Status of Negro schools in 1800
1. Benjamin Mears, master at $500 a year; Elizabeth Meccum, mistress at £50 per year.
2. Schools have been kept open throughout the year 1798-99 with the exception of twelve weeks on account of sickness.
3. The attendance, from seventy to eighty day scholars, winter and autumn.
4. Some applicants for admission have been refused because of a lack of room; room enough for all in summer.
5. Finance:
For two reasons it has been thought advisable to present as fully as possible the situation in regard to the Negro’s education in Philadelphia. First, they were present in Philadelphia in so considerable numbers that it necessitated a complete organization on the part of the society if any aid was to be offered; second, the method of dealing with them was closely followed in other localities, in case there were sufficient numbers to warrant it. The activity of other monthly meetings in this question of oversight and education of the Negro will be touched upon briefly.
Not enough Negroes for a separate school
As was above suggested, and will be shown more explicitly hereinafter, there were many of the country districts where the Negro problem scarcely existed.[1211] In many others the number of the race was so small that a separate school was entirely out of the question; but more was needed than the mere presence of a White school, to make certain that they received even the rudiments of an education. A constant readjustment of the general ideal of attitude toward them was necessary for each individual community. The details of information concerning the work of each meeting was interesting enough, but perhaps it will be more instructive to point out and illustrate the general characteristics which applied to most, or at least a large number of them.