Rensselaer Standard, Volume 1, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 November 1879 — STARTLING FACTS [ARTICLE]

STARTLING FACTS

Depart of the National Bureau of Education. Intar Ocean. The report of the Bureau of Education is at hand, and, as usual, is frill of interesting information regarding the educational condition and growth of the country. The most striking thing In the whole volume are the reports from the southern States, which show the rapid decay of education in that section, and the almost absolute abolishment of the public school systems which were established there by the much abused “carpet-baggers,” Take the State of Arkansas, for ins+anoe. In 1872 it had one of the finest systems of public and normal schools in the United States, supported by a direct tax upon the people Nearly $1,000,000 had been expended in the erection and equipment of buildings, and educated teachers were imported from the colleges of the North. The report of the Commission of Education shows that last year only $190,000 were spent for school in Arkansas. The number of scholars enrolled was smaller in proportion to the population than in any State of the Union, or even Territory. (New Mexico sent more children to school than Arkansas). The teachers were paid less in Arkansas last year than In any State or Territory or the Union, and fewer teachers were employed. Of the 31,720 children reported for enrollment, only 14,437. or less than one-half, ever attended. Ttye number of school-houses in use was 1,015 less in 1872. The Mormons in Utah spend more money for schools, have a better system, employ more teachers, and had a larger attendance of pupils last year than Arkansas or Florida. The following table contains interesting statistics about the school population of each state, the number enrolled in school last year, and the amount of money expended last year for school purposes.

s”‘" ~ ~ || 3 | H 33 ■ ' S> o S SSB O STATES. 22. ®cf *go.S O _ C. 2 —9 o b 5 - a -o&** : O : S* c -*® : 7 : ? 7?? New York 1,586,234 1,028.715 810,9762234 Pennsylvania 1,200,000 907,412 8.6832J79 Ohio 1,027,248 722,412 7,411068 Illinois 992,354 694,489 7,888,596 Missouri 725,728 394,84 c 2,3741960 Indiana 694,706 498,726 4,678,766 lowa 668,026 490,163 5,197,426 Kentucky 512,808 248,000 1,130,000 Virginia 482,789 1 060^40 Wisconsin 478,388 291,271 2*2491638 Michigan 469,444 857,139 3J87 913 Tennessee. 442,458 227,643 699,513 North Carolina 408,296 2u1,459 290.790 Georgia 394,037 179,405 400,151 Alabama... .... 369,447 141,230 392,439 Mississippi 324,939 100,528 481,215 New Jersey 818.378 198,709 1,929,902 Massachusetts...... 297,202 307,832 5.582.619 Maryland 276,120 150,276 1,637,583 Louisiana 266,038 85,000 369,829 Minnesota 238,362 102,561 1,181,327 Kansas 232,861 157,919 1.328,376 South Carolina 228,128 102,396 226,021 Maine 217,417 155,428 1,170,668 California.. 200,066 147,863 2,749,729 Arkansas 190,282 31,150 119,403 West Virginia 184,760 123,504 793,272 .Conencticut 137,099 119,208 1,510,223 Texas 127,085 109,052 496,083 Vermont 92,925 72,909 537,153 Nebraska 92,161 56,774 861,264 Florida 74,828 26,052 101,722 New Hampshire... 73,418 68,035 604,654 Rhode Island 53,316 43,698 725,962 0reg0n...., 50,649 45,584 241,893 Delaware 35.6491 24.061 218,025 Colorado 21,009! 14,085 215,256 Nevada 8,4751 5.521 102,760

An examination of the above table should set people, particularly the statesmen from the South, to thinking. The schools in the South have been very rapidly running down within the last few years, until they have now reached a point just one grade better than no school at all. It can not be said that these figures are inaccurate, because they are furnished by the superintendents of education in the several States, who would naturally place the best side forward. It will be noticed that lowa, with about the same school population as Virginia, pays more for education than the whole of the Southern States put together. Kansas, with a school population the same as South Carolina, pays more than South Carolina, Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina and Georgia put together. Little Rhode Island, with a school population, less by one-half almost than the smallest State in the South, pays more than Florida, Arkansas, Louisiana and South Carolina put together, which States have about fifteen times as many children. Michigan pays more than all the Southern States, except Missouri and Kentucky, together. Schools were, intended to educate voters, and there is a bad outlook in the South. If the educational test fur voters should be established, the South might become disfranchised in a few years if its schools become much worse.

Taking the value of school propertv, as given by the Commissioner of Education , Louisiana and Kansas have very nearly the same school population, the numerical advantage being in favor of, the former. Kansas —a new State, with no large cities—has $4,337,654 invested in school houses, while Louisiana, with a large city, has only $736,575. The States of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas report no valuation of school property. Make a similar comparison to the above between the States of North Carolina and Michigan. Their school population is not far apart in numbers, but North Carolina, one of the most prosperous States in the South, has only $225,000 invested in school property, while Michigan has nearly ten mihion of dollars. The Cherokee Indians have nearly as much money invested in school property as the State of North Carolina. Another interesting way of observing the subject is the expenditure per capita of population for schools. Strange to say, the Cherokee Indians spend more per capita than any State in the Union; and the Choctaws more than any single State, except Massachusetts and California. The Cherokee Indians expend $24.78 per child, and North Carolina 68 cents per child; the Choctaw Indians, $12.62 per child, and Alabama $1.02 per child. Yet the privilege of suffrage is not extended to the Indians of these nations, because they are “half civilized.”