"In 1867 the Legislature radically revised the school law in an attempt to establish a more general State system of education. But the new law did not find favor, and the adverse sentiment was so great that it was repealed in. 1870, and the whole matter of public education relegated to the counties of the State. This condition prevailed until 1873, when the present system of school administration was established. The legislative act of that year inaugurated a general scheme of school administration, and provided for State and county taxes for school purposes; and since that time there has been steady general progress in our public schools.

"The first report under that law was prepared by Superintendent Fleming in 1874, and the statistics contained therein give us a basis for comparison with the present situation.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.

"In making this comparison we may first consider some general statistics bearing particularly on the elementary schools. The scholastic population in 1874 was about 435,000; in 1912, 756,966. The number of pupils enrolled was 258,577, which is 60 per cent of the total population; in our last report the enrollment amounted to 539,911, or 71 per cent of the total population. The average attendance in 1874 was 161,089, 37 per cent of the total population and 62 per cent of the total enrollment; to-day the average attendance aggregates 368,888, which is 49 per cent of the total population and 68 per cent of the total enrollment. In 1874 there were 5,551 teachers, now there are approximately 11,000, a gain of 100 per cent. In the former period the schools, on the average, ran 77 days; in 1912, 127 days, an increase of 70 per cent in 40 years. The average annual salary of teachers in 1874 was $127; in 1912, $304.84, a decided advance, but still far from offering much inducement to choose teaching as a life

career.

"A study of the finances reveals some interesting facts. The receipts for school purposes in 1874 were, from the State, $265,952; from counties, $522,453; from the cities, $112,636; from other sources, $97,418, making a total for the entire State of $998,459. Comparing this with the figures of 1912 we shall dis

cover that the school receipts from the State amounted to $911,849.81; from the counties, $4,605,061.55; from the cities and other sources, $949,710, which together with $1,160,351.50, balance from previous year, makes the school fund aggregate $6,677,262.86. While the scholastic population has increased only 80 per cent the money devoted to public education has increased 600 per cent.

"The most notable evidence of a stronger sentiment in favor of public education is derived from the study of local taxation for school purpose. In 1874 thirty-nine counties levied no poll tax for school purposes, the other fifty-four ranged from ten cents to $1.00. At the present time every county in the State, with one exception, levies a $1.00 poll tax. In 1874 thirty-four counties levied no property tax for educational purposes except the 10 cents on one one hundred dollars prescribed by the State; and the other forty-nine varied from 5 cents to 25 cents on the one hundred dollars; at the present time twenty-five counties levy a tax for elementary purposes of more than 25 cents, in addition to 15 cents required by the State; sixty a tax of 25 cents, and the others a tax averaging 15 cents on one hundred dollars. In addition to this forty-four counties of the State now levy a special tax for high school purposes ranging from 2 to 15 In 1874 sixty-two counties levied no privilege tax for the benefit of education, while at the present time all the counties, except two, levy such a tax.

HIGH SCHOOLS.

"Of all the public school agencies perhaps the high schools have made the most phenomenal progress during the last ten or fifteen years. This is true not only in Tennessee, but throughout the entire country. In 1874, in the system of instruction described in the superintendent's report, there was comparatively little high school instruction given outside of a few of the larger cities. Years ago a law was passed in Tennessee creating secondary schools whose courses of study involved some high school work, but they have been very ineffective. A high school law was passed in 1899, but it, too, failed to operate to great advantage. It was not until 1909 that life and impetus was given to

high school work. The general education bill of that year made generous provision for high schools; and under the stimulus of State aid and State certification of high school teachers therein. provided, the high school sentiment has wonderfully increased and the work in general has been put upon a high plane.

"Ten years ago the county high school work had scarcely begun. To-day forty-five counties levy special high school taxes and 111 county high schools have been established, thirty-seven of them carrying four years of genuine high school work. They employ 283 teachers, enroll 6,633 students; their buildings and equipment are valued at $864,311, and their annual expenditure amounts to $318,177.60. These county high schools are not mere duplicates of city schools, but agriculture and kindred subjects have found a place in their course of study. In many cases the teaching has passed the mere text-book stage, demonstration farms having been provided. Work of this kind, however, has just begun, but there is every indication that it will go forward rapidly in the next few years.

"When we combine cities with counties in this comparison the progress is even more noticeable. Forty years ago practically no high school work was done in the State; to-day more than $3,000,000 are invested in high school plants, there are at least 500 high school teachers, 10,000 pupils and the work is just getting under way.

NORMAL SCHOOLS.

"Going further with our comparisons, we have to note that in 1874 no provision was made for the training of teachers for the schools of the State. State Superintendent John Eaton and his successors had recognized the necessity for teacher training, and had given utterance to it in all their speeches and reports. Barnas Sears, general agent of the Peabody fund, coming to Tennessee to assist in the development of public school interests, had made a strong appeal for the establishment of a normal school; but it was not until 1876 that Peabody Normal College opened its doors here in Nashville, and from that time until 1911 furnished the only means for professional training of teachers in this State. The State gave generous support of the Peabody College, beginning in 1881 with an annual appropriation of

$10,000, which was increased to $13,000 in 1883, to $18,000 in 1891 and to $23,000 in 1895; and finally to secure its permanent location in the State a lump sum of $250,000 was given. Of the 10,000 students matriculating from time to time at that institution, more than, 4,000 of them were from Tennessee.

"But years ago it was recognized that Peabody College belonged not merely to Tennessee, but to the whole South, and that there was need for this State to establish and equip its own schools. No legislative action was taken, however, until 1909; then by the general education bill provision was made for four normal schools. Various localities in the State competed for the establishment of these institutions and handsome donations, aggregating more than three-quarters of a million dollars, were made by the cities and counties in which they were finally placed. Two of these normal schools, one at Murfreesboro and the other at Johnson City, have already been opened and the attendance for the first year is decidedly gratifying. The buildings of the West Tennessee Normal School are nearing completion and will be ready for occupancy this fall. The Agricultural and Industrial Normal School for negroes will also open shortly. The outlook for all these schools is encouraging. They start out with strong faculties, reasonable material equipment and State provision for their maintenance. Their establishment and immediate success give evidence of the strong demand for properly trained teachers and of the progress of the State public high school system.

CITY SCHOOLS.

"The city schools of Tennessee are as good as those in cities of equal size in any part of the country. The large cities, Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga and Knoxville, are well provided with excellent buildings, modern courses of study, trained teachers, and every faculty for first-class work. They are recognizing the new demands upon them growing out of the marvelous social, economical and industrial transformations of the last few years, and are responding in an effective way. In many of the smaller towns school facilities are also excellent. While not equipped on so extensive a scale as those mentioned, yet they are reasonably good and rapidly improving.

"Definite statistics for studying the progress of the city schools are unavailable, the only figures we have for 1874 including only the cities of Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga and Knoxville, while those for 1911 include many of the smaller towns of the State in addition. During the period under discussion the enrollment in the city schools has increased from 12,163 to 77,618, the attendance from 7,517 to 58,376. In 1874 there were 180 teachers; in 1911 1,900, and their annual salary has increased from $575 to $675. The revenues at the disposal of the city schools has grown from $204,824 to $2,205,752.31, the amount raised exclusively by the cities from $127,000 to $1,160,351.50.

"Figures, of course, give only an imperfect idea of the development, but these indicate in a general way the progress that has been made. There is no doubt that the people of the cities are willing to give all necessary financial and moral support to. their schools. The great responsibility rests upon the school men to properly interpret the constantly growing demands upon the schools and to fashion them in such a way as to meet them more and more effectively. That this will be done in the cities of Tennessee there can be no doubt; and the indications are that in the next few years very rapid educational advance will be made in the city schools. As an evidence of the growing school activity it may be mentioned that Memphis has just completed a magnificent high school plant worth more than half a million dollars; that Nashville will this fall occupy its splendid building, which, when completed, will cost quite as much; that Knoxville and Chattanooga have comparatively new and modern plants; that Jackson has now in process of construction a high school building admirably adapted to the needs of that growing city. This does not make mention of a number of grade school buildings that have been erected in these cities during the last few years and of those constructed in the smaller towns and others now being planned. This building activity, I repeat, is the strongest evidence of increasing school interest, and argues well for the future of the city schools of Tennessee.

PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

"No statement of educational progress in Tennessee would be complete without reference to the private schools. One