the people's money. Moreover, the size and arrangement of a school building may promote or hinder the progress of the children and a favorable location may have great educational influence on the life of the people. Within the past year the Director of School House Planning and his as-sistant have visited every county in the State, giving advice to county of-ficials on the kind of buildings needed, how they should be planned, where they should be located, and about how much they should cost. The State lias purchased from architects plans and specifications which are supplied free of cost to the counties. In this way thousands of dollars are saved annually while the types of buildings erected not only give the children a pride in their school but are a distinct ornament to the community. In the rural districts the buildings are being located, as a rule, on the improved highways. They are attractive in appearance and are an asset to the State and the county. In the open country large grounds from six lo twelve acres are being secured and play-grounds for the small children, for the inter-mediate grades, and for the high school students are provided. In the erection of these buildings emphasis is placed on providing suitable rooms for the teaching of home economics. Emphasis is being laid upon the teaching of agriculture also. It is mandatory that sections of the school grounds shall be set apart for a school garden, which is a sort of outdoor laboratory for the study of growing plants, soil, insects, etc., and the buildings are so constructed as to encourage the teaching of agriculture. The old log schoolhouses and the small frame houses heretofore used are rapidly disappearing and in their places the officials are erecting in the rural districts modern brick buildings, and the people of the country have an enthusiasm for education that even the towns and cities did not have ten years ago. In place of the small poorly lighted, poorly equipped school houses may be found today eight, twelve or sixteen-room brick buildings with auditorium, located on the great highways that are now spanning the State. Here the children of the farm may secure as good instruction as the chil-dren of the towns receive. Here the patrons may meet either for pleasure to enjoy an evening entertainment provided by the schools, or to form a cooperative association that will insure them better returns for their labors. A school auditorium in the country is one of the best assets of a commu-nity. It affords an opportunity for the people to meet in large assemblies, and for the young people to have entertainments and a richer social life. As a result of this type of building, the school is becoming the community center, and more people are cooperating today than ever before in the history of the State. The small district and the small building can no longer supply the social, intellectual and industrial education that the people demand and they are realizing it. As our farms increase in resources the large community institution is a necessity. The small one-room school sends no pupils as a rule to the high school but drives the people to the town. The large country community, however, with its adequate building containing from 300 to 500 pupils, may be so organized that from 100 to 125 pupils can have the advantages of high school education. The hope of the rural community is this large type of community school. But it 20 Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction is impossible for every community to have this type until the funds are available for the erection of the buildings. In planning school buildings for our towns and cities our people are learning that the large school unit makes it possible to organize and classify the pupils on a more economical basis. The cost of supervision is reduced. The over-head expenses are less per pupil, and the pupils may be classified in such a way as to give greater elasticity to the grada-tion and promotion of pupils. Great economy may be preserved, the health of the children improved, and the efficiency of the school increased by a careful planning of school buildings. BUILDING COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOLS The gro^vth of the large type of community school having adequate build-ings and grounds has been remarkable within the past three years. It is giving our country districts as good high school advantages as our towns and cities possess. A high school cannot live in a community where the elementary schools are maintained for only six months. Such elementary schools cannot give suf-ficient instruction to raise pupils to the high school level and keep them in the high school long enough to complete a four year course. It requires a school term of at least eight months for both the elementary and high schools to maintain a good four year high school. Some of our rural communities are levying special local tax rates of from seventy-five cents to one dollar on the hundred dollar valuation, in addition to the county rate, in order to secure euough funds to provide two months beyond the county six months term. If these were in a county system and a special tax were levied over the entire county all the schools could be maintained for eight months with a special tax considerably lower than some individual country districts are now levying. If the State deems it necessary to provide an Equalizing Fund to equalize the burden of supporting a six months term, it should likewise provide an Equalizing Fund to aid the counties in supporting an eight months term. The last General Assembly appropriated $100,000 to aid in establishing high schools in the rural districts. This is really an Equalizing Fund, but it should be greatly increased. The high school is the one institution in our rural districts that will give spirit, culture and solidarity to the people. Without it the people must look to the towns for a culture that cannot be found in the country. But a high school is impossible unless the elementary school is strong enough to send its pupils to the high school, and the small schools, as was said above, do not give sufficient instruction even to encourage the pupils to pass through the elementary grades. The State Department of Education estimates that a good high school de-partment offering a four-year course should have at least three teachers. Moreover, it should run at least eight months, and it should have a library of at least 300 volumes. It should also provide facilities for teaching at least two sciences. Such a high school should have an average attendance of at least 45 pupils, in order to justify the expenditure. But the high school is merely an extension of the elementary school. We should look upon the two as one school unit. Other states call this unit a "Union School," and I think we shall have to adopt the same term because many people look upon our high school program as something separate from the elementary school. This Union School can be secured in our rural communities only through [211 22 Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction consolidation, but this does not necessarily mean the abolition at once of all the elementary schools in a consolidated area. The small schools in many dis-tricts should not be abolished after the consolidation is made, provided the buildings are suitable for class room instruction. Here the first three or four grades may be well taught. But eventually the people will demand that their children be sent to the central school, when they have had full time to see the results. This has been the history of consolidation in North Caro-lina. It is necessary for the State to give substantial aid to this Union School in order that both elementary and high school instruction may be equal to the same class of instruction in our city schools. In 1920 no standard high schools could be found in the rural districts of eighty-five counties, and thirty counties had no standard high schools what-ever, although here and there were schools in which high school subjects were taught. It is easy to see, therefore, that the elementary instruction in these country districts must have been very poor indeed. It seems to me that it is impossible to preserve the strength of our rural communities while such neglect is tolerated. These communities vote taxes and their rates, as a rule, are as high as and sometimes higher than the rates of the towns and cities. But the per capita wealth is so small that it is impossible to derive funds sufficient from the taxes voted to provide a Union School that will afford both good elementary and high school instruction. The General Assembly of 1921 sought to correct this defect and appro-priated, as I said above, $100,000 to be used in aiding the rural districts. Owing to the shortage in the Equalizing Fund the special session of 1921 authorized the Staf^ Board to cut down all appropriations in order to increase the size of this fund. Therefore, the State spent only $52,440 in aiding the establishment of these schools Forty-six schools were aided in forty-three counties. Every county that did not have a standard high school received support. As a result, by the end of the school year 1922-23, every county will have one standard school of the type outlined above, provided the plans are now carried out by the local officials. This is a tremendous gain, but we should have in the near future one such school or its equivalent, in every township in every county in the State, if we would make the rural sections strong and vigorous and contribute more largely to the progress of the Statfe. The growth of the high schools within the last few years, owing to con-solidation, has been unprecedented. As a result of the State appropriation the number increased in one year from 166 in 1921 to 223 in 1922. With State appropriation and careful supervision we added 57 standard high schools to the State and this means also that we strengthened the elementary schools at the same time. By a continuation of this same appropriation to the schools aided last year, twenty-five other high schools will be added to the standard list because the number of pupils passing up into the high school grades will be sufficient to give the necessary enrollment for three teachers and a four year curriculum. In other words, we aided about twenty-five schools last year that will require two years' growth to reach the standard class. Eeport of Superintendent of Public Instruction 23 Moreover, the attendance in the high schools has increased just as the number of Union Schools has increased. The enrollment in the standard schools in 1921 was 21,000, but in 1922 it was 31,000, or an increase of about 50 per cent. The total enrollment in all schools giving high school instruction, including both the standard and the non-standard schools, increased from 30,000 in 1921 to about 45,000 in 1922. Again an increase of about 50 per cent. The number of graduates of the standard schools increased from 4,239 in 1921 to 6,000 in 1922, again almost 50 per cent. But it should be remembered that this increased enrollment in the high school departments of our union and city schools would have been impossible if the elementary school de-partments had not been greatly improved at the same time. The total number of schools in the State, including both the standard and the non-standard classes, giving high school instruction, is approximately 600. About 245 of these will be in the standard class by the end of this year, leaving 355 located entirely in the rural districts with little hope of becoming standard schools without State aid. The most of these could be raised to the standard grade by a little assistance, possibly an average of $700 apiece. This would mean a total annual appropriation of approximately $250,000. If we could have 600 standard high schools rightly distributed among the 100 counties we should be able to give adequate instruction both in the elemen-tary and high school grades for practically all the children of the State. If we could provide the 600 schools of standard grade we should have approxi-mately 100,000 attending high school. This would be about one-ninth of our school population. At present only about 5% of our school population is at-tending high school. It is certainly not too much to ask the State to make provision for at least 10% of our school population to have the advantage of high school instruction. If this is provided, we shall then be on a favorable plane with other progressive States of the Union. Every cultured progressive community is a distinct asset, and if the State by a liberal appropriation can change the ignorant backward communities into cultured progressive com-munities it can change a liability into an asset. It will require a few years to organize the schools so that they may become standard schools. Therefore, we could not spend $250,000 wisely for this purpose next year. But our funds should be increased gradually until State aid to rural high schools amounts to this sum. The State Department of Education has one supervisor of high schools who aids county superintendents in organizing and standardizing these schools. He likewise superintends the expenditure of the State appropriation. Realiz-ing that the State is too large for one man to supervise the high schools of a hundred counties, we asked the assistance of the Departments of Education in our University, colleges, and normal schools. Eleven of these institutions responded promptly and representatives from each agreed to undertake the supervision of the high schools of a given number of counties conveniently located, and make reports to the State Supervisor of High Schools. This assistance has been very valuable and has made it possible for the State to give good supervision of the high schools, and to safe-guard the expenditure of State funds. VI VOCATIONAL TRAINING IN PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS Our Union Schools will not be complete if we fail to make provisions for the teaching of agriculture and home economics. A school should do more than give instruction to children in the class room. It should reach the community and should carry instruction to the adults as well. It is worth while for the State to aid in creating a wholesome community life in our rural districts because as they improve, the wealth and the culture of the State increase. The Director of Vocational Education cooperates with the Director of High Schools in order that in building a good high school we may at the same time introduce such vocational subjects as will be most beneiicial to the community. This division has been made possible through an act of Congress passed in 1917, appropriating funds to North Carolina, as well as to the other States in the Union, for the encouragement of the teaching of agriculture, home economics, and trades and industries. The appropriations from the Federal Government are as follows: 1919-20 $ 67,452 1920-21 81,306 1921-22 98.331 1922-23 110,668 1923-24 123,005 1924-25 147,680 1925-26 172,354 These funds are appropriated on condition that the State spends a like amount. The total amount spent from State and Federal sources for the biennial period just closed is as follows: 1920-21 $171,474.31 1921-22 204,104.99 (These figures include appropriations for vocational rehabilitation of per-sons injured in industries and otherwise.) The Federal appropriation for vocational education for 1923-24 will be $123,005, and for 1924-25, $147,680. The State will be required to duplicate these amounts. But, as our reports show, the combined State and Federal appropriations do not meet the demands of the people. Hundreds of schools would introduce at once the subjects of agriculture and home economics if we could give assistance. Our appropriation from the State for vocational education should be at least $200,000 annually. This amount alone is needed in those counties that are threatened by the boll-weevil. The amount spent in 1921-22 is divided as follows: 124] Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction 25 Salary and Expenses of Director ? 4,061.16 Teacher Training 30,441.51 Supervision and Traveling Expenses 16,828.73 Salaries of Teachers of Agriculture 91,808.09 Salaries of Teachers of Agriculture 91,809.09 Home Economics, Teachers 39,187.79 Teachers of Trades and Industries 12,591.76 Vocational Rehabilitation 9,184.95 Total $204,104.99 The following table shows the development of the work in agriculture for four years: Day Schools 1918-19 1919-20 1920-21 1921-22 Number Schools 21 44 53 65 Number Teachers 21 44 53 68 Number Classes 35 70 97 125 Enrollment 323 721 1,019 1,468 Part Time Classes for Adults Number Schools 22 • 56 Number Classes 26 bS Enrollment 644 2,100 It will be observed that during the past year there were 65 public schools representing 49 counties in which vocational agriculture was taught. In addition to his class room instruction each boy taking vocational agriculture was required to apply this instruction in the growing of crops or animals, as a part of the course, and keep and accurate record of results. There were approximately 2,000 adult farmers who received instruction, in addition to the high school students, along the lines that helped them with the immediate solution of their farm problems. The teacher of agricul-ture is expected to study his community needs and if the farmers desire definite instruction, he should organize them into classes and either teach them himself or secure someone to teach them. As an illustration of the type of work conducted in part-time classes, in Sampson County twenty-five farmers met at the school house from time to time to study the best methods of growing cotton under boll weevil conditions. They secured improved cot-ton seed, which were distributed among them, and during the fall special meetings with the assistance of an expert were held in the field for the purpose of selecting the best types of stalks by careful field selection. Other groups have studied orchard production, fertilizers, hog raising, marketing, dairying, etc. As a typical part-time course in live-stock instruction, W. D. Barbee, teacher of agriculture and principal of the Seaboard High School, organized a class of adult farmers to whom he gave a course in hog raising, involving the care and feeding, and the proper methods of hardening the pork and marketing. A group of farmers was induced to feed a car load of hogs ac-cording to instructions, and to market them at the times statistics showed the price of live hogs was at its highest point. These farmers were carefully instructed and supervised by Mr. Barbee and specialists from the Extension Division of the State College and Department of Agriculture. At the time appointed, the hogs were shipped to the Richmond market and sold 26 Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction for more than 11 cents a pound live weight when dressed porlc was selling at 10 cents a pound in the community. As a result of this demonstration, the farmers of this section have become interested in growing hogs for the market, and because of the fact that it is a peanut and soy bean com-munity, there is every reason for hog raising to become one of the most profitable farm enterprises of that section of the State. The following table shows the development of work in Home Economics during the past four years: Day Schools 1918-19 1919-20 1920-21 1921-22 Number Schools 3 23 55 53 Number Teachers 4 25 58 55 Number Classes 7 40 80 84 Enrollment 100 814 1,650 1,940 Evening Classes for Adults Number Schools 20 33 27 Number Classes 20 33 27 Enrollment 323 595 565 In the field of home economics, 80 schools and classes have been con-ducted for girls and women, dealing with all the immediate problems of housekeeping and homemaking under the instruction of highly trained and well supervised teachers. The problems of most interest that have claimed the attention of these groups are such things as the selection, prepara-tion, and serving of food, the selection of material and making of suit-able clothing for the family, care and furnishing of the home, care and feeding of infants, budgeting the family income, etc. Some extremely in-teresting classes have been conducted for the mature women of various communities in such things as millinery, cooking, sewing, home nursing, etc. The instruction given in this division is extremely practical and has become so popular that the funds available are not at all suflScient to meet the demand for this training. There were fewer schools and classes in 1921-22 than in 1920-21 because the better trained teachers required higher salaries and the funds were not increased. The following table shows the growth of work in Trade and Industrial Education during the past four years: Evening Classes for Adults 1918-19 1919-20 1920-21 1921-22 Number Classes 5 73 163 180 Number Teachers. 5 50 96 100 Enrollment 128 751 1,511 2,103 Part-Time Classes Number Teachers 2 4 5 Number Classes 2 4 6 Enrollment 31 153 407 In the trade and industrial field, special attention has been given to the evening class instruction for employed workers where training related to their employment was given so that these men could become more effective workers and thus happier citizens. Twenty-five hundred working men and women, boys and girls, took advantage of this instruction in the Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction 2T evening and part-time classes conducted in cooperation with the State Board during the year closing June 30, 1922. Work related to the cotton mill industry, of course, received greatest encouragement for the reason that it is North Carolina's largest industrial activity. However, there were a number of classes in such things as paper and pulp manufacturing, car-pentry, plumbing, blue-print reading, auto mechanics, and other trade subjects. These classes are taught in the most convenient and suitable places for the workers and usually the teacher is a tradesman selected because of his unusual knowledge of the subject and his leadership among his fellow-workers. Young people, who have stopped school before completing the school courses, may have special classes provided for them, and such high school courses have been organized in several North Carolina cities, thus en-abling young men and women of ambition to return to school a few hours each week when they can best be spared from their work. One young man in Durham was willing to give up $75.00 a month, one-half of his salary, to go back to school. Classes in retail salesmanship have been conducted in Asheville and Charlotte with splendid results. In addition to this, the work in industrial rehabilitation, recently organ-ized, has enabled the department to get in touch with and aid more than 100 disabled persons scattered throughout the State, who otherwise would have become dependents and liabilities upon State and society. Numbers-of these injured civilians have received special training which equipped them to fill positions suitable to men with their disabilities; in other cases it only needed the assistance of the department to help the injured person to secure employment in a position where his disability did not too seriously handicap him, and others have been helped to secure artificial appliances which enabled them to earn a living. Twenty of these persons have been returned to society rehabilitated and are now earning from $25.00 to $100 per month and are happy, self-supporting citizens. The State is making no investment which will return larger dividends than its invest-ment in the aiding of these disabled persons. The following incident taken from the News and Observer of May 6, 1922, indicates how this department reaches the needy: Claud R. Cox, of Yadkin County, was orphaned at three years of age. Soon afterward he contracted septic fever which resulted in ankylosis of" both knees and left hip. He had reached the age of twenty-six when found by the Department and was only able to do such jobs around an humble home as carrying wood and water. He expressed a desire to learn linotype operation. A place in a printing house in Winston-Salem was secured where he could learn the trade. At the end of twenty weeks, he was able to-operate a machine, and was put on the pay roll at $15.00 a week. He is at present working at his trade in another town at $25.00 per week,, with good chance of promotion." VII PROGRESS IN HIGHER EDUCATION Progress made in higher education during the past decade has been re-markable. The Director of Teacher Training has prepared a bulletin setting forth the status of higher education for the year 1920-21. This is the first time that a complete study of our University, colleges and normal schools for both races has been published. The property valuation of these in-stitutions, including those supported by the State as well as those supported by private foundations, is perhaps greater than the casual reader would suspect. The combined capital invested in buildings, grounds and equipment reaches a total of $15,418,834. These figures, of course, were secured before the bond issues authorized by the General Assembly of 1921 had been spent. The invested funds represent an outlay of $5,528,240. This makes the total financial resources of these institutions $20,947,074. In the year 1920-21 the current expenditures amounted to $4,375,285. In the same year €86 professors and instructors were employed and 7,778 students of college grade were in attendance. The General Assembly of 1921 realized the necessity of enlarging the State supported institutions and appropriated $4,120,000 for permanent improvements and $1,282,000 for maintenance. When the State Department of Education began the reorganization of the public schools in 1919-20, the higher institutions were requested -to aid this Department in erecting some standard by which they would be willing to be judged. In other words, the question to be decided was—what is a standard college? At once these institutions gave their assistance and they unani-mously adopted certain standards, making it very easy for the State Depart-ment of Education to measure the value of the certificates issued on the basis of college credits. No more patriotic service has been rendered and no more helpful assistance has been given the State by any group of educational workers than that given both by those institutions supported by public funds and those maintained by private or denominational con-tributions. It has been especially noticeable that harmony and cooperation prevail among them and that they are working as a unit to promote the educa-tional progress of North Carolina. The institutions classified according to the standards adopted by them-selves are as follows: I. INSTITUTIONS FOR WHITE PEOPLE: Group A — Four-Year Standard Colleges: Davidson College Elon College (since 1915) Greensboro College for Women (since 1915) Lenoir College (since 1915) Meredith College Guilford College (since 1915) 281 Keport of Superintendent of Public Instruction 2& North Carolina College for Women Salem College (since 1915) Trinity College University of North Carolina Wake Forest College Group B—Fou7'-Year Colleges in Class B, giving three years of Standard College Work: Flora Macdonald College Queens College St. Genevieve of the Pines Group C—Colleges giving two years of Standard Work: Atlantic Christian College (rated A for 1923 on condition) Belmont Abbey College Catawba College (in class B for 1923 graduates—conditional) Carolina College (conditional) Chowan College (in class B. for graduates of 1923—conditional) Davenport College (probably in class B for 1923) Louisburg College Mitchell College (to be reconsidered for 1923 graduates) Oxford College (two-year course accepted for 1923) Peace Institute St. Mary's School Weaver College (conditional) Technical Institutions: North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering (four-year course). (Recommended for A rating in 1923.) Teachers' Colleges: East Carolina Teachers College (four-year course) Standard Normal Schools: Asheville Normal School (since 1922) East Carolina Teachers College (two-year course) II. INSTITUTIONS FOR COLORED PEOPLE: Group B—Foiir-Year Institutions in Class B: Biddle University Shaw University Group C—Colleges gimng ttvo years of Standard Work: Agricultural and Technical College Livingston College Group D—Colleges giving one year of Standard Work: Bennett College (reconsidered for higher rating 1923) National Trairiing School (reconsidered for higher rating in 1922 > VIII THE CERTIFICATION OF TEACHERS A successful teacher should possess the following qualifications: (1) scholarship, or knowledge of the subject matter to be used in school for the education of the children; (2) professional training, or an understanding of child nature and how to use the subject matter to the best advantage; (3) experience, or a certain skill In teaching derived from practice; and (4) personality, or a mode of expression and a manner of living that reinforces technical instruction. A teachers' certificate should define to a certain extent the first three qualifications, namely; scholarship, pro-fessional training, and experience. A teacher may have all three but still be a poor instructor because of her personality. It is the duty, therefore, of the local ofl^cials to determine the actual worth of a teacher and regulate the salary accordingly. The State issues two classes of certificates: (1) The Standard, and (2) the Non-Standard, and the Department of Education has a record of the scholarship, professional training, and experience of every teacher to whom a State certificate is issued. The lowest standard certificate is based on graduation from a standard high school plus six weeks of professional training. Each year of full college credits beyond the high school together with a fixed amount of professional training in the art of teaching and managing pupils and the principles of education, entitles the teacher to a certificate one grade higher. In other words, there are four teachers' certificates corresponding to th^ four years of college or normal school work. But the value of the certi-ficate is affected by professional training and experience. Therefore, th*» liighest certificate issued is graduation from a standard four-year college including a certain amount of professional training and experience. More-over, the plan is broad enough to place in this standard class our good experienced teachers of long service although they may not be able to present high school and college credits. Many of these are certificated in the highest class today. The suggested salary schedule provides $65.00 a month for the lowest standard certificate, and $133.00 for the highest pro-vided the teacher has had four years of experience. Many counties and cities supplement this amount. Tlierefore, in many Instances teachers are paid higher than the suggested salary. The non-standard certificate is issued to a much lower grade of teachers, those that have not had the equivalent of a high school education and many who have not even completed the elementary schools. They are unable, of course, to secure the lowest stand-ard certificate mentioned above, and are, therefore, classified and certifi-cated in the non-standard group according to fitness and are paid from $35.00 to $60.00 a month. School officials in the future should be prohibited from employing teachers of non-standard grade whenever it is possible to employ teachers of standard 130] Keport of Supebintendent of Public Instruction 31 grade. They are not competent to teach and their unfitness hinders the educational progress of the community they try to serve. Many counties have already realized this and refuse to employ teachers holding the lowest grade of certificate. The certificate represents certain training and experience. The salary schedule recommended by the State Board of Education suggests a fajr compensation for each stage of training and experience, and determines the amount that will be allowed from the Equalizing Fund. It should be stated here that successful experience is a large factor in determining the salary of a teacher and should be the guide in fixing salaries. For example: A college graduate without experience and professional training does not rate in the salary scale as high as a teacher having one year of college training and five years of successful experience. It is easy to see, therefore, that the cost of education in a county depends upon the kind and the num-ber of teachers employed, and the number of teachers depends upon the number of pupils in average daily attendance in each district. The State salary schedule is a guide to county officials in measuring the efficiency of the teachers. The certification plan has taught patrons how to select the better prepared teachers and it has encouraged all teachers to im-prove their standing. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, having its headquarters in New York, but operating in every State in the Union, says in its report of 1922: "North Carolina has given a striking example of what is probably the clearest, simplest, and wisest policy of applying State funds to public edu-cation." In speaking of the effects of this system it adds: "This is a remarkable performance," and "The principles should be precisely the same in meeting the requirements of the more highly developed situations in New York, Illinois, and California." IX PROGRESS OF THE TEACHERS The State Department of Education has had remarkable co-operation from the higher institutions during the past three years. The University and our colleges and normal schools are working in complete harmony and the State has never known a finer spirit to prevail among them. They are placing special emphasis on teacher training and through their assistance the State Department of Education is able to outline a plan for the im-provement of teachers that makes it possible for any progressive teacher to Increase his or her scholarship or professional standing. The program of teacher training is so outlined that teachers holding standard certificates attend the higher institutions, while those holding the non-standard certificates have county summer schools or special training in our high schools and normal schools. As a result of these appropriations the teachers have made unprecedented progress during the past three years. The table below shows how the poor teachers are disappearing, how the number of better prepared teachers has increased and how fast the teaching profession is being raised. A State law requiring all teachers to be certifi-cated was passed in 1917. It was not until 1919, following the close of the World War, that all could be certificated. The improvement in the standing of the teachers within three years is significant, and shows with what remarkable rapidity the number of good teachers will increase when the State puts a premium on training and length of service. 1919-20 1920-21 1921-22 Number of teachers employed 15,993 17,523 19,540 Number holding standard certificate 7,491 10,141 14,379 Number below standard grade 8,502 7,382 5,161 Number teachers attending summer school from six to twelve weeks 7,787 10,911 12,500 A study of these figures will disclose the fact that the number of teachers of standard grade has increased nearly 100% within three years. In 1919-20 this grade of teachers numbered only 7,491, or 46% of the total. But in 1921-22 the number was 14,379, or 74% of the entire number employed. Moreover, the number of poorly qualified non-standard teachers has been reduced from 64% in 1919 to 26%> in 1921-22. We have employed in 1921-22 almost as many teachers of standard grade as the total number employed in 1919. What has caused this remarkable improvement in the personnel of the teaching profession? It was the promise given the teachers that if they would improve their efficiency they would be rewarded, and that a differ-ence would be made between the qualified and the unqualified teachers. In order to give them the opportunity to improve themselves, the State provided summer schools to run from six to twelve weeks. The first year these schools were opened, 7,787 teachers attended the entire term, and [321 Eeport of SuperintejN'dent of Public Instkuction 33 for the year just closed the number was approximately 12.500. including those who attended summer schools in other States. Our departments of education in the colleges have been filled to overflowing, and we have drawn largely from the normal schools of the adjoining States. In addition to these, numbers of old and experienced teachers who had left the profession because they could not teach and live on the income, re-turned gladly when they realized that at least some premium would be placed on fitness. This is the distinct advantage of a State system of certificating teachers over a county system. A county system cannot maintain one standard for the whole State. But it will have as many standards as there are counties. Having a number of standards it would be impossible to determine a fair salary for different grades of teachers. All of our teacher training institutions should be strengthened. But our mountain counties have been handicapped because they have not had the benefits of normal or college trained teachers, to the extent that other sections of the State have had. They have been too far removed from the influence of our higher institutions. If these counties are to progress at a rate equal to that of the more favored counties of the State, it is absolutely necessary for the State to enlarge the normal schools at Boone and Cullowhee. These institutions are well located to serve the mountain counties. But they should be so equipped that their influ-ence will be considerably greater. This section of our State has been neglected in the past, and in order to give it a fair chance it will be neces-sary to double the capacity of each institution. If this is done Boone and Cullowhee will measure up to the standard of good normal schools. We can maintain our summer school program if the same appropriation allowed by the General Assembly of 1921 is continued. As the number of low grade teachers disappear, the need for county summer schools will disappear. X SUPERVISION OF NEGRO EDUCATION During the pa^t two years we have had better opportunity to study the scope and character of the educational opportunities offered the children of the Negro race. This has been made possible by the act of the General Assembly of 1921, which created a Division of Negro Education in the office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for the purpose of giving better supervision of the Negro schools. Before this time these schools were neglected. Practically all the supervision given was the rosult of donations from foreign agencies. As a result it was becoming more and more a tendency for the negroes to look to forces outside the State for guidance rather than to the State itself. The effect of this could not be the most wholesome. Both races in the State should look to our government for direction and such help as may be necossary—not to agencies outside of the State. If any group of people depend upon foreign agencies for guidance it will lose its allegiance to the State itself. For the first time in our history the State has had the opportunity to study somewhat in detail the nature of our higher institutions, and I regret to say that here and there spurious institutions of doubtful value are springing up and living on contributions solicited from many sources. Some are illegitimate agencies finding it profitable to vilify the people of our State in order to extract small donations from provincial mission-ary boards or from pious and well meaning individuals of other States that may be moved by pathetic stories of neglect. We have had occasion to expose a few of these frauds during the past year. And I may add here that they are not confined to the negro race. Through the Division of Negro Education we have been able to study more closely the work in the elementary schools and in the normal schools. It is very necessary for the State to give careful direction to the education of the negroes if we are to have continued harmony and prosperity. The creation of the Division of Negro Education, therefore, was very opportune. Its annual cost to the State is negligible—only $12,500 for the year 1921-22. But the fact that the negroes had representation in the government to whom they could look for guidance gave them a new loyalty to the State. Their cooperation has been phenomenal. The offi-cials of the State presenting this division have secured through their supervision of the rural schools, donations from negroes amounting annually to approximately $100,000. As a result of this supervision the negroes complain considerably less. They are more hopeful and they have caught the spirit of cooperation. Therefore, in practically every county where a large number of negroes reside they have contributed freely of their funds to help erect their own school buildings and to maintain their public schools on a higher plane. These funds are deposited with the county board of education and are spent as other public funds are spent. The fact that 1341 Report of Superijs'texdent of Public Instruction 35 they have contributed approximately $100,000 annually is in itself an evidence of their cooperation. Moreover, the leading negroes of the State are more optimistic than ever before. A greater harmony prevails be-tween the races, and the relationship existing at this time is said to be the best to be found in any State in the Union. And this is due in a large measure to the fine supervision of the members of the division of Xegro Education. The salary schedule for the negro teachers is lower than that for the white teachers. Moreover, only a small per cent of the negro teachers hold the higher certificates. Therefore, the per capita cost of instructing the negro children is considerably less than that of instructing the white children. But the officials in the several counties of the State as a rule, show a sympathetic attitude toward the education of the negroes. They are erecting better school buildings for them and giving their teachers helpful guidance. In our towns and cities the school buildings erected for the negroes within the past two years are very creditable. At the present time there are only four standard public high schools for the negroes. Their children, as a rule, do not remain in school long enough to complete the elementary grades. Many of our towns and cities have endeavored to establish standard high schools for them and give them vocational training that will be helpful to them. But it is an excep-tion for a negro child to remain in the public schools long enough to complete a four years standard course. The State is cooperating with the private schools and the spirit among these institutions is indeed hopeful, and the officials are cooperating in a fine way with the State. The Division of Negro Education has supervision of the three Negro Normal Schools which have been greatly strengthened during the past two years. But if they are to become real normal schools and are to exercise the influence over the rising generation of negroes that we might reasonably expect, it is necessary for the State to enlarge these institutions very materially and provide somew-hat more liberally for their maintenance. This Division has supervision also of the Indian Normal School located at Pembroke. The attitude of the State to the Indians within the past two years has also been more hopeful. The Indians are proud of their School and have a pride in the State because of what it is doing. This school should also be enlarged and better equipped. XI ILLITERACY AND COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE The census of 1920 shoAvs that the native white illiteracy has decreased within the past ten years from 147o to 8.2%, and for both races from 18.5% to 13.1%, By far the larger part of the illiterates remaining today are adults who did not have the advantage of an education twenty years ago. The census of 1920 shows the illiteracy of children of school age between ten and twenty-one years of age, inclusive, and we may see from these figures how effective the schools have been. In 1920 the illiteracy of white children between ten and twenty-one years of age in twenty-five counties was 2% and less; in three counties it was less than 1%; in thirty-four counties between 2 and 4%; in nineteen counties between 4 and 6%; and in the other twenty-two counties between 6 and 9^^%. The school system was reorganized beginning with the school year. 1919-20, the term was lengthened, more teachers were employed, and the com-pulsory school law was made effective. Since the Federal census was taken, therefore, we have had two very successful school years, and the records show that practically 100% of the children of compulsory school age (between seven and fourteen) were enrolled in school. Therefore, the illiteracy of the next generation will practically disappear. Our problem now is to maintain good school standards and teach those who are beyond school age. The need of a stricter enforcement of the compulsory attendance law is very apparent. For example: We found in one county 402 pupils from 14 to 16 years of age now attending school that had not completed the fourth grade. In other words, boys and girls of high school age have not been in school long enough to learn to read and write with ease and use numbers intelligently. These young people are certified for employ-ment in the mills. Therefore, I believe that children under 16 years of age who have not completed the elementary school should be required to attend school until they have completed at least the seven grades of work as outlined in the elementary school. Our compulsory school law requires the attendance in school of children between the ages of 7 and 14. But in our towns and cities and mill villages, continuation or part time schools can be provided with little additional expense, which would permit-children between 14 and 16 years of age to attend school a part of the time. They might work a half day and attend school a half day, or follow the alternate week plan. This is being tried successfully in North Carolina, and in most of the States of the Union. During the scholastic year 1920-21. fifty-two counties organized schools or classes for adult beginners and had regularly paid teachers, the State paying one-half the expenses and the counties the other half. Beginning with the scholastic year 1921-22, the schools for adults were made a part of the public school system and were financed as other schools cf the counties were financed. During the biennial period special texts m Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction 37 peculiarly suited to these schools have been prepared and published. Par-haps the most noticeable piece of work done in the State is to be found in Buncombe County. I have received letters from mothers, who hereto-fore had been illiterate, in which they express appreciation for this work and a joy in the fact that they learned to write to their children. The illiterate adult population will never learn to read and write in my judgment unless the State gives special aid. Making these schools a part of the public school system is not sufficient. This is a peculiar class that needs special attention. Not only the State and County officials but our churches, fraternal organizations and women's clubs should co-operate to eliminate illiteracy from this class of our population. XII SUPERVISION OF INSTRUCTION The State Department of Education maintains a staff of special super-visors that gives assistance to counties in the organization of the rural schools, in directing professional courses for teachers, in outlining courses of study for the elementary and high schools, and in improving the in-struction in the school room. That the schools are better organized and the instruction is more effective is proved by the figures which show that the number of pupils completing the elementary schools has been increasing at the rate of 50% a year for the past two years. But the demand for assistance from the State Department is considerably more than we can give. I wish now to point out a few specific instances where additional emphasis should be placed. The State Department of Education should be empowered to give the cities, towns, and counties more assistance in organizing schools and in securing more thorough instruction. Few people realize to what extent the cost of instruction is related to the organization of the school system. Both the cost and the value of instruction depend in a large measure upon the organization. A large per cent of the superintendents in our towns and villages need special assistance at this point for not only is the per capita cost of instruction reduced by a skilful classification of the children in the larger school units, but the instruction is greatly improved thereby. During the past year the State Department of Education has held meetings with the superintendents and principals and has given so far as possible the best advice in good organization. The manner in which this advice was received is evidence that our superintendents are taking advantage of every opportunity to improve their school system. As a result of these conferences the superintendents voluntarily cut down the number of super-visors in city schools and raised the average attendance per teacher especially in the high school. It is easy to see that these economies reduced the per capita cost of instructing children and it may be done without reducing the efficiency of the instruction. A well trained man who understands good school organization, how classes should be organized, and promotions encouraged would be of the greatest value to the State. The younger men going into the profession need this assistance which would improve materially the instruction in the schools and would locate places in the system where economies could be effected. We should place more emphasis on the teaching of North Carolina history. The picture of the "Lost Colony" taken by the State Department of Edu-cation two years ago and exhibited throughout the State has greatly stimulated not only the study of North Carolina history by adults, but it has increased the teaching of this subject in the schools. We should give more time to collecting and arranging courses for our schools in North [381 Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction 39 Carolina history. Every school should have a good map of North Carolina and the school program should devote some time each week to a study of North Carolina geography and its resources. Another subject that can be made of the greatest value to our State is civics. Our text-books, as a rule, do not give the pupils in schools that intimate knowledge of our local government that its importance demands. The State could well afford to provide a supervisor of civics, who could make a study of county government and hold up to the State the best standards of good government and the duties of a good citizen. Courses in civics should be based on our local and State government. Good citizen-ship is too valuable to be neglected in our schools or left to chance instruction. It should be made a definite part of our educational program. If one or two cities or counties should profit by such instruction the value to the State would be considerably more than the small cost of the supervision. The State should be constantly holding up fair standards of county and city government to its citizens and for use in the public schools. Before young people will become deeply interested in the subject the adults must take an interest in it. It seems to be nobody's business to hold up standards of good government. This is an educational problem that can be solved if we will address ourselves to the task. Our schools should give more emphasis to the subject of health education, or as it is usually termed, physical education. Our superintendents are asking for guidance in the teaching of this subject. Many city schools have employed directors of physical education. There should be one supervisor for the State whose duty it should be to help organize this subject and find a proper place in the school curriculum where it will be of the greatest value to all the children attending school. A little skillful guidance would be of the greatest value to the State. The General Assembly of 1921 made provision for a State Supervisor of Physical Education, but owing to the great need in increasing the size of the Equalizing Fund this supervisor was never employed. I believe this appropriation should be continued and should be applied to this purpose. Another subject that can be made of the greatest value to the State is the proper use of the library. "We are encouraging the building of libraries, and while the sum appropriated is not large our counties, cities and towns are attempting to build local libraries for the use of the adults and the pupils in school. But the teachers, as a rule, do not know how to use the books in school. Some of our best teachers have had instruction along these lines, but a great majority have no idea how to use the library in schools. If we are to develop a reading public in the most helpful literature, it is necessary for the State to give some direction to this work. A good supervisor of library instruction could raise the culture level by en-couraging a wise use of books. Public school music should be required in all the schools of the State. With the passing of the old time singing master no one has taken his place in our communities and small towns. Here and there the people them-selves have tried through community singings to preserve the best music and retain an appreciation of it. But this cannot be successful in a 40 Eeport of Superintenbent of Public Instruction large way without some guidance. There is a need for definite support. People everywhere respond quickly to good music and if they have the right kind of leadership they will have good music. In speaking of these special subjects, I am conscious of the fact that the traditional subjects should not be neglected. Teachers should be directed in securing the best use of them. But if the schools are rightly organized the special subjects referred to above will give strength to the traditional subjects and awaken new interest in the pupils. We contemplated to carry out the greater part of this program after the General Assembly of 1921 closed. The appropriations were sufficient. But when it was discovered that the State Equalizing Fund was totally inadequate, we voluntarily reduced the appropriations to the State Depart-ment of Education below the specific amount required by the special session of the General Assembly of 1921. By doing this we were compelled to withhold needed assistance. The State Department of Education should be equipped, therefore prepared, to give assistance at all times, wherever such assistance will safe-guard public funds, improve the organization of schools and secure better instruction of the children.
Object Description
Description
Title | Biennial report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction of North Carolina to Governor..., for the scholastic years... |
Other Title | Biennial report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction of North Carolina to Governor, a state system of public schools |
Creator | North Carolina. Department of Public Instruction. |
Date | 1920; 1921; 1922 |
Place | North Carolina, United States |
Description | Part 1 of 2 |
Publisher | Raleigh :Dept. of Public Instruction,1907- |
Agency-Current |
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction |
Rights | State Document see http://digital.ncdcr.gov/u?/p249901coll22,63754 |
Physical Characteristics | v. :ill., ports., maps (part fold.) ;23-25 cm. |
Collection |
North Carolina State Documents Collection. State Library of North Carolina |
Type | Text |
Language | English |
Format | Reports |
Digital Characteristics-A | 42 p.; 1.97 MB |
Digital Collection |
Ensuring Democracy through Digital Access, a North Carolina LSTA-funded grant project North Carolina Digital State Documents Collection |
Digital Format | application/pdf |
Audience | All |
Pres File Name-M | pubs_biennialreportof19201922nort.pdf |
Pres Local File Path-M | \Preservation_content\StatePubs\pubs_edp\images_master\ |
Full Text | Educational Publication, No. 61 A State System of Public Schools BIENNIAL REPORT OF E. C. BROOKS Superintendent of Public Instruction Published bt the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Raleigh, N. C. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAET I A State System of Public Schools PAET II Statistics for 1920-1921 Statistics for 1921-1922 PART III Report of the Director of School IIovse Planning Report of the State Supervisor of High Schools, 1919-20, 1920-21, 1921-22 96,14 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL State of North Carolina, Department of Public Instruction. Raleigh, N. C. To His Excellency, Governor Cameron Morkison, Raleigh, N. C. I am submitting to you in accordance with law a report of the adminis-tration and operation of the State public school system, for the biennial period including the years 1920-21, and 1921-22. I have endeavored to include in Part I a rather full description of the State system of public schools and how they are operated and maintained. In Part II is presented the statistical report, given in detail by counties and special charter districts, including the State appropriations and the State loans. Respectfully submitted. State Superintendent Public Instruction. A STATE SYSTEM OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS CONTENTS Page I. Building a State System of Public Schools 7 II. The State Equalizing Fund 10 III. The County Unit of Administration 13 IV. Planning and Locating School Buildings 17 V. Building Community High Schools 21 VI. Vocational Training in Public High Schools 24 VII. Progress in Higher Education 28 VIII. The Certification of Teachers 30 IX. Progress of the Teachers 32 X. Supervision of Negro Education 34 XI. Illiteracy and Compulsory Attendance 36 XII. Supervision of Instruction . . 38 PART I A State System of Public Schools I BUILDING A STATE SYSTEM OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS In building a system of public schools three factors are absolutely essential: (1) The purpose, or what is the aim of the promoters; (2) effective organ-ization, or what machinery is set up in order to make it possible to accom plish the purpose; and (3) the cost, or how is the revenue derived and ex-pended. The framers of our Constitution, in providing that every county shall main-tain at least a six months school term, had unquestionably the aim that the minimum to be accomplished through a State system of schools is to afford every child the opportunity of securing at least the instruments of knowl-edge— that is the skill to read and write and use numbers. And this is about all that we can expect from a school system conducted for only six months out of twelve. The reading and writing on an average will barely rise above that of a third grade child. But the constant use of numbers in daily affairs will probably cause the skill in the art of using numbers to rise somewhat higher. About 30 per cent of the white children of the rural districts have only a six months term. The remainder of the country districts have as a rule between seven and eight months, and all of the towns and cities as a rule have from eight to nine months school term. The average for the State is over 140 days or seven months. The term for the Negroes is a few days less. It is not difficult to conceive that the purpose and ideals of the people who voluntarily levy taxes on themselves for better schools are higher than those of our backward counties that reluctantly patronize the minimum term of 120 days. We find in the former a finer conception of life and the purpose of living. The people desire better homes and more culture in them. They choose healthier modes of living and for their children a better physical growth. They realize the importance of training in the vocations such as the high school can give. They seek to exalt the amusements of young people and give direction to their recreation in order to create a better social life. They believe that intelligence and character are the basis upon which good citizenship is founded. They have faith in these things and believe that the school is the agency to cooperate with the home and the church in realizing their aim. Therefore, they voluntarily levy extra taxes on them-selves in order that they may secure these benefits for themselves and their posterity. Then how is the public school system organized and equipped so as to accomplish so far as possible the purpose of the people? The State system of public schools consists as a rule of eleven years or grades of work based on a school term of at least eight months or 160 days. A large number run nine months or 180 days. If the school term is 120 171 8 Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction days the pupils will accomplish in one year only a part of what children ac-complish in the schools of 160 and 180 days. Therefore, instead of completing the elementary school in seven years, pupils require so much longer time that very few remain in school long enough to pass up into the high school. The first seven years or grades are usually styled the elementary school and the last four years or grades are called the high school. For convenience in administration and instruction, certain city schools are divided into three parts. The first five or six grades are called the elementary school and the last six or five grades are divided into two parts and called the junior and senior high schools. Moreover, in many of our rural districts only two or three years of high school work are permitted because of the small number of teacher;^ employed. And these are likewise called junior high schools. The equipment of the schools will be discussed under the head of "Planning and Locating School Buildings" and "Building Community High Schools." The State Board of Education and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction were created by the Constitution to have general supervision of the system, and to enforce the acts of the General Assembly which is directed to plan for a "general and uniform system of public schools," and the Supreme Court interprets this to mean a general and uniform system of public schools under State supervision, having the county, not the district, as the local administrative unit. The counties are required to raise, together with what the State supplies, the necesssary funds to provide the minimum term of six months. The county commisioners are commanded by the Constitution to provide the funds, and, if they fail, they are liable to indictment. All other county school officials, the county board of education, the county su-perintendent and the district committeemen are created by the General As-sembly, and either or all of them may be abolished at any time. The duties of the State and the county officials are prescribed by the Gen-eral Assembly. There has been much confusion in the minds of many people as to just what are the duties of each. The school laws, therefore, should be codified and the duties of each clearly set forth. Such a codification is now under way and will be presented to the next General Assembly. A detailed account of the administration of the schools will appear elsewhere in this report. But what is the cost of the State public school system and how is it financed? The General Assembly has enacted that each county must levy a rate sufficient to provide a six months school term. In May, each county board of education prepares a budget setting forth the amount needed for ad-ministration, teachers' salaries, operating expenses and buildings. When the budget is complete it is submitted to the county commissioners, and if they approve it the tax is levied at once. If they disapprove it and the two boards cannot agree the county board of education is directed to bring a mandamus against the commissioners to compel them to levy taxes suf-ficient to run the schools six months and the court decides the issue. After a maximum rate designated by the General Assembly is levied for teachers' salaries, if the amount derived from the tax authorized to be levied is insufficient for this purpose, the State Board of Education appropriates from an equalizing fund an amount to help pay the salaries of teachers for six months. All other school expenses are borne by the counties. Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction 9 In all counties that have provided local taxation to enable a part or all of the county to extend the term beyond six months, the county boards handle the finances of each district in the same way as that described above with this difference—the State gives no assistance except in aiding the counties to maintain high schools in the rural districts, and the district committee has some voice in determining the size of the special tax rates. A few special districts chartered by the General Assembly, such as the city schools, have exclusive control of the special local tax funds, subject to certain State regu-lations. The Equalizing Fund, the erection of school buildings, the salaries and the improvement of teachers are discussed more in detail elsewhere in this report. A complete financial statement will appear in the statistical report. The May budget is merely an estimate of the cost. After the schools open the counties are required to submit a corrected budget to the State Depart-ment of Education, setting forth the actual salaries of teachers and ths cost of maintaining the schools. This is prepared in November, and hence called the November budget. The State Department checks this budget district by district in order to see that the law is observed as to the number of teachers and supervisors employed and the salaries paid. Then the Equalizing Fund is paid on the approved November budget. The total cost of maintaining the schools for the year 1921-22 was approximately $20,000,000. The exact cost will be given in detail in the statistical report. At the end of the school year each county or city system is required to have an audit made setting forth the revenue and the expenditures on forms provided by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. II THE STATE EQUALIZING FUND AND COUNTY TAX RATES It is the duty of the State to make as nearly equal as possible the financial burden of supporting the public school system in all the counties. This principle was incorporated in the Constitution which provides for "a general and uniform" State system of schools. For several years the General As-sembly has set apart a fund known as the State Equalizing Fund, ^hich has been expended in equalizing the burden of supporting the minimum con-stitutional term of six months. But very little assistance has been given those counties having small per capita wealth, that desire to increase the school term beyond six months. It is almost as necessary to provide as-sistance for increasing the term beyond six months as it is to give aid in maintaining the six months term. But I shall discuss this question somewhat in detail under the subject "Building County High Schools." The present method of distributing the State Equalizing Fund is unsatis-factory. The acts of the General Assembly specify that after the counties have levied a certain uniform rate, if the amount derived from this rate in any county is insufficient to maintain the schools for six months, the remainder may be drawn from the State Equalizing Fund. This would be a fair basis if the State had such supervision over the valuation of prop-erty in the several counties as to make it possible to equalize property values. There are serious differences of opinion among the leaders of the State on this question. The General Assembly of 1921 inaugurated a greatly im-proved tax system whereby the State levies no ad valorem tax on property but derives all of its increase from inheritances, franchises, incomes, etc. The ad valorem tax on property is left entirely to the counties. Therefore, there is no impelling reason why the State should enter a county and assess the valuation of property since it levies no ad valorem tax. The special session of the General Assembly of 1921 limited the amount of the Equalizing Fund to $832,250.00, plus any balance from other public school funds. This was necessary because the progress made by the counties created a demand for $710,000 more than the State had set apart for the year 1920-21. After making provision for paying this amount the General Assembly readjusted the tax rates and fixed a maxi-mum amount for which the State would be liable. Forty-six counties in 1920-21 received aid from this fund. The General Assembly of 1921 changed the method of apportioning this fund &nd in 1921-22 sixty-three counties received aid. In making provision for the six months school term, the distribution of the Staft Equalizing Fund has heretofore depended in a large measure upon the valuation of property in the several counties. Changes in property values due to natural causes, or to the arbitrary action of public officials, has caused the amount of the Equalizing Fund appropriated to individual counties to vary considerably. It is very desirable, therefore, since the State 1101 Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction 11 levies no ad valorem tax and since it is disposed to leave the determination of the values of the property of the several counties to the local officials, re-serving only a supervising relationship to it, that the Equalizing Fund shall be apportioned on such a basis as to make it impossible for reductions in property values in a county, except from extraordinary causes, to affect the amount to be apportioned from the State. In other v^^ords, we should divorce the State Equalizing Fund so far as possible from the revaluation of property. This can be done if we will determine, in advance of the levying of taxes and the opening of schools, the amount of money that shall be apportioned from the State to the several counties. If the State Board of Education is authorized to determine the amount due each county by June 1st of each year and to certify this amount to each county before the taxes for the year are levied, then the law may require the county commissioners to levy a tax suflficient to produce the remainder nec-essary. If this is authorized then no rate will be specified in the law. The method of determining how much shall be apportioned from the Equalizing Fund to each county can be worked out by a rule that will be fair and reasonable. The counties can then know in advance how much to expect from the State, and the tax rate will be determined by local officials in accordance with needs. The change in property values may affect the rate levied but not the amount of funds to be raised. "We have had great difficulties every year since the schools were reorganized in 1919 in making the Equalizing Fund meet the needs of the Counties that really deserved assistance. After the revaluation of 1920, the General Assem-bly of 1921 fixed a definite rate of 30 cents for each county to levy before it could draw from the Equalizing Fund. At the same time the counties were authorized to revise the values of 1920. All but about 30 counties made considerable reduction in values. None made an increase in values. As a result, the Equalizing Fund calculated on the basis of a 30 cent rate on 1920 values would have been totally inadequate if no county had levied more than a 30 cent rate. We advised the counties to levy a rate that would produce a sum equal to the amount that would be raised by levying 30 cents on 1920 values. As soon as possible the rule was tested in the courts. The first case was heard in Nash County. The court held that the rule was fair and the State Board of Education made it the rule for distributing the Equalizing Fund for 1921-22, and 1922-23. But it will be necessary for the General Assembly of 1923 to adopt some other method of distributing this fund, and a method will be presented to the Generhl Assembly which I believe will divorce the Equalizing Fund from the revaluation of property and at the same time relieve State officials of that very irritating problem of entering a county and assessing its property values. But the State should, in my judgment, continue to have reasonable supervision of these assess-ments. But what shall be the size of the State Equalizing Fund? The burden on the several counties of supporting the schools will be equal if the State levied one rate sufficient to run all the schools of the State and disbursed the funds from the State Treasury. Many are advocating today this method of financing the schools. If the State should levy such a tax it would be a State tax. But under the Constitution the State is prohibited, so it seems, 12 Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction from levying more than 5 cents. Therefore, this method of financing the schools is impossible. But in determining the size of the Equalizing Fund that shall be apportioned from the State Treasury we may calculate what rate on a relatively fair valuation of property would be sufficient to pro-vide a six months school term in every county of the State. Having that as our basis, it would be easy to calculate how many counties could not run their schools six months on this rate. The difference between what that rate would produce and the amount necessary to run the schools six months would be the amount of the Equalizing Fund due that county. In this way the total amount for all the counties can be easily determined, and this will give us an idea of the size of the Equalizing Fund for 1923-24. If this policy should be adopted by the General Assembly it is very apparent that the amount of the Equalizing Fund will be approximately $1,250,000. If it is made less than this amount the county rates will go up accordingly. If it is made more than this amount the county rates will go down accordingly Having determined the amount of the Equalizing Fund, and having adopted a fair method of distributing it that will divorce the administration of schools from the question of the revaluation of property, we shall be able to continue our educational progress with less friction in our dealings with local officials and better relationship will be effected between county offi-cials and the State Department of Education. Ill THE COUNTY UNIT OF ADMINISTRATION We are developing a State system of public schools with the county as the unit of administration. This was the purpose of the framers of the Con-stitution, and the decisions of the Supreme Court in recent years have so directed our tendencies that legislation to be successful must be in harmony with the county unit idea. The county unit of administration has a distinct advantage over the district system. It malves it possible for the county board of education to locate buildings advantageously and economically. High schools may be estab-lished according to the needs of the whole county, and the per capita cost of instructing high school pupils may be materially reduced by proper or-ganization. Large school units will bind small districts together and encourage cooperation, thereby breaking up the clannishness of the people that has had a tendency to perpetuate the tribal age. Large community schools create a more wholesome social life among the young people and have a tendency to raise the culture level of all the people. In these stronger schools vocational subjects may be introduced and the teachers of these subjects may extend their instruction to all the adults of the county. If the schools are rightly located and organized, better instrucion in health and hygiene may be carried to the people. All these distinct advantages may be derived from a county system of schools intelligently planned and efficiently directed, without increasing the per capita cost of instruction beyond what it would cost to instruct the same children in small districts. For nearly a quarter of a century after our school system began to take shape there was a tendency for the county to break up into small districts. A number of such districts were chartered by the General Assembly and made independent of the county authorities. A still larger number was authorized to vote special taxes to supplement the county school term. Only in this way could they have good school facilities a generation ago. The principals or superintendents of these local tax or special charter schools being in many instances professionally superior to the county superintendent, developed their district schools into independent units, while the county as a whole had a distressingly poor system of schools without unity and with poor supervision for the most part. Within the past decade, however, the decisions of our courts and legisla-tive acts have had a tendency to make the county the unit and bring all the small local tax or special charter districts under county control. This has given the county boards of education very broad powers, as a codification of all the school laws will show. The chief executive school officer of a county is the superintendent. He likewise has very broad powers, but his duties are little understood by the average citizen of the State. However, the suc- [13] 14 Keport of Superintendent of Public Instruction cess of the county system depends more upon the superintendent than upon all other officials. In the first place he must be a good business manager, or the county will actually waste much of the public funds. In 1900 we were spending less than $1,000,000 annually for public education. We are spend-ing for the year 1922-23 about $20,000,000. If we compare the expenditure of $10,000 annually per county with $200,000 annually per county, we shall have some idea of the great change that has taken place within a period of twenty-two years and of the increased responsibility attached to the office of county superintendent. A study of the per capita cost of instructing the children in the several counties discloses the fact that, as a rule, the more highly trained county superintendent employs better teachers and secures the instruction of the pupils at a less per capita cost than does the less skillfully trained superin-tendent who employs an inferior grade of teachers. There are a number of well informed people today who in their private business would secure the best expert advice in the spending of as large sums of money as the average county superintendent spends today. But they are unable to see the need of securing the best expert advice in spend-ing this sum for the education of the children. A poor superintendent can waste more of the $200,000 to be spent by him in one year than his pre-decessor twenty years ago had to spend, and the taxpayers as they go about their daily affairs may not know that their money is being wasted. How may a competent superintendent practice economy in the expenditure of public funds? 1. By using good judgment in properly locating school buildings and In so planning them that they may be of most service to the people. It is well known that a good business man can secure better results in spending money for the erection of a business building than can an inefficient man. This is especially true in the erection of school buildings. 2. By organizing the schools so as to secure the instruction of a larger number of pupils at a reasonable per capita cost without reducing the ef-ficiency of the schools. A good superintendent who knows how to organize his schools and to group his teachers can secure good instruction at a less per capita cost than can a poor superintendent. 3. By using good judgment in selecting teachers. Superintendents in the past have spent money unwisely because they have not been skillful in this respect and they have cost their counties many times the salaries paid them. A good superintendent who is careful in selecting teachers, in measur-ing their qualifications, and in the application of the salary schedule may economize considerably at this point, and at the same time improve the char-acter of the instruction. 4. By providing professional training and the possibilities for the ad-vancement of ambitious teachers. The moving teacher is more expensive than one who remains in the community and grows as the school grows. Wherever teachers remain only a year and then move on the loss to the pupils is great and the effect on the community is bad. Many teachers hold-ing the high certificates and drawing the highest salaries may do inferior work because they have poor direction from the superintendent's office. Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction 15 5. By safe-guarding the school revenues. A number of counties have gone into debt because no one seemed to know how much of the revenues belonged to the school fund and how much to the general county fund. We have a large number of superintendents in the State who are skillful in keeping the school finances separate from the general county fund and are able to give substantial aid to county authorities. Being good business managers, they know what the school funds should be and how to plan the program for the year. The business of the average county is becoming too great and too complex for one man. If he is a good business manager, he cannot give the necessary attention to the character of the instruction in the school room. As a result, nineteen counties have seen the wisdom of employing professional assistants, known as supervisors. They are under the direction of the county suprinten-dent but they work with the teachers, giving them needed assistance in or-ganizing classes and instructing children. This is necessary if the grea'est returns possible are derived from the expenditure of public funds. A skillful business man, preparing to erect a building costing $200,000, will employ the best architect obtainable, paying him at least 5 per cent of the total cost for expert supervision. In addition to this he will employ a contractor and pay at least 5 per cent for his supervision, and he knows that such supervision is necessary. The same good business judgment should be used in spending $200,000 in the education of the children. However, officials in a few of our counties feel that they are economizing when they employ a superintendent for $1,200 or $1,500, and allow no office help and no pro-fessional assistance. People then wonder why the schools are poor. They would not wonder that a building costing $200,000 was unsafe as well as unsatisfactory if they knew that in order to save a few thousand dollars, no architect, no contractor, and not even the owner had any supervision v/hatever of the construction of the building, but allowed the workmen to do as they pleased. A well organized county system of schools will demand a competent county superintendent and a professional assistant who super-vises the schools during the school term. The records in the office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction show that a well organized system of schools on the county unit plan, having both a superintendent and a professional assistant, can be maintained at a lower per capita cost per pupil than can a poorly organized system of schools on the independent district plan. The six months term is now under the county unit plan if we omit a few larger cities that operate under a special charter. But all special tax districts should conform to a general county plan in order that the whole county may go forward. Wherever we have good supervision the tendency toward the county unit is very marked. But wherever it is poor the tendency is always toward the district as the unit because the superintendent is without sufficient leadership to give assurance that the district will be improved if it becomes an active part of the county system. The small local tax districts detached from the county system are today in many counties a hindrance to the general educational progress. This is true because they have secured to themselves all the corporate wealth of the county, and, seeing poor leadership in county affairs they hesitate to become a part of the county unit. As a result, there are outlying backward 16 Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction districts having little taxable wealth that are a charge on the State and the county. They not only increase the per capita cost of instructing the chil-dren of the county, but they stand in the way of a better organization of the schools and the general tendency is for county officials to neglect them. The defect is not in the district but in the county administration. The most expensive part of a county school system is an inefficient county superintendent, and it is tragic to see the children of a county seeking an education while the administration flounders hopelessly in an attempt to spend the people's money wisely. The efficiency of the county superintendent, however, has improved greatly within the past three years. This Improve-ment is one of the most noticeable features of our educational progress. A large majority of the counties have very competent men who are rendering exceptionally fine service. And any action that would tend to reduce the salary of superintendents below the level of the living of a competent man would work untold harm, since it would weaken the county administration and emphasize the importance of the little independent local districts, which are without proper guidance because their funds are too limited to permit them to employ expert supervision and the county is unable to give them the needed supervision. The city schools have in the past secured the best executives because they were at liberty to go out into the world and employ the best skill. But many people have a notion that a county superintendent need not be skillful. The administrator of a county system requires more skill, as a rule, than does the administrator of a city school system. A good man in either ca-pacity will demand a living wage, but a poor man will take the superin-tendency at any price, and one poor man may waste an amount in one year that would maintain a good man on a high salary for at least five years. It will not be difficult to prove this. I am not arguing for higher salaries, but I am insisting that county boards of education should be encouraged at all times to secure the best men possible, and having selected them they should maintain them. The public school fund is increasing at a rapid rate. The people are demanding better schools. Teachers are improving at a satis-factory rate, and the one executive that can give the right direction to this progress is the county superintendent. IV PLANNING AND LOCATING SCHOOL BUILDINGS The counties for the first time in our history are in a fair way to erect suitable school buildings for all the children. The cities and towns have a fine enthusiasm for providing better buildings and they have voted bond Issues amounting to nearly $15,000,000 during the past two years. The counties are providing large brick buildings with auditoriums for the rural consolidated schools. This has been made possible through the aid of the Special Building Fund authorized by the last General Assembly. This fund amounts to $5,000,000, and is loaned to the counties for a period of twenty years, the counties repaying one-twentieth of the principal and the accrued interest annually. The entire building program under construction at this time is estimated to cost, when completed, about $25,000,000. The idea of a State loan fund for aiding the counties in erecting school buildings is not new. In 1903 the General Assembly very wisely set aside the State Literary Fund, then amounting to about $200,000, to be used as a loan fund for building school houses. This amount has been increased as the State has sold its public lands and by legislative appropriation until today it amounts to $1,028,117.00, which is now loaned at 4 per cent interest to one hundred counties in the State on a ten-year basis. One-tenth together with the accrued interest is repaid and reloaned, making about $150,000 an-nually which the State may loan from this fund. But this has been totally inadequate. The counties had only one other alternative—local bond issues. But this required a vote of the people. As a result, the strong wealthy cen-ters could secure bond issues by levying a reasonably low tax rate, while the more backward districts, in many instances, if they were in favor of education, could not secure a bond issue of sufficient size to provide the necessary buildings without levying a tax rate that would be almost pro-hibitive. Since the wealthier centers were already bonding themselves, they were not enthusiastic about assuming additional burdens in order to help the more backward districts which were little in favor of education anyway. As a result, the counties had a tendency to break up into district schools and the rural sections for the most part were being neglected. The General Assembly of 1921, however, made it possible for the counties to secure funds to erect buildings in the rural districts and this paved the way for a county unit system that will make better schools possible for all the children of the county. This was done, as was said above, by creating "A Special Building Fund," of five million dollars. The State was authorized to sell bonds amounting to this sum and loan the proceeds to the counties. In June following the act of the General Assembly, the State Board of Educa-tion adopted the following rules governing the loans: 1. The Special Building Fund will be loaned to counties on a pro-rata basis. That is, each county will be entitled to borrow the same per cent of 2 1171 18 Report of Superintendent of Public Instructiojs" the Special Building Fund that the school population of the county bears to the school population of the State. 2. If the entire amount is not borrowed on this basis the remainder will be loaned to counties in accordance with their needs. 3. Counties may make application at once for loans from this fund on blanks to be supplied by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. 4. Counties are at liberty to begin their building program this summer with the assurance that the loan will be available on January 1, 1922, pro-vided the bonds are sold. If the bond market next December is not such that the entire amount is made available and the counties desiring to secure loans will secure purchasers for the sum needed, this amount will be loaned to the counties in accordance with Sections 1 and 2, above. 5. No loan shall be approved by the State Department of Education until the plans for the building and the location of the same and the size of the district have been recommended by the Director of Schoolhouse Planning. By June, 1921, applications had been received for the entire $5,000,000. But the constitutionality of the act was questioned and the State Board of Education was estopped from making the loans until the courts could pass on its constitutionality. The decision of the Supreme Court was favorable to the State and very far-reaching in its effects. The court made it very clear that the Constitution demands a State system of schools with the county, not the district, as the local unit of administration. At the, present time $3,300,000 have been loaned and the remainder will be §s soon as the bonds are sold. The cost of the buildings aided by these loans amounts to $9,024,635. The applications far exceeded $5,000,000. Over $3,000,000 of the amount already loaned have gone into small towns, vil-lages, and rural districts that could not have secured the necessary funds otherwise for the erection of suitable buildings. The larger towns were al-ready financing their own building programs. According to estimates re-ceived in this office, as was said above, the cost of the building program now under way will, when completed, amount to about $25,000,000. At least half of this amount is spent in the rural districts and in the small towns and villages. But this amount will not be sufficient to complete the necessary building program and either the State should authorize another bond issue to be loaned to the counties on similar terms, or the counties under State supervision should be authorized to issue bonds. Our children cannot be edu-cated unless school buildings are provided. The State Department of Education through its Division of Schoolhouse Planning, has given very careful supervision of the expenditure of public funds for the erection of school houses. This division, composed of one direc-tor and one assistant, was organized in 1920 to give school oflBcials special aid in planning and properly locatng school buildings. The director and his as-sistant are both kept on the road constantly advising with school oflRcials and giving them expert assistance. Much money may be wasted in the con-struction of school buildings, since unwise architects will sometimes plan buildings with a fancy exterior, but the floor space devoted to class room work may be less than 50 per cent of the entire floor space of the buildings. This is the most costly type of structure, and shows a waste of funds. Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction 19 Good judgment exercised in planning school buildings may save millions of dollars of the people's money. Moreover, the size and arrangement of a school building may promote or hinder the progress of the children and a favorable location may have great educational influence on the life of the people. Within the past year the Director of School House Planning and his as-sistant have visited every county in the State, giving advice to county of-ficials on the kind of buildings needed, how they should be planned, where they should be located, and about how much they should cost. The State lias purchased from architects plans and specifications which are supplied free of cost to the counties. In this way thousands of dollars are saved annually while the types of buildings erected not only give the children a pride in their school but are a distinct ornament to the community. In the rural districts the buildings are being located, as a rule, on the improved highways. They are attractive in appearance and are an asset to the State and the county. In the open country large grounds from six lo twelve acres are being secured and play-grounds for the small children, for the inter-mediate grades, and for the high school students are provided. In the erection of these buildings emphasis is placed on providing suitable rooms for the teaching of home economics. Emphasis is being laid upon the teaching of agriculture also. It is mandatory that sections of the school grounds shall be set apart for a school garden, which is a sort of outdoor laboratory for the study of growing plants, soil, insects, etc., and the buildings are so constructed as to encourage the teaching of agriculture. The old log schoolhouses and the small frame houses heretofore used are rapidly disappearing and in their places the officials are erecting in the rural districts modern brick buildings, and the people of the country have an enthusiasm for education that even the towns and cities did not have ten years ago. In place of the small poorly lighted, poorly equipped school houses may be found today eight, twelve or sixteen-room brick buildings with auditorium, located on the great highways that are now spanning the State. Here the children of the farm may secure as good instruction as the chil-dren of the towns receive. Here the patrons may meet either for pleasure to enjoy an evening entertainment provided by the schools, or to form a cooperative association that will insure them better returns for their labors. A school auditorium in the country is one of the best assets of a commu-nity. It affords an opportunity for the people to meet in large assemblies, and for the young people to have entertainments and a richer social life. As a result of this type of building, the school is becoming the community center, and more people are cooperating today than ever before in the history of the State. The small district and the small building can no longer supply the social, intellectual and industrial education that the people demand and they are realizing it. As our farms increase in resources the large community institution is a necessity. The small one-room school sends no pupils as a rule to the high school but drives the people to the town. The large country community, however, with its adequate building containing from 300 to 500 pupils, may be so organized that from 100 to 125 pupils can have the advantages of high school education. The hope of the rural community is this large type of community school. But it 20 Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction is impossible for every community to have this type until the funds are available for the erection of the buildings. In planning school buildings for our towns and cities our people are learning that the large school unit makes it possible to organize and classify the pupils on a more economical basis. The cost of supervision is reduced. The over-head expenses are less per pupil, and the pupils may be classified in such a way as to give greater elasticity to the grada-tion and promotion of pupils. Great economy may be preserved, the health of the children improved, and the efficiency of the school increased by a careful planning of school buildings. BUILDING COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOLS The gro^vth of the large type of community school having adequate build-ings and grounds has been remarkable within the past three years. It is giving our country districts as good high school advantages as our towns and cities possess. A high school cannot live in a community where the elementary schools are maintained for only six months. Such elementary schools cannot give suf-ficient instruction to raise pupils to the high school level and keep them in the high school long enough to complete a four year course. It requires a school term of at least eight months for both the elementary and high schools to maintain a good four year high school. Some of our rural communities are levying special local tax rates of from seventy-five cents to one dollar on the hundred dollar valuation, in addition to the county rate, in order to secure euough funds to provide two months beyond the county six months term. If these were in a county system and a special tax were levied over the entire county all the schools could be maintained for eight months with a special tax considerably lower than some individual country districts are now levying. If the State deems it necessary to provide an Equalizing Fund to equalize the burden of supporting a six months term, it should likewise provide an Equalizing Fund to aid the counties in supporting an eight months term. The last General Assembly appropriated $100,000 to aid in establishing high schools in the rural districts. This is really an Equalizing Fund, but it should be greatly increased. The high school is the one institution in our rural districts that will give spirit, culture and solidarity to the people. Without it the people must look to the towns for a culture that cannot be found in the country. But a high school is impossible unless the elementary school is strong enough to send its pupils to the high school, and the small schools, as was said above, do not give sufficient instruction even to encourage the pupils to pass through the elementary grades. The State Department of Education estimates that a good high school de-partment offering a four-year course should have at least three teachers. Moreover, it should run at least eight months, and it should have a library of at least 300 volumes. It should also provide facilities for teaching at least two sciences. Such a high school should have an average attendance of at least 45 pupils, in order to justify the expenditure. But the high school is merely an extension of the elementary school. We should look upon the two as one school unit. Other states call this unit a "Union School," and I think we shall have to adopt the same term because many people look upon our high school program as something separate from the elementary school. This Union School can be secured in our rural communities only through [211 22 Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction consolidation, but this does not necessarily mean the abolition at once of all the elementary schools in a consolidated area. The small schools in many dis-tricts should not be abolished after the consolidation is made, provided the buildings are suitable for class room instruction. Here the first three or four grades may be well taught. But eventually the people will demand that their children be sent to the central school, when they have had full time to see the results. This has been the history of consolidation in North Caro-lina. It is necessary for the State to give substantial aid to this Union School in order that both elementary and high school instruction may be equal to the same class of instruction in our city schools. In 1920 no standard high schools could be found in the rural districts of eighty-five counties, and thirty counties had no standard high schools what-ever, although here and there were schools in which high school subjects were taught. It is easy to see, therefore, that the elementary instruction in these country districts must have been very poor indeed. It seems to me that it is impossible to preserve the strength of our rural communities while such neglect is tolerated. These communities vote taxes and their rates, as a rule, are as high as and sometimes higher than the rates of the towns and cities. But the per capita wealth is so small that it is impossible to derive funds sufficient from the taxes voted to provide a Union School that will afford both good elementary and high school instruction. The General Assembly of 1921 sought to correct this defect and appro-priated, as I said above, $100,000 to be used in aiding the rural districts. Owing to the shortage in the Equalizing Fund the special session of 1921 authorized the Staf^ Board to cut down all appropriations in order to increase the size of this fund. Therefore, the State spent only $52,440 in aiding the establishment of these schools Forty-six schools were aided in forty-three counties. Every county that did not have a standard high school received support. As a result, by the end of the school year 1922-23, every county will have one standard school of the type outlined above, provided the plans are now carried out by the local officials. This is a tremendous gain, but we should have in the near future one such school or its equivalent, in every township in every county in the State, if we would make the rural sections strong and vigorous and contribute more largely to the progress of the Statfe. The growth of the high schools within the last few years, owing to con-solidation, has been unprecedented. As a result of the State appropriation the number increased in one year from 166 in 1921 to 223 in 1922. With State appropriation and careful supervision we added 57 standard high schools to the State and this means also that we strengthened the elementary schools at the same time. By a continuation of this same appropriation to the schools aided last year, twenty-five other high schools will be added to the standard list because the number of pupils passing up into the high school grades will be sufficient to give the necessary enrollment for three teachers and a four year curriculum. In other words, we aided about twenty-five schools last year that will require two years' growth to reach the standard class. Eeport of Superintendent of Public Instruction 23 Moreover, the attendance in the high schools has increased just as the number of Union Schools has increased. The enrollment in the standard schools in 1921 was 21,000, but in 1922 it was 31,000, or an increase of about 50 per cent. The total enrollment in all schools giving high school instruction, including both the standard and the non-standard schools, increased from 30,000 in 1921 to about 45,000 in 1922. Again an increase of about 50 per cent. The number of graduates of the standard schools increased from 4,239 in 1921 to 6,000 in 1922, again almost 50 per cent. But it should be remembered that this increased enrollment in the high school departments of our union and city schools would have been impossible if the elementary school de-partments had not been greatly improved at the same time. The total number of schools in the State, including both the standard and the non-standard classes, giving high school instruction, is approximately 600. About 245 of these will be in the standard class by the end of this year, leaving 355 located entirely in the rural districts with little hope of becoming standard schools without State aid. The most of these could be raised to the standard grade by a little assistance, possibly an average of $700 apiece. This would mean a total annual appropriation of approximately $250,000. If we could have 600 standard high schools rightly distributed among the 100 counties we should be able to give adequate instruction both in the elemen-tary and high school grades for practically all the children of the State. If we could provide the 600 schools of standard grade we should have approxi-mately 100,000 attending high school. This would be about one-ninth of our school population. At present only about 5% of our school population is at-tending high school. It is certainly not too much to ask the State to make provision for at least 10% of our school population to have the advantage of high school instruction. If this is provided, we shall then be on a favorable plane with other progressive States of the Union. Every cultured progressive community is a distinct asset, and if the State by a liberal appropriation can change the ignorant backward communities into cultured progressive com-munities it can change a liability into an asset. It will require a few years to organize the schools so that they may become standard schools. Therefore, we could not spend $250,000 wisely for this purpose next year. But our funds should be increased gradually until State aid to rural high schools amounts to this sum. The State Department of Education has one supervisor of high schools who aids county superintendents in organizing and standardizing these schools. He likewise superintends the expenditure of the State appropriation. Realiz-ing that the State is too large for one man to supervise the high schools of a hundred counties, we asked the assistance of the Departments of Education in our University, colleges, and normal schools. Eleven of these institutions responded promptly and representatives from each agreed to undertake the supervision of the high schools of a given number of counties conveniently located, and make reports to the State Supervisor of High Schools. This assistance has been very valuable and has made it possible for the State to give good supervision of the high schools, and to safe-guard the expenditure of State funds. VI VOCATIONAL TRAINING IN PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS Our Union Schools will not be complete if we fail to make provisions for the teaching of agriculture and home economics. A school should do more than give instruction to children in the class room. It should reach the community and should carry instruction to the adults as well. It is worth while for the State to aid in creating a wholesome community life in our rural districts because as they improve, the wealth and the culture of the State increase. The Director of Vocational Education cooperates with the Director of High Schools in order that in building a good high school we may at the same time introduce such vocational subjects as will be most beneiicial to the community. This division has been made possible through an act of Congress passed in 1917, appropriating funds to North Carolina, as well as to the other States in the Union, for the encouragement of the teaching of agriculture, home economics, and trades and industries. The appropriations from the Federal Government are as follows: 1919-20 $ 67,452 1920-21 81,306 1921-22 98.331 1922-23 110,668 1923-24 123,005 1924-25 147,680 1925-26 172,354 These funds are appropriated on condition that the State spends a like amount. The total amount spent from State and Federal sources for the biennial period just closed is as follows: 1920-21 $171,474.31 1921-22 204,104.99 (These figures include appropriations for vocational rehabilitation of per-sons injured in industries and otherwise.) The Federal appropriation for vocational education for 1923-24 will be $123,005, and for 1924-25, $147,680. The State will be required to duplicate these amounts. But, as our reports show, the combined State and Federal appropriations do not meet the demands of the people. Hundreds of schools would introduce at once the subjects of agriculture and home economics if we could give assistance. Our appropriation from the State for vocational education should be at least $200,000 annually. This amount alone is needed in those counties that are threatened by the boll-weevil. The amount spent in 1921-22 is divided as follows: 124] Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction 25 Salary and Expenses of Director ? 4,061.16 Teacher Training 30,441.51 Supervision and Traveling Expenses 16,828.73 Salaries of Teachers of Agriculture 91,808.09 Salaries of Teachers of Agriculture 91,809.09 Home Economics, Teachers 39,187.79 Teachers of Trades and Industries 12,591.76 Vocational Rehabilitation 9,184.95 Total $204,104.99 The following table shows the development of the work in agriculture for four years: Day Schools 1918-19 1919-20 1920-21 1921-22 Number Schools 21 44 53 65 Number Teachers 21 44 53 68 Number Classes 35 70 97 125 Enrollment 323 721 1,019 1,468 Part Time Classes for Adults Number Schools 22 • 56 Number Classes 26 bS Enrollment 644 2,100 It will be observed that during the past year there were 65 public schools representing 49 counties in which vocational agriculture was taught. In addition to his class room instruction each boy taking vocational agriculture was required to apply this instruction in the growing of crops or animals, as a part of the course, and keep and accurate record of results. There were approximately 2,000 adult farmers who received instruction, in addition to the high school students, along the lines that helped them with the immediate solution of their farm problems. The teacher of agricul-ture is expected to study his community needs and if the farmers desire definite instruction, he should organize them into classes and either teach them himself or secure someone to teach them. As an illustration of the type of work conducted in part-time classes, in Sampson County twenty-five farmers met at the school house from time to time to study the best methods of growing cotton under boll weevil conditions. They secured improved cot-ton seed, which were distributed among them, and during the fall special meetings with the assistance of an expert were held in the field for the purpose of selecting the best types of stalks by careful field selection. Other groups have studied orchard production, fertilizers, hog raising, marketing, dairying, etc. As a typical part-time course in live-stock instruction, W. D. Barbee, teacher of agriculture and principal of the Seaboard High School, organized a class of adult farmers to whom he gave a course in hog raising, involving the care and feeding, and the proper methods of hardening the pork and marketing. A group of farmers was induced to feed a car load of hogs ac-cording to instructions, and to market them at the times statistics showed the price of live hogs was at its highest point. These farmers were carefully instructed and supervised by Mr. Barbee and specialists from the Extension Division of the State College and Department of Agriculture. At the time appointed, the hogs were shipped to the Richmond market and sold 26 Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction for more than 11 cents a pound live weight when dressed porlc was selling at 10 cents a pound in the community. As a result of this demonstration, the farmers of this section have become interested in growing hogs for the market, and because of the fact that it is a peanut and soy bean com-munity, there is every reason for hog raising to become one of the most profitable farm enterprises of that section of the State. The following table shows the development of work in Home Economics during the past four years: Day Schools 1918-19 1919-20 1920-21 1921-22 Number Schools 3 23 55 53 Number Teachers 4 25 58 55 Number Classes 7 40 80 84 Enrollment 100 814 1,650 1,940 Evening Classes for Adults Number Schools 20 33 27 Number Classes 20 33 27 Enrollment 323 595 565 In the field of home economics, 80 schools and classes have been con-ducted for girls and women, dealing with all the immediate problems of housekeeping and homemaking under the instruction of highly trained and well supervised teachers. The problems of most interest that have claimed the attention of these groups are such things as the selection, prepara-tion, and serving of food, the selection of material and making of suit-able clothing for the family, care and furnishing of the home, care and feeding of infants, budgeting the family income, etc. Some extremely in-teresting classes have been conducted for the mature women of various communities in such things as millinery, cooking, sewing, home nursing, etc. The instruction given in this division is extremely practical and has become so popular that the funds available are not at all suflScient to meet the demand for this training. There were fewer schools and classes in 1921-22 than in 1920-21 because the better trained teachers required higher salaries and the funds were not increased. The following table shows the growth of work in Trade and Industrial Education during the past four years: Evening Classes for Adults 1918-19 1919-20 1920-21 1921-22 Number Classes 5 73 163 180 Number Teachers. 5 50 96 100 Enrollment 128 751 1,511 2,103 Part-Time Classes Number Teachers 2 4 5 Number Classes 2 4 6 Enrollment 31 153 407 In the trade and industrial field, special attention has been given to the evening class instruction for employed workers where training related to their employment was given so that these men could become more effective workers and thus happier citizens. Twenty-five hundred working men and women, boys and girls, took advantage of this instruction in the Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction 2T evening and part-time classes conducted in cooperation with the State Board during the year closing June 30, 1922. Work related to the cotton mill industry, of course, received greatest encouragement for the reason that it is North Carolina's largest industrial activity. However, there were a number of classes in such things as paper and pulp manufacturing, car-pentry, plumbing, blue-print reading, auto mechanics, and other trade subjects. These classes are taught in the most convenient and suitable places for the workers and usually the teacher is a tradesman selected because of his unusual knowledge of the subject and his leadership among his fellow-workers. Young people, who have stopped school before completing the school courses, may have special classes provided for them, and such high school courses have been organized in several North Carolina cities, thus en-abling young men and women of ambition to return to school a few hours each week when they can best be spared from their work. One young man in Durham was willing to give up $75.00 a month, one-half of his salary, to go back to school. Classes in retail salesmanship have been conducted in Asheville and Charlotte with splendid results. In addition to this, the work in industrial rehabilitation, recently organ-ized, has enabled the department to get in touch with and aid more than 100 disabled persons scattered throughout the State, who otherwise would have become dependents and liabilities upon State and society. Numbers-of these injured civilians have received special training which equipped them to fill positions suitable to men with their disabilities; in other cases it only needed the assistance of the department to help the injured person to secure employment in a position where his disability did not too seriously handicap him, and others have been helped to secure artificial appliances which enabled them to earn a living. Twenty of these persons have been returned to society rehabilitated and are now earning from $25.00 to $100 per month and are happy, self-supporting citizens. The State is making no investment which will return larger dividends than its invest-ment in the aiding of these disabled persons. The following incident taken from the News and Observer of May 6, 1922, indicates how this department reaches the needy: Claud R. Cox, of Yadkin County, was orphaned at three years of age. Soon afterward he contracted septic fever which resulted in ankylosis of" both knees and left hip. He had reached the age of twenty-six when found by the Department and was only able to do such jobs around an humble home as carrying wood and water. He expressed a desire to learn linotype operation. A place in a printing house in Winston-Salem was secured where he could learn the trade. At the end of twenty weeks, he was able to-operate a machine, and was put on the pay roll at $15.00 a week. He is at present working at his trade in another town at $25.00 per week,, with good chance of promotion." VII PROGRESS IN HIGHER EDUCATION Progress made in higher education during the past decade has been re-markable. The Director of Teacher Training has prepared a bulletin setting forth the status of higher education for the year 1920-21. This is the first time that a complete study of our University, colleges and normal schools for both races has been published. The property valuation of these in-stitutions, including those supported by the State as well as those supported by private foundations, is perhaps greater than the casual reader would suspect. The combined capital invested in buildings, grounds and equipment reaches a total of $15,418,834. These figures, of course, were secured before the bond issues authorized by the General Assembly of 1921 had been spent. The invested funds represent an outlay of $5,528,240. This makes the total financial resources of these institutions $20,947,074. In the year 1920-21 the current expenditures amounted to $4,375,285. In the same year €86 professors and instructors were employed and 7,778 students of college grade were in attendance. The General Assembly of 1921 realized the necessity of enlarging the State supported institutions and appropriated $4,120,000 for permanent improvements and $1,282,000 for maintenance. When the State Department of Education began the reorganization of the public schools in 1919-20, the higher institutions were requested -to aid this Department in erecting some standard by which they would be willing to be judged. In other words, the question to be decided was—what is a standard college? At once these institutions gave their assistance and they unani-mously adopted certain standards, making it very easy for the State Depart-ment of Education to measure the value of the certificates issued on the basis of college credits. No more patriotic service has been rendered and no more helpful assistance has been given the State by any group of educational workers than that given both by those institutions supported by public funds and those maintained by private or denominational con-tributions. It has been especially noticeable that harmony and cooperation prevail among them and that they are working as a unit to promote the educa-tional progress of North Carolina. The institutions classified according to the standards adopted by them-selves are as follows: I. INSTITUTIONS FOR WHITE PEOPLE: Group A — Four-Year Standard Colleges: Davidson College Elon College (since 1915) Greensboro College for Women (since 1915) Lenoir College (since 1915) Meredith College Guilford College (since 1915) 281 Keport of Superintendent of Public Instruction 2& North Carolina College for Women Salem College (since 1915) Trinity College University of North Carolina Wake Forest College Group B—Fou7'-Year Colleges in Class B, giving three years of Standard College Work: Flora Macdonald College Queens College St. Genevieve of the Pines Group C—Colleges giving two years of Standard Work: Atlantic Christian College (rated A for 1923 on condition) Belmont Abbey College Catawba College (in class B for 1923 graduates—conditional) Carolina College (conditional) Chowan College (in class B. for graduates of 1923—conditional) Davenport College (probably in class B for 1923) Louisburg College Mitchell College (to be reconsidered for 1923 graduates) Oxford College (two-year course accepted for 1923) Peace Institute St. Mary's School Weaver College (conditional) Technical Institutions: North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering (four-year course). (Recommended for A rating in 1923.) Teachers' Colleges: East Carolina Teachers College (four-year course) Standard Normal Schools: Asheville Normal School (since 1922) East Carolina Teachers College (two-year course) II. INSTITUTIONS FOR COLORED PEOPLE: Group B—Foiir-Year Institutions in Class B: Biddle University Shaw University Group C—Colleges gimng ttvo years of Standard Work: Agricultural and Technical College Livingston College Group D—Colleges giving one year of Standard Work: Bennett College (reconsidered for higher rating 1923) National Trairiing School (reconsidered for higher rating in 1922 > VIII THE CERTIFICATION OF TEACHERS A successful teacher should possess the following qualifications: (1) scholarship, or knowledge of the subject matter to be used in school for the education of the children; (2) professional training, or an understanding of child nature and how to use the subject matter to the best advantage; (3) experience, or a certain skill In teaching derived from practice; and (4) personality, or a mode of expression and a manner of living that reinforces technical instruction. A teachers' certificate should define to a certain extent the first three qualifications, namely; scholarship, pro-fessional training, and experience. A teacher may have all three but still be a poor instructor because of her personality. It is the duty, therefore, of the local ofl^cials to determine the actual worth of a teacher and regulate the salary accordingly. The State issues two classes of certificates: (1) The Standard, and (2) the Non-Standard, and the Department of Education has a record of the scholarship, professional training, and experience of every teacher to whom a State certificate is issued. The lowest standard certificate is based on graduation from a standard high school plus six weeks of professional training. Each year of full college credits beyond the high school together with a fixed amount of professional training in the art of teaching and managing pupils and the principles of education, entitles the teacher to a certificate one grade higher. In other words, there are four teachers' certificates corresponding to th^ four years of college or normal school work. But the value of the certi-ficate is affected by professional training and experience. Therefore, th*» liighest certificate issued is graduation from a standard four-year college including a certain amount of professional training and experience. More-over, the plan is broad enough to place in this standard class our good experienced teachers of long service although they may not be able to present high school and college credits. Many of these are certificated in the highest class today. The suggested salary schedule provides $65.00 a month for the lowest standard certificate, and $133.00 for the highest pro-vided the teacher has had four years of experience. Many counties and cities supplement this amount. Tlierefore, in many Instances teachers are paid higher than the suggested salary. The non-standard certificate is issued to a much lower grade of teachers, those that have not had the equivalent of a high school education and many who have not even completed the elementary schools. They are unable, of course, to secure the lowest stand-ard certificate mentioned above, and are, therefore, classified and certifi-cated in the non-standard group according to fitness and are paid from $35.00 to $60.00 a month. School officials in the future should be prohibited from employing teachers of non-standard grade whenever it is possible to employ teachers of standard 130] Keport of Supebintendent of Public Instruction 31 grade. They are not competent to teach and their unfitness hinders the educational progress of the community they try to serve. Many counties have already realized this and refuse to employ teachers holding the lowest grade of certificate. The certificate represents certain training and experience. The salary schedule recommended by the State Board of Education suggests a fajr compensation for each stage of training and experience, and determines the amount that will be allowed from the Equalizing Fund. It should be stated here that successful experience is a large factor in determining the salary of a teacher and should be the guide in fixing salaries. For example: A college graduate without experience and professional training does not rate in the salary scale as high as a teacher having one year of college training and five years of successful experience. It is easy to see, therefore, that the cost of education in a county depends upon the kind and the num-ber of teachers employed, and the number of teachers depends upon the number of pupils in average daily attendance in each district. The State salary schedule is a guide to county officials in measuring the efficiency of the teachers. The certification plan has taught patrons how to select the better prepared teachers and it has encouraged all teachers to im-prove their standing. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, having its headquarters in New York, but operating in every State in the Union, says in its report of 1922: "North Carolina has given a striking example of what is probably the clearest, simplest, and wisest policy of applying State funds to public edu-cation." In speaking of the effects of this system it adds: "This is a remarkable performance," and "The principles should be precisely the same in meeting the requirements of the more highly developed situations in New York, Illinois, and California." IX PROGRESS OF THE TEACHERS The State Department of Education has had remarkable co-operation from the higher institutions during the past three years. The University and our colleges and normal schools are working in complete harmony and the State has never known a finer spirit to prevail among them. They are placing special emphasis on teacher training and through their assistance the State Department of Education is able to outline a plan for the im-provement of teachers that makes it possible for any progressive teacher to Increase his or her scholarship or professional standing. The program of teacher training is so outlined that teachers holding standard certificates attend the higher institutions, while those holding the non-standard certificates have county summer schools or special training in our high schools and normal schools. As a result of these appropriations the teachers have made unprecedented progress during the past three years. The table below shows how the poor teachers are disappearing, how the number of better prepared teachers has increased and how fast the teaching profession is being raised. A State law requiring all teachers to be certifi-cated was passed in 1917. It was not until 1919, following the close of the World War, that all could be certificated. The improvement in the standing of the teachers within three years is significant, and shows with what remarkable rapidity the number of good teachers will increase when the State puts a premium on training and length of service. 1919-20 1920-21 1921-22 Number of teachers employed 15,993 17,523 19,540 Number holding standard certificate 7,491 10,141 14,379 Number below standard grade 8,502 7,382 5,161 Number teachers attending summer school from six to twelve weeks 7,787 10,911 12,500 A study of these figures will disclose the fact that the number of teachers of standard grade has increased nearly 100% within three years. In 1919-20 this grade of teachers numbered only 7,491, or 46% of the total. But in 1921-22 the number was 14,379, or 74% of the entire number employed. Moreover, the number of poorly qualified non-standard teachers has been reduced from 64% in 1919 to 26%> in 1921-22. We have employed in 1921-22 almost as many teachers of standard grade as the total number employed in 1919. What has caused this remarkable improvement in the personnel of the teaching profession? It was the promise given the teachers that if they would improve their efficiency they would be rewarded, and that a differ-ence would be made between the qualified and the unqualified teachers. In order to give them the opportunity to improve themselves, the State provided summer schools to run from six to twelve weeks. The first year these schools were opened, 7,787 teachers attended the entire term, and [321 Eeport of SuperintejN'dent of Public Instkuction 33 for the year just closed the number was approximately 12.500. including those who attended summer schools in other States. Our departments of education in the colleges have been filled to overflowing, and we have drawn largely from the normal schools of the adjoining States. In addition to these, numbers of old and experienced teachers who had left the profession because they could not teach and live on the income, re-turned gladly when they realized that at least some premium would be placed on fitness. This is the distinct advantage of a State system of certificating teachers over a county system. A county system cannot maintain one standard for the whole State. But it will have as many standards as there are counties. Having a number of standards it would be impossible to determine a fair salary for different grades of teachers. All of our teacher training institutions should be strengthened. But our mountain counties have been handicapped because they have not had the benefits of normal or college trained teachers, to the extent that other sections of the State have had. They have been too far removed from the influence of our higher institutions. If these counties are to progress at a rate equal to that of the more favored counties of the State, it is absolutely necessary for the State to enlarge the normal schools at Boone and Cullowhee. These institutions are well located to serve the mountain counties. But they should be so equipped that their influ-ence will be considerably greater. This section of our State has been neglected in the past, and in order to give it a fair chance it will be neces-sary to double the capacity of each institution. If this is done Boone and Cullowhee will measure up to the standard of good normal schools. We can maintain our summer school program if the same appropriation allowed by the General Assembly of 1921 is continued. As the number of low grade teachers disappear, the need for county summer schools will disappear. X SUPERVISION OF NEGRO EDUCATION During the pa^t two years we have had better opportunity to study the scope and character of the educational opportunities offered the children of the Negro race. This has been made possible by the act of the General Assembly of 1921, which created a Division of Negro Education in the office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for the purpose of giving better supervision of the Negro schools. Before this time these schools were neglected. Practically all the supervision given was the rosult of donations from foreign agencies. As a result it was becoming more and more a tendency for the negroes to look to forces outside the State for guidance rather than to the State itself. The effect of this could not be the most wholesome. Both races in the State should look to our government for direction and such help as may be necossary—not to agencies outside of the State. If any group of people depend upon foreign agencies for guidance it will lose its allegiance to the State itself. For the first time in our history the State has had the opportunity to study somewhat in detail the nature of our higher institutions, and I regret to say that here and there spurious institutions of doubtful value are springing up and living on contributions solicited from many sources. Some are illegitimate agencies finding it profitable to vilify the people of our State in order to extract small donations from provincial mission-ary boards or from pious and well meaning individuals of other States that may be moved by pathetic stories of neglect. We have had occasion to expose a few of these frauds during the past year. And I may add here that they are not confined to the negro race. Through the Division of Negro Education we have been able to study more closely the work in the elementary schools and in the normal schools. It is very necessary for the State to give careful direction to the education of the negroes if we are to have continued harmony and prosperity. The creation of the Division of Negro Education, therefore, was very opportune. Its annual cost to the State is negligible—only $12,500 for the year 1921-22. But the fact that the negroes had representation in the government to whom they could look for guidance gave them a new loyalty to the State. Their cooperation has been phenomenal. The offi-cials of the State presenting this division have secured through their supervision of the rural schools, donations from negroes amounting annually to approximately $100,000. As a result of this supervision the negroes complain considerably less. They are more hopeful and they have caught the spirit of cooperation. Therefore, in practically every county where a large number of negroes reside they have contributed freely of their funds to help erect their own school buildings and to maintain their public schools on a higher plane. These funds are deposited with the county board of education and are spent as other public funds are spent. The fact that 1341 Report of Superijs'texdent of Public Instruction 35 they have contributed approximately $100,000 annually is in itself an evidence of their cooperation. Moreover, the leading negroes of the State are more optimistic than ever before. A greater harmony prevails be-tween the races, and the relationship existing at this time is said to be the best to be found in any State in the Union. And this is due in a large measure to the fine supervision of the members of the division of Xegro Education. The salary schedule for the negro teachers is lower than that for the white teachers. Moreover, only a small per cent of the negro teachers hold the higher certificates. Therefore, the per capita cost of instructing the negro children is considerably less than that of instructing the white children. But the officials in the several counties of the State as a rule, show a sympathetic attitude toward the education of the negroes. They are erecting better school buildings for them and giving their teachers helpful guidance. In our towns and cities the school buildings erected for the negroes within the past two years are very creditable. At the present time there are only four standard public high schools for the negroes. Their children, as a rule, do not remain in school long enough to complete the elementary grades. Many of our towns and cities have endeavored to establish standard high schools for them and give them vocational training that will be helpful to them. But it is an excep-tion for a negro child to remain in the public schools long enough to complete a four years standard course. The State is cooperating with the private schools and the spirit among these institutions is indeed hopeful, and the officials are cooperating in a fine way with the State. The Division of Negro Education has supervision of the three Negro Normal Schools which have been greatly strengthened during the past two years. But if they are to become real normal schools and are to exercise the influence over the rising generation of negroes that we might reasonably expect, it is necessary for the State to enlarge these institutions very materially and provide somew-hat more liberally for their maintenance. This Division has supervision also of the Indian Normal School located at Pembroke. The attitude of the State to the Indians within the past two years has also been more hopeful. The Indians are proud of their School and have a pride in the State because of what it is doing. This school should also be enlarged and better equipped. XI ILLITERACY AND COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE The census of 1920 shoAvs that the native white illiteracy has decreased within the past ten years from 147o to 8.2%, and for both races from 18.5% to 13.1%, By far the larger part of the illiterates remaining today are adults who did not have the advantage of an education twenty years ago. The census of 1920 shows the illiteracy of children of school age between ten and twenty-one years of age, inclusive, and we may see from these figures how effective the schools have been. In 1920 the illiteracy of white children between ten and twenty-one years of age in twenty-five counties was 2% and less; in three counties it was less than 1%; in thirty-four counties between 2 and 4%; in nineteen counties between 4 and 6%; and in the other twenty-two counties between 6 and 9^^%. The school system was reorganized beginning with the school year. 1919-20, the term was lengthened, more teachers were employed, and the com-pulsory school law was made effective. Since the Federal census was taken, therefore, we have had two very successful school years, and the records show that practically 100% of the children of compulsory school age (between seven and fourteen) were enrolled in school. Therefore, the illiteracy of the next generation will practically disappear. Our problem now is to maintain good school standards and teach those who are beyond school age. The need of a stricter enforcement of the compulsory attendance law is very apparent. For example: We found in one county 402 pupils from 14 to 16 years of age now attending school that had not completed the fourth grade. In other words, boys and girls of high school age have not been in school long enough to learn to read and write with ease and use numbers intelligently. These young people are certified for employ-ment in the mills. Therefore, I believe that children under 16 years of age who have not completed the elementary school should be required to attend school until they have completed at least the seven grades of work as outlined in the elementary school. Our compulsory school law requires the attendance in school of children between the ages of 7 and 14. But in our towns and cities and mill villages, continuation or part time schools can be provided with little additional expense, which would permit-children between 14 and 16 years of age to attend school a part of the time. They might work a half day and attend school a half day, or follow the alternate week plan. This is being tried successfully in North Carolina, and in most of the States of the Union. During the scholastic year 1920-21. fifty-two counties organized schools or classes for adult beginners and had regularly paid teachers, the State paying one-half the expenses and the counties the other half. Beginning with the scholastic year 1921-22, the schools for adults were made a part of the public school system and were financed as other schools cf the counties were financed. During the biennial period special texts m Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction 37 peculiarly suited to these schools have been prepared and published. Par-haps the most noticeable piece of work done in the State is to be found in Buncombe County. I have received letters from mothers, who hereto-fore had been illiterate, in which they express appreciation for this work and a joy in the fact that they learned to write to their children. The illiterate adult population will never learn to read and write in my judgment unless the State gives special aid. Making these schools a part of the public school system is not sufficient. This is a peculiar class that needs special attention. Not only the State and County officials but our churches, fraternal organizations and women's clubs should co-operate to eliminate illiteracy from this class of our population. XII SUPERVISION OF INSTRUCTION The State Department of Education maintains a staff of special super-visors that gives assistance to counties in the organization of the rural schools, in directing professional courses for teachers, in outlining courses of study for the elementary and high schools, and in improving the in-struction in the school room. That the schools are better organized and the instruction is more effective is proved by the figures which show that the number of pupils completing the elementary schools has been increasing at the rate of 50% a year for the past two years. But the demand for assistance from the State Department is considerably more than we can give. I wish now to point out a few specific instances where additional emphasis should be placed. The State Department of Education should be empowered to give the cities, towns, and counties more assistance in organizing schools and in securing more thorough instruction. Few people realize to what extent the cost of instruction is related to the organization of the school system. Both the cost and the value of instruction depend in a large measure upon the organization. A large per cent of the superintendents in our towns and villages need special assistance at this point for not only is the per capita cost of instruction reduced by a skilful classification of the children in the larger school units, but the instruction is greatly improved thereby. During the past year the State Department of Education has held meetings with the superintendents and principals and has given so far as possible the best advice in good organization. The manner in which this advice was received is evidence that our superintendents are taking advantage of every opportunity to improve their school system. As a result of these conferences the superintendents voluntarily cut down the number of super-visors in city schools and raised the average attendance per teacher especially in the high school. It is easy to see that these economies reduced the per capita cost of instructing children and it may be done without reducing the efficiency of the instruction. A well trained man who understands good school organization, how classes should be organized, and promotions encouraged would be of the greatest value to the State. The younger men going into the profession need this assistance which would improve materially the instruction in the schools and would locate places in the system where economies could be effected. We should place more emphasis on the teaching of North Carolina history. The picture of the "Lost Colony" taken by the State Department of Edu-cation two years ago and exhibited throughout the State has greatly stimulated not only the study of North Carolina history by adults, but it has increased the teaching of this subject in the schools. We should give more time to collecting and arranging courses for our schools in North [381 Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction 39 Carolina history. Every school should have a good map of North Carolina and the school program should devote some time each week to a study of North Carolina geography and its resources. Another subject that can be made of the greatest value to our State is civics. Our text-books, as a rule, do not give the pupils in schools that intimate knowledge of our local government that its importance demands. The State could well afford to provide a supervisor of civics, who could make a study of county government and hold up to the State the best standards of good government and the duties of a good citizen. Courses in civics should be based on our local and State government. Good citizen-ship is too valuable to be neglected in our schools or left to chance instruction. It should be made a definite part of our educational program. If one or two cities or counties should profit by such instruction the value to the State would be considerably more than the small cost of the supervision. The State should be constantly holding up fair standards of county and city government to its citizens and for use in the public schools. Before young people will become deeply interested in the subject the adults must take an interest in it. It seems to be nobody's business to hold up standards of good government. This is an educational problem that can be solved if we will address ourselves to the task. Our schools should give more emphasis to the subject of health education, or as it is usually termed, physical education. Our superintendents are asking for guidance in the teaching of this subject. Many city schools have employed directors of physical education. There should be one supervisor for the State whose duty it should be to help organize this subject and find a proper place in the school curriculum where it will be of the greatest value to all the children attending school. A little skillful guidance would be of the greatest value to the State. The General Assembly of 1921 made provision for a State Supervisor of Physical Education, but owing to the great need in increasing the size of the Equalizing Fund this supervisor was never employed. I believe this appropriation should be continued and should be applied to this purpose. Another subject that can be made of the greatest value to the State is the proper use of the library. "We are encouraging the building of libraries, and while the sum appropriated is not large our counties, cities and towns are attempting to build local libraries for the use of the adults and the pupils in school. But the teachers, as a rule, do not know how to use the books in school. Some of our best teachers have had instruction along these lines, but a great majority have no idea how to use the library in schools. If we are to develop a reading public in the most helpful literature, it is necessary for the State to give some direction to this work. A good supervisor of library instruction could raise the culture level by en-couraging a wise use of books. Public school music should be required in all the schools of the State. With the passing of the old time singing master no one has taken his place in our communities and small towns. Here and there the people them-selves have tried through community singings to preserve the best music and retain an appreciation of it. But this cannot be successful in a 40 Eeport of Superintenbent of Public Instruction large way without some guidance. There is a need for definite support. People everywhere respond quickly to good music and if they have the right kind of leadership they will have good music. In speaking of these special subjects, I am conscious of the fact that the traditional subjects should not be neglected. Teachers should be directed in securing the best use of them. But if the schools are rightly organized the special subjects referred to above will give strength to the traditional subjects and awaken new interest in the pupils. We contemplated to carry out the greater part of this program after the General Assembly of 1921 closed. The appropriations were sufficient. But when it was discovered that the State Equalizing Fund was totally inadequate, we voluntarily reduced the appropriations to the State Depart-ment of Education below the specific amount required by the special session of the General Assembly of 1921. By doing this we were compelled to withhold needed assistance. The State Department of Education should be equipped, therefore prepared, to give assistance at all times, wherever such assistance will safe-guard public funds, improve the organization of schools and secure better instruction of the children. |