The American Missionary — Volume 33, No. 11, November, 1879

by Various

—The Peabody Educational Fund—Reports of the General Agent and the Treasurer.—The annual meeting of the trustees of the Peabody Educational Fund was held October 1st, at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. The chairman addressed the meeting, and in the course of his remarks mentioned with regret the shrinkage in the income from the investments, and expressed the hope that from other sources the funds would be rendered adequate to the work laid out.

The thirteenth annual report was presented by Dr. Sears, the general agent. He said that the work had made satisfactory progress during the past year. The difficulties arising from the poverty of the South, he continued, are now increased by the pressure of the State debts. The necessity of aid from the Federal Government is now greater than ever before. The evils that are certain to grow out of popular ignorance, if the public schools are suffered to languish, or if they reach only a part of the population, will not be limited to the States where they first appear, but will cast their blight over the whole country.

It might be thought best to limit the assistance to the colored population, if any should be granted. By an act of the General Government the right of suffrage has been extended to them. A large proportion of them are confessedly unqualified for a judicious exercise of this power. If the colored people are the “wards of the nation,” in what way can the nation so well perform the duties of its trust as by qualifying them for citizenship?

Of the two grand objects of this fund, the first, the promotion of common school education, has been thoroughly established, and the chief attention should be henceforth given to the second, the professional training of teachers. In some of the States that stand most in need of efficient normal schools, it would be impossible to provide at once the requisite funds for their establishment.

Though there are very few normal schools of a high character besides our own in the States with which we are concerned, there are several of different grades of excellence, either maintained or aided by public authority. Some of the former, and all of the latter, are for colored teachers. Much good has been accomplished for the colored schools by the universities and other endowed institutions with normal departments, maintained by different Christian denominations. One association has already sent out from its numerous institutions 5,267 teachers, by whom about 100,000 pupils have been instructed. A large proportion of the graduates of all these institutions become teachers.

The report by States shows the following facts: In Virginia less than half the children of the State attended the public schools last year. In the colored schools there was a loss of 3,271, compared with the year before. Over $250,000 of the school money has been diverted to other purposes; but in the future three-fourths of the appropriation are secure.

In North Carolina the attendance is less than one-half. Difficulty has been found in this State to induce young men of character and talent to prepare for the business of teaching, as the pay is uncertain and but little more than the wages of a common laborer.

The school attendance in South Carolina has increased 13,843 during the year. For several years the system of public instruction was in a disordered condition; but, during the last year, a better state of things has been manifest. But the want of normal schools and of more funds is painfully felt. Such, at least, are the views of the State Superintendent. In regard to scholarships he says: “The agent of the Peabody Fund has placed at my disposal ten fifty-dollar scholarships in the Normal and Agricultural Institute at Hampton, Va. A visit to the Institute and observation of the manner in which it is conducted convince me that it is doing exactly what it professes to do.” He adds: “There are dangers before us which it will require the highest patriotism and the wisest statesmanship to avoid. Nearly 57 per cent. of the voting population of the State are unable to read the ballots which they cast.”

In Georgia, notwithstanding the increase of nearly 40,000 in the school population, the number of the illiterate is diminished 20,614. Great encouragement is felt regarding the educational prospects in the State.