EDUCATION REPORT, 1904.

County superintendent.-The general superintendence of all free public schools in each county shall be vested in a county superintendent, appointed by the governor for a term of two years, at a salary of $1,200 a year. In addition

to being a person of good moral character, he must have had at least twenty months' experience as a teacher, must be a graduate of some reputable college or normal school, or else hold an unexpired certificate of the highest grade granted to teachers of the State, and must be a resident of the county for which appointed during his term of office. He shall not engage in any other profession

or occupation during his term of office, nor shall any of the duties assigned him by law be performed by deputies.

He shall advise with and assist teachers in all the free schools in his county, see that improved methods of instruction and discipline are introduced, create a general interest in and give a clearer knowledge to the people of his county about schools and school systems. To this end he shall visit each school in his county at least once a year, each visit to be of at least two hours' duration; attend at each stated meeting of the county school commission of his county, and at each stated meeting of the State board of education, and make such report concerning his work and the condition of the schools as the said commission or State board shall require; execute all reasonable orders which the State board shall give him; collect and report the school statistics of his county, and generally shall do all matters and things proper and necessary for the interest and advancement of education in the free public schools of his county. In accordance with the directions of the State board, he shall compile examination papers, hold examinations, make and sign certificates for each successful applicant, and may countersign certificates issued by the other superintendents of the State. He shall hold annually a teachers' institute, which all teachers shall be required to attend. He shall devote his entire time to this work. Certificates.) (See also Teachers—

The supervision of all the free public schools, including those for colored children, in each of the counties of this State, subject to the State board of education, shall be vested in a county school commission for each county. The said commission shall be composed of three members, no more than two of whom shall be of the same political party. They shall be appointed by the governor and hold office for three years, not more than two to be of the same political party.

Each county school commission shall hold meetings quarterly, and special meetings may be held upon the call of any two members. mission shall be the investigation of the school system throughout the county of The object of the comits jurisdiction, the methods of instruction and discipline employed in the schools, the performance of their several duties by the various school officers and teachers, and the condition of school property. To this end each commission shall have full authority to visit all the schools in its county, including incorporated schools, and to observe and question the teachers concerning their methods of instruction and discipline, make all needed changes in school districts, and shall examine all reports, hear complaints, and ask and receive the assistance of the county superintendent. Each member of the commission shall receive $5 for each day's attendance at its meetings, not to exceed $30 in any year, and shall be allowed mileage in visiting schools not to exceed $25 a year.

District school commissioners.-Each district shall annually elect a school commissioner to serve for three years. The commissioners shall determine the site, lease or purchase the necessary ground, and build or procure a suitable house for the district, as near the center of the district as possible, and when built or procured it shall not be removed nor another procured without the direction of the school voters at a stated meeting; keep the schoolhouse in good repair, supply it with necessary furniture and fuel, and bring actions, if necessary, for any injury to it; provide a school for the district when and as long as their funds will enable them, and employ teachers; may make regulations for the government of the school, and by these provide for the expulsion of a scholar for obstinate misbehavior; receive and collect all money belonging to, appropriated, or resolved to be raised for the district, and apply the same justly; appoint collectors for the district, and take security by bond; do all acts requisite for effecting the premises, and acts of a majority shall be as effectual in all cases as if done by them all. stated meeting, exhibit a just account of their receipts and expenditures, and a The school committee shall also annually, at the report of all their proceedings, and must pay to their successors in office all money due from them. must pay, additionally, at the rate of 5 per cent on the sum due. If for ten days they neglect to do this, they forfeit and

For these duties the committee may receive no emolument; but for attendance before the auditor they may, on the settlement of their account, be allowed each $1 per day and 3 cents per mile of necessary traveling.

2. TEACHERS.

Qualifications and duties-Institutes-Preliminary training.

Qualifications and duties.-It shall be unlawful to employ any person to teach in the public schools unless he holds a certificate good in the county where employed.

The county superintendent shall examine, either orally or by printed or written questions, or both, all persons who apply at such times and places as he may appoint. Every applicant of good character found qualified to teach orthography, reading, writing, mental and written arithmetic, geography, botany, drawing, pedagogy, history of the United States, Constitution of the United States and of Delaware, English grammar, physiology and hygiene (with special reference to the effects of alcoholic drinks and narcotics), rhetoric, algebra, geometry, history of education, psychology, zoology, civics, Latin, and natural philosophy shall be recommended to the State board for a professional certificate good for ten years. A first-grade certificate shall be issued by the superintendent to an applicant who shall have attained a grade of 90 in all the subjects in the foregoing list down to and including temperance physiology, which shall be good for five years. Those attaining an average of 75 in same subjects shall receive a second-grade certificate good for two years. If certificate be refused, appeal may be taken to the State board.

At the end of the term every teacher shall make out a report as per blanks furnished by State board and send same to the county commission.

Institutes. Each county superintendent shall hold a teachers' institute three days each year, and every teacher of the county must attend. At these institutes each superintendent shall give all the information in his power, as well as other instructions such as he may deem advisable, and shall cause a general interchange of views among teachers as to the wants of the schools. For paying the expenses of county institutes an annual appropriation of $150 shall be made from the school fund.

Preliminary training.—To encourage persons to attend normal schools and prepare for the work of teaching, the State appropriates $1,000 annually for each county, to be distributed among 12 successful applicants, each to receive $12 per week, or $80 per year. They are exempt from examinations after graduating, but must bond themselves to teach two years in the State.

3. SCHOOLS.

Attendance-Character of instruction-Text-books.

Attendance.-The State board has designated several schools in each county, to be known as graded schools, to which pupils from single districts may go after having completed the sixth grade. The said graded schools receive from the State the sum of $15 for each such pupil per year. There are separate schools for colored persons.

Character of instruction.-The studies required in the public schools are those in which teachers (which see) are examined for a second-grade certificate. All public schools receiving aid from the State shall give instruction in physiology and hygiene, with special reference to the effects of alcoholic drinks, stimulants, and narcotics, instruction to be oral when the pupils can not read.

Text-books.-The school commissioners or trustees of each school district in the State shall furnish the necessary text-books free for the use of all the pupils enrolled in the free schools of the State in the manner hereinafter provided.

The school commissioners or trustees shall order from the publisher or publishers the books which have been adopted by the State board of education for use in the free schools of the State, at the net contract prices at which the publishers have agreed to supply the same, as follows: There shall be a blank order book prepared by the State treasurer for the use of the school commissioners, which shall contain duplicate order blanks, with a printed list of the books which have been adopted by the State board of education, and the net contract. prices at which the publishers agree to furnish the same.

EDUCATION REPORT, 1904.

Duplicate orders shall be filled out and signed by at least two of the school commissioners, or in case of united or incorporated districts by the president and secretary of the school board; one of these orders shall be forwarded to the State treasurer, to be forwarded to the publisher, and the other shall be kept as a stub in the order book as a voucher.

The State treasurer, on receipt of an order from school commissioners, shall make an entry of the amount of the order against the district in a book kept for that purpose, and shall forward the order at once to the publisher, who shall send duplicate invoices for the same, one to the State treasurer and the other to the district clerk of the school district to which the books are consigned.

The State treasurer shall pay the publisher out of the school fund of the State for books thus supplied, and charge the amounts so paid to the respective districts ordering said books, and deduct the same from the amount to which such districts may be entitled under the school laws of the State; but the State treasurer shall pay no bill for at least thirty days from the time it is rendered, in order that he may be notified by the school commissioners of any error or failure on the part of the publisher to supply the books.

It shall be the duty of the clerk of each school district to distribute the books received as aforesaid to the scholars of the district, or their parents, guardians, or other persons, as they may desire, upon receipt for the same. each district shall be responsible for the safe-keeping of the books furnished him, and also for prices of books sold to parents, guardians, scholars, or others. Any The clerk of money or the value of the books which such clerks shall fail to account for according to law may be recovered in the name of the State by the county superintendent before a justice of the peace, as other accounts, when the amount does not exceed the sum of $200. Such clerk shall, at the expiration of his term of office, turn over to his successor in office all books on hand and take a receipt for the same, which shall be his voucher in settlement.

It shall be the duty of the school commissioners to provide for the safe-keeping and care of the books, which shall be returned by the pupils at the close of the annual school term to the clerk of the district, or to such other person as the school commissioners shall designate. They shall also keep a separate account of the amount expended for books, and shall report it under a separate item in the annual settlement required by law. The school commissioners may furnish books at cost to pupils who wish to replace books lost or willfully destroyed, or who may wish to own their books, and shall turn the proceeds of all such sales into the school fund of the district and report the amount at the time of the annual settlement to State auditor.

4. FINANCES.

Funds (permanent or special)—Taxation.

Funds (permanent or special).—The clear income of the school fund of this State is apportioned among the school districts as follows:

1. The dividends on an investment in 5,000 shares of Farmers' Bank stock, made under act of February 21, 1837; the interest on $131,750 of a bond of the State of Delaware to the school fund of the said State, at 6 per cent interest, and the interest on the sum of $5,000 advanced to the county of Sussex under act of February 17, 1837, must be divided, as they fall due, among the counties equally, except that Sussex County is to have, for its schools, the interest on the $5,000 above mentioned in addition to its one-third of the dividend from the general school fund.

2. All the clear dividends or profits from any other bank stock, securities, or property belonging to said fund, together with the clear sum from fees for marriage and tavern licenses, one-fourth of all money arising from licenses for auctioneering, foreign life-insurance agencies, vending of goods by samples, keeping of traveling jacks or stallions, keeping eating houses, taking photographs, acting as brokers, real-estate agencies, exhibiting circuses, practicing jugglery, selling vinous, spirituous, or malt liquors; also one-fourth of the fees on commissions issued to prothonotaries, clerks of the peace, recorders of deeds, clerks of the orphans' court, and sheriffs, and any other income of said fund, or money directed by law to be paid to the trustee of said fund for distribution, must be apportioned among the several counties according to their white population, as ascertained by the census.

The trustee of the school fund, in apportioning annually the share of its in

come to each county in the State, must distribute it equally among all the districts in the respective counties, according to the number of teachers.

Taxation. The school commissioners in each school district must annually assess and levy the sum of $100, without regard to any vote thereon.

The district meeting shall decide what sum shall be raised for a schoolhouse or a free school,

GEORGIA.

1. ORGANIZATION OF THE SYSTEM.

State board-State school commissioner-County board-District trustees— County school commissioner-Cities.

State board. The governor, attorney-general, secretary of state, comptrollergeneral, and State school commissioner shall constitute the State board of education, the governor being president ex officio and the State school commissioner the chief executive officer. The clerk of said commission shall be clerk of the State board and shall keep minutes of its meetings. The board shall meet, upon call of its president or a majority of its members, at the office of the State school commissioner at the capitol, or elsewhere, as the call may designate. Said board may hold in trust for the State any grant or devise of lands or other property made for educational purposes, duly executing the terms of such grants. The board shall constitute an advisory body with whom the State school commissioner shall have the right to consult when in doubt as to his official duty. The board shall also hear and decide appeals from decisions of the State school commissioner upon any question touching the construction or administration of the school laws, which appeals must be made through the county commissioner.

State school commissioner.-He shall be elected by the people for two years; shall have an office at the seat of government, and receive a salary not exceeding $2,000 a year. He shall be charged with the administration of the school laws and a general superintendence of the business relating to the common schools of the State. He shall prescribe forms for the reports required of subordinate school officers and blanks for their guidance in transacting official business, and from time to time shall transmit to them such instructions as he may deem necessary, which instructions they are bound to follow, but shall have the right of appeal to State board; he shall visit the several counties of the State as often as possible for the purpose of examining into the administration of the school law, inspecting school operations, counseling with school officers, delivering popular addresses, or doing such other things as he may deem subservient to the interests of popular education; see that the proper actions are brought against all officers or agents of the system who are liable to the same for misapplication of funds or for other cause; shall make an annual report to the general assembly containing a statement of the condition and amount of all funds and property appropriated to public education, number of common and public schools of various grades in the State, number of scholars (by sex and color) attending same, branches taught, average cost of instruction per scholar per county, plans for improvement of the schools, number of children of school age in the State, number of private schools and colleges of different kinds in the State, with number of scholars attending (by sex), branches taught, and average cost of tuition per scholar. All necessary traveling expenses incurred in the performance of official duty, postage, and other necessary office expenses, shall be paid by the State; and he shall be entitled to one clerk, who shall also be clerk of the State board. (See also Finances-Apportionment.)

County board of education.-Every county in the State shall compose one school district, under the control of a county board of education consisting of five freeholders elected by the grand jury for four years. No person pecuniarily interested in the sale of school books shall be eligible to membership in such board. In counties wherein are local school systems (see Cities) the grand jury shall select said county board from outside the territory of such local system. Members of said county board shall receive not to exceed $2 per day of actual service, but are not exempt from road or jury duty. Judges of the supe

rior court of a county may remove any member of such board for cause, on the address of two-thirds of the grand jury, and such judges may fill vacancies in such board until the next session of the grand jury. The board shall elect one of their number president. The county school commissioner shall be ex officio secretary, and shall record the proceedings of board meetings, all of which shall be open to inspection. The board shall meet at least once a quarter at the court-house. They shall lay off the county in subdistricts, in each of which they shall establish at least one school each for the white and colored races, which schools shall be as near the center of the subdistrict as practicable, reference being had to population, to any schoolhouse already erected, and to contiguity of white and colored schools.

Whenever in the opinion of the county board the good of the schools demands it, they may appoint three trustees in each subdistrict, to serve each three years, one to retire each year, whose duty it shall be to supervise the school operations of their subdistrict, to visit the schools, and make such recommendations in regard to school interests as may seem best. Such trustees shall recommend applicants to teach, whom the county board shall choose if they be duly qualified and eligible according to law. The trustees shall make written report to the county board once a year; oftener, if the board so require.

In the county board is vested the title to all school property, including that of all subdistricts in the county (see Buildings and grounds, under Schools). The board shall determine the length of term of the schools in their county. They shall hear and determine any local controversy regarding the construction or administration of school law, but either party may appeal to the State school commissioner, through the county commissioner in writing. (See also Schools, Text-books-Finances, Apportionment.)

District school trustees. (See County board of education.)

County school commissioner.-The county board of education shall select from the citizens of the county a county commissioner of education, for a term of four years, who shall be ex officio county superintendent of the common schools. Before election the several applicants shall be examined (questions furnished by State school commissioner) upon the subjects taught in the common schools, the science and theory of teaching and school government, and such other subjects as the State school commissioner may deem proper. In addition to a satisfactory standing upon said examination, the board shall take into consideration the moral character, business qualifications, and general availability of each applicant; and the county commissioner shall give bond in such sum and with such security as the board may require. By a majority vote the board may remove such county commissioner for cause, but he shall have the right of appeal to the State school commissioner, and thence to the State board of education. In case of a vacancy in the office of county school commissioner, the same shall be filled for the unexpired term in the same manner as for a full term. The county school commissioner shall constitute the medium of communication between the State school commissioner and subordinate school officers; shall visit each school in his county at least once during the term, twice if practicable, and oftener if ordered by county board, and without notice to teachers, for the purpose of instructing in modes of management and teaching and giving such advice and suggestions as he may deem helpful; shall be the agent of the board in procuring school furniture, apparatus, etc., such as the board may order purchased; see that none but the prescribed textbooks are used; audit accounts of teachers and others before presenting same to the board for an order for payment; enter in a book a record of all his official acts, which book, with other books, papers, and records pertaining to his office, shall be turned over to his successor; make a report of the year's school operations to the grand jury at the spring term of court, accompanied by his books for examination. He shall be provided with an office in the court-house if there be room, and shall receive such compensation as the county board may determine, not to exceed $3 per day while actually employed in his official duties; in counties having 60,000 population the boards may pay county school commissioners a salary not to exceed $1,800 a year. (See also TeachersCertificates; institutes.)

Cities. Any city with 2,000 or more population (or any county or town under special authority of the general assembly) may organize an independent school system and draw its pro rata of all educational funds raised by the State. The chief executive officer of such independent organization shall make the same reports to the State school commissioner as are required of the county school commissioners (see preceding section).