sarily be very narrow, and few, if any, pupils would be likely to be drawn to it. The establishment of that branch of the university is therefore probably a thing of the far future. Some preparation for the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church appears to be given in the "biblical classes" of the Cookman Institute, Jacksonville, a school for the instruction of the colored race. In these classes 19 were enrolled in 1883-'84, of which number 7 were in theological and 12 in catechetical studies.

The Law College mentioned is much more in the line of present needs, and may possibly be organized before long.

The College of Medicine and Surgery appears to have been organized simultaneously with the literary department of the university, in the winter of 1883. It is so eclectic in character that it will not attempt to decide as to the merits of different systems of practice, but welcomes students of either sex, not attempting to bind them to any method of practice after graduation. All that it asks for graduation is suitable age, good moral character, a fair literary or common school education, satisfactory examination in every branch of medicine, and payment of the examination fee.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTION.

INSTITUTION FOR DEAF-MUTES AND THE BLIND.

In 1883 provision was made by the legislature for the establishment of a school in which indigent deaf-mutes and the blind from 6 to 21 years of age might receive free instruction, such others as could pay for the instruction to have also the privilege of entrance on payment of the actual cost of teaching and support. The chief State officers were made trustees, and an appropriation of $10,000 for 1883 and as much for 1884 were made for a beginning of this good work. St. Augustine secured the location of the institution by a gift of five acres of land and $1,000 in cash; plans were made for a group of buildings, costing $12,749, to accommodate both races, and during 1884 they were completed in a satisfactory manner. A principal was appointed by the board of managers and at the date of the State superintendent's report the institution was being made ready for the reception of pupils.

REFORMATORY INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL.

State Superintendent Russell calls the attention of the legislature to the necessity for a reformatory industrial school, to which may be sent vagrant children who will neither attend the public schools nor work, from whose ranks come a large portion of the criminals that fill the prisons. With the large surplus of funds in the State treasury he advises the purchase of a large tract of fertile land, suitable buildings to be erected on it, including workshops for the various trades, so that these children who are now growing up to be a curse to themselves and to society may be taught farming and other employments and become useful members of society.

CHIEF STATE SCHOOL OFFICER.

Hou. A. J. RUSSELL, State superintendent of public instruction, Tallahassee.
[Term, February 22, 1884, to January 4, 1885.]

b Schools of these three classes are very imperfectly reported.

These amounts from State and local funds and taxes are considerably increased by patrons. (From reports and returns of Hon. Gustavus J. Orr, State school commissioner, for the two years indicated.)

STATE SCHOOL SYSTEM.

GENERAL CONDITION.

A table presented by State School Commissioner Orr at the opening of his report for 1883 and 1884 shows that both enrolment in the public schools and average attendance in them have steadily increased: the former, since the institution of the present State

school system in 1871; the latter, since it came first into the report in 1874. The figures for each annually present greatly larger totals, though the ratio of increase has varied in different years considerably. Such steady growth for so many years is creditable to the State that has furnished the means for securing it and to the excellent State commissioner, whose wise and courteous administration has smoothed the way through many obstacles to its present great success.

From 1882 to 1883 the increase in enrolment in the public schools was 30,979, a greater growth than in any other year since 1874, while the average attendance in such schools was nearly 10,000 higher than in any previous year, being 24, 191 more than in 1882. The aggregate amount spent for the State schools was in 1883 increased by $29,473 beyond the $84,174 of 1832, and, as may be seen, the percentages secured, of enrolment to school youth, of average attendance to enumeration, and of the reported enrolment in all schools to the total number of school age, are somewhat higher. The great difficulty in the way of still fuller and more effective progress is lack of funds for increasing the annual school term, which now averages only about three months, except in cities, where it is reported that the average term covers about nine months. The reports from private schools and from colleges are so indefinite and contain so many gaps that the full amount of education given, while greater than reported, cannot be accurately stated.

ADMINISTRATION.

A State board of education composed of the chief State officers, with the governor as president, holds in trust grants and devises for educational purposes and acts as a court of appeals in questions relating to school law. A State school commissioner, appointed biennially by the governor, is a member of this board and its executive officer for the distribution of school funds, supervision of school interests, and biennial report of school affairs. Each county (except 4 under special local laws) has a county board of education of 5 members, selected for 4-year terms by the grand jury of the county, subject to partial biennial change. A secretary, chosen by each board for a 4-year termi, acts as county commissioner of education, with duties similar to those of county superintendents elsewhere. The county boards choose for each subdistrict into which their counties may be divided 3 trustees for local supervision of schools, one to be liable to change each year.

The public schools (and private schools with which arrangements for public school instruction have been made) are free to all the children residing in the subdistricts where they exist; but separate schools for white and colored children are required to be maintained, and only elementary branches may be taught, except in counties and cities that have been favored with special early franchises. The county boards of education, with like exception, prescribe the text books for their schools. The county commissioners examine persons that desire to teach and license such as are found to be qualified. The licenses are of 4 grades, according to capacity and preparation, covering 3 years, 2 years, 1 year, and six months, this last meant only for low grade country schools. As a rule, the teachers are to teach sessions of at least 3 months each year, but, in sparsely settled counties where the county boards cannot keep up their schools for that full time, they are allowed to maintain "ambulatory schools" in successive neighborhoods for two months only in each case, so locating them as to reach the majority of the children to be taught and so arranging the school terms as to make it possible for one teacher to serve in 2, 3, or more of said schools, each to contain not less than 15 pupils. Evening schools are also provided for. Of all schools taught under the State system the teachers must make report to their county school commissioner, or some special school officer, at the expiration of each term; and until such report is made no pay may be received. The same rule holds as to commissioners.

SCHOOL FINANCES.

The funds for the support of public schools come from a poll tax not to exceed $1 on each voter; from taxes on shows and exhibitions (such as circuses and their accompanying side shows); from taxes on dealers in intoxicating drinks and on dealers in pistols, revolvers, dirks, or bowie knives; from the net proceeds of fees for inspecting fertilizers and for the hire of convicts; with the dividends from State shares in one railway and from one-half the rental of another.

AID FROM THE PEABODY AND SLATER FUNDS.

The trustees of the Peabody fund for the promotion of education in the South gave $5,900 to the State in 1882-83, of which sum $1,000 went to the public schools; $500 to Atlanta University, for the training of colored teachers for such schools; $2,000 to teachers' institutes; and $2,400 for normal scholarships at Nashville, for Georgia students. During 1883-84 there were granted from the same fund $2,400 for scholarships at Nashville, $2,000 for teachers' institutes, and $500 for public schools in the city of Americus.

From the Slater fund, founded by Mr. John F. Slater, of Norwich, Conn., Atlanta

University, Clark University, and the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary received $2,000 each in 1882-83, and Lewis High School, Macon, $200, all believed to be disbursed through the State school commissioner and all meant to further education among the colored people, with the special idea of fitting them to become teachers for their race.

SCHOOL SYSTEMS OF CITIES WITH 7,500 OR MORE INHABITANTS.

OFFICERS.

Cities that have 2,000 or more inhabitants may form independent school systems, under boards of education or trustees of schools; judges of courts and mayors of cities may act as members ex officio of the boards. Augusta, Macon, and Savannah combine county and city systems, each city employing a superintendent.

Atlanta in 1883 was reported as having no pupil in the public schools, either white or black, that had not been vaccinated. As a consequence, not a single pupil had the small-pox, though many were exposed to it. A suspension of the schools during the month of December, however, did much to derange the instruction of the year. The experimental introduction of colored teachers for colored schools, noted in 1882, continued to prove successful, meeting the expectations of the colored people and satisfying their desire for teaching from persons of their own race. Sixteen such teachers were employed in 2 of the 3 colored schools; in the remaining 1 there were still 4 white teachers. This appears to have remained the arrangement for the next year also, when another suspension of the schools in December was only averted by the teachers, who as a body, with consent of the school board, continued to teach till Christmas, and thus kept their schools and grades intact through the full 10-month course provided for. Considerable additions were made in both years to the school accommodations, and thus many children that had been kept out of school by lack of room were admitted, and this without excessive crowding, though further provision for a growing school population was still much needed. The valuation of public school property was $150,000; the estimated enrolment in private and church schools, 2,000.

In Augusta the public schools were taught 84 months during 1883-'84, against 9 months the year previous. A large lot was bought by the trustees at the end of Telfair street, on which to erect a school-house large enough for all the factory children and others of that neighborhood. The colored schools were doing good work, with an enrolment of 1,268 pupils, under 15 teachers. At the opening of these schools the enrolment is overwhelming and the attendance is full until the spring months, when it begins to fall off, continuing, however, to be from 50 to 60 in each school, which is enough to keep all the teachers fully employed.

Columbus for 1882-183 reports 7 school buildings for primary and grammar grades, but none for high schools; rooms for instruction, 27; public school property, estimated at $44,000; school days in the year, 195, of which 188 were occupied in teaching. Music entered into the instruction given, a special teacher of it receiving $90 a year for vocal and $2 a mouth for each scholar in instrumental music. In private and church schools there was an estimated attendance of 275 pupils.

Macon at the opening of 1882-'83 reduced the time for the grammar school course (which appears to include primary as well) to 6 years under an impression that this would suffice to prepare for the high school. It also, towards the close of the year and for the

next, entered on the policy of employing women as principals of the grammar schools. The latter proved thoroughly successful, securing both excellent management and thorough teaching. The former appears to be yet on trial. Other experiments are thought to have proved useful, such as concentrating efforts to teach reading especially on the first three years of the course, doing away with text book instruction in grammar in the lower grades, using in spelling exercises words in common use, and insisting upon thorough acquaintance with these before the spelling book is taken up. Another change, more questionable, is that requiring from the children, after the first four fundamental processes in arithmetic, a large amount of mental work without pencil and slate or paper. Remarkable results are said to be secured in this line, but it may be doubted whether it is a safe process for all children.

Savannah had in 1882-83 the same connection of city and county schools that has been noticed in preceding years, as well as the connection of 2 Roman Catholic schools with the city system. Including these last, there were in the city 9 schools, 7 of them for white pupils, 2 for colored; while in the county there were 22 more, 6 of them for whites and 16 for colored. The statistics given in the preceding tables are for the city schools alone. Adding those of the county, there were in all 31 schools, with 79 teachers and 4,504 pupils. The classes in the various schools were generally full during the entire school year, and in the lower grades there was considerable crowding. The grades below the high school numbered 8; those in the boys' high school are given as 3 in one place and as 4 in another; those in the girl's high school

as 4.

KINDERGÄRTEN.

For information concerning 3 Kindergärten in this State, see Table V of the appendix; for a summary of their statistics, a corresponding table in the report of the Commissioner preceding.

PREPARATION AND QUALIFICATIONS OF TEACHERS.

GENERAL STATE REQUIREMENTS.

Applicants for license to teach in the primary schools are to be examined in the common branches, and those who wish to teach in higher grades, in the studies belonging to those grades. This examination in ordinary cases is by the county commissioner; in cities under special laws, by a committee on examinations. The licenses given are, in counties, of 4 grades, covering from 6 months to 3 years.

NORMAL SCHOOLS AND DEPARTMENTS.

No State school for the sole purpose of training teachers has been yet established, but since 1870 Atlanta University has received $8,000 annually from the State, mainly because of its usefulness in preparing young people of either sex for teaching in the public schools for colored people. The Middle Georgia and North Georgia Agricultural Colleges also do something towards preparing teachers for the schools for whites, both having recognized normal departments, which, by authority of the legislature, are authorized to issue to duly prepared pupils certificates of proficiency that have the force of State licenses to teach in the public schools. The cities of Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon, and perhaps others have normal classes to prepare teachers for their schools or for schools elsewhere, and work in the same line is done by Clark University, Atlanta; by the Lewis High School, Macon; the Haven Normal School, Waynesboro', and the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary. For such statistics of these as may be presented, see Table III of the appendix.

TEACHERS' INSTITUTES.

Teachers' institutes, each continuing 4 weeks, for white and colored teachers, were held at Albany, Barnesville, Covington, Dalton, Sandersville, and Way Cross in 1883 through aid from the Peabody fund. Through like aid in 1884 such institutes were held at Norcross, Macon, and Dalton. Their success, Dr. Orr says, was reasonably good; their effect on those present "very fine." There was, however, a hindrance to full success in the fact that in the months of July and August, the only ones in which experienced city teachers can be secured as institute instructors, the common schools were generally in operation; hence the teachers in country districts, who most need the instruction given at the institutes, could not attend in anything like the number to be desired. Instruction in the studies to be taught was given, but the main design was to show how they should be taught.

SECONDARY INSTRUCTION.

PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS.

The cities of Americus, Atlanta, Augusta, Macon, Sandersville, and Savannah all have high schools as parts of their city school systems, the common rule being to have a separate one for each sex. Where colored pupils are sufficiently advanced for