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DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.

To His Excellency, Gov. M. R. Patierson:

The chief function of an annual report is to furnish as nearly as possible a correct standard of measurement for ascertaining our educational progress.

The present biennial report in many respects furnishes unmistakable evidence of rapid and substantial educational advancement during the past two years.

THE GENERAL EDUCATION BILL.

The General Education Bill passed by the last legislature unifies the school system, and provides for the growth and expansion of all its different parts. The State is interested alike in the full and harmonious development of all its schools.

THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

The function of the elementary school is to banish illiteracy from the State, and to prepare all the children of the State for good citizenship by giving them at least a rudimentary education. A large majority of our children never go beyond the elementary school, and for that reason the efforts of the State Department have been very largely directed toward the improvement of the elementary rural schools. This can be more clearly shown by

the following:

In 1900 there were only 23 counties in the State levying as much as 40 cents on the $100.00 worth of property for elementary schools; in 1905 there were 40 counties levying as much a 40 cents school tax on the $100.00 worth property; in 1910 there are 89 counties levying as much as 40 cents school tax on the $100.00 worth of property. This shows a consistent and substantial growth in school interest for the past ten years. A similar growth is shown in the increase of the value of school property, teachers' salaries, length of term.

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The above tables, taken from the records, indicate more explicitly what is being done for the elementary schools of the State than many written descriptive pages.

The elementary schools are at present undergoing an evolution; they are yet to be thoroughly and closely organized. A State graded course of study has been prepared, (a copy of which appears elsewhere in this report), but no course of study is of much avail till it is understood, appreciated, and felt in every fiber of the public school teacher.

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Chapter 279 of the Acts of 1899 empowers the County Court "to provide for establishing and maintaining one or more County High Schools for the instruction of the children of the County", with a further proviso that a special high school tax may be levied in addition to other taxes for schools, not to exceed fifteen cents on the $100.00 worth of property. This Act made the high school strictly a County institution, operated and maintained wholly by the county, with practically no regulation or restriction as to what the course of study should be. It could have been made only a secondary school, or if the Board of Education so willed, it might have a course of study co-extensive with the college.

In order to define and limit its field, and to standardize and systematize the work, and to encourage counties to establish and maintain a system of high schools, Chapter 264 of the Acts of 1909 provides that:

"It shall be the duty of the State Board of Education to grade al high schools now established and maintained, or that in the future may be established and maintained under the provisions of the County High School Law; to prescribe their minimum courses of study, requiring the elements of agriculture and home

economics to be taught in all schools; and to classify them as high schools of the first, second and third class."

Acting in conjunction with the State High School Inspector, all high schools have been classified by the State Board of Education, and furnished proper courses of study to meet the requirements of the above Act.

(A full statement of the High School work, prepared by the State High School Inspector, will be found elsewhere in this report.)

The function of the High School is to offer, free of cost, to every child an education that will fit the individual for good citizenship by better preparation for the various activities of life; to furnish the connecting link between the elementary school and the college or university; to perfect and unify the County system of schools; to furnish better prepared rural teachers; to stimulate the elementary school by giving opportunity and encouragement to the individual to go higher, thus prolonging the period of school life.

STATE NORMAL SCHOOLS.

Section 7, Chapter 264, Acts 1909, provides:

"That thirteen per cent of the General Education Fund provided by this Act may be used for the establishment and maintenance of Normal Schools solely for the education and professional training of teachers for the elementary schools of the State as herein provided. One Normal School for the education and professional training of white teachers shall be established and maintained in each Grand Division of the State, and shall be open and free alike to white males and females resident in the State of Tennessee; and one Agricultural and Industrial Normal School for the industrial education of negroes and for preparing negro teachers for common schools shall be established and maintained, and shall be open and free alike to negro males and females resident in the State of Tennessee; but no person shall be admitted to either of these schools who is under sixteen years of age and who has not finished at least the elementary school course prescribed for public schools of the State; nor shall any person be admitted to either of the Normal schools for white teachers who does not first sign a pledge to teach in the public or

private schools of the State of Tennessee, within the next six years after leaving the school, at least as long as he or she has attended said school.

Each school established and maintained under the provisions of this section of this Act shall have connected with it one or more practice and observation schools, in which shall be taught at least all the subjects prescribed for the primary schools of the State; and the County Boards of Education of any county, or the District Directors of any school district, or the Board of Education of any incorporated city or town having a special school system under the provisions of its charter may, and the same is hereby empowered to, contract with the State Board of Education to provide for the teaching of children of public-school age in such practice and observation schools, and to pay to the said Normal school all or any portion of the public school fund belonging to such county, district, or incorporated city or town, as agreed upon by the school authorities of said county, school district, or incorporated city or town, and the State Board of Education, as in the case of consolidated schools under the provisions of the State school law.

The principals and instructors in the Normal schools for the education and training of white teachers may be required to assist in conducting Teachers' Institutes in any of the counties of the Grand Division of the State in which said school is located. Provided, that no principal or instructor may thus be required to assist in institutes more than six weeks in any one year.

Provided, further, that no more than two members of the faculty of any Normal school may be required to be absent from the school for this purpose at the time.

And, provided, further, that all such service shall be performed without additional pay, except that necessary traveling expenses. and hotel bills while engaged in this service shall be paid out of the funds of the Normal school.

A certificate of graduation from any one of the said Normal schools shall entitle the holder thereof to teach in any of the public schools of the State without further examination for a period of four years from the date of such certificate. Any such graduate who completes within the said period of four years such additional courses of reading and study as may be prescribed by the State Board of Education and shall pass the required ex

aminations in the same and has proven his ability as a teacher by teaching acceptably not less than fifteen months within this period may, upon application, be granted a permanent license to teach in any of the public elementary schools of the State.

The course of study and the rules and regulations shall be the same for all the said Normal schools, with such minor modifications for any school as may be required by local conditions; provided, that such courses of study shall include instruction in ordinary English branches, in vocal music, drawing, domestic science, manual training; elements of chemistry, physics, and biology; the elementary principles of agriculture, horticulture," and home economics; and in the history, principles, and methods of education; and, provided, further, that the courses of study for the Agricultural and Industrial Normal School for negroes shall be of such practical nature as to fit the conditions and needs of their race.

The general management and control of all Normal schools established and maintained under the provisions of this section. of this Act shall be vested in the State Board of Education; and the said State Board of Education shall have power to employ a bookkeeper, whose duty it shall be to keep the accounts of the Normal school funds as directed by the Board, and the salary shall be fixed by the Board and paid out of the Normal school fund herein provided before its apportionment to the several schools on the warrant of the Comptroller. All schools established under the provisions of this section of this Act shall eb located by the State Board of Education; and in making such locations, said Board shall take into consideration accessibility, centralness of position, healthfulness of location, cheapness of living, opportunities for arranging for suitable practice and observation of this Act, looking to the location and establishment of these schools, and to the opening of the same at the earliest date practicable.

All disbursements of money under the provisions of this section of this Act shall be made on the certificate of the President and Secretary of the State Board of Education, by the Comptroller of the Treasury, in the manner prescribed by law for the disbursement of money to charitable institutions.

Sec. S. Be it further enacted, That for the year one thousand nine hundred and nine and annually thereafter seven per cent

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