EDUCATION. In 1900 the illiterate population 10 years of age and over amounted to only 2.3 per cent. of the population. there being but two States which had a better record. This re sult was attained notwithstanding the fact that the State's eompulsory attendance law has been a dead letter. Since the population is largely rural, Kansas has had to contend with the prob lem of rural education in an exaggerated form. The value of the taxable property in many of the school districts often results in a short school term of only three or four months, and not infrequently in inefficient teachers. Unusual in terest, however, is manifested in education, and the poorest districts are likely to levy the heaviest school rates. In 1900 the population between the ages of 5 and 21 was 508.854, and the school en rollment for the same year was 389,582 and the average attendance 261,783.
In 1900 there were 118 city high schools with courses complete enough to prepare pupils for the State University, and a number of others with courses which fell a little short of this require ment. In that year there were 3765 male and 7748 female teachers. The average monthly sal ary received by the male teachers was $42.04. and by the female teachers $35.20. A marked im provement in the efficiency of teachers in general is now in progress. There is a State normal school at Emporia. and there are a number of private normal schools whose graduates are en titled to a three-year State certificate upon pass ing an examination in the professional courses. Graduates of the normal courses of certain State collegiate institutions receive a three-year State certificate without examination. Graduates of the following approved institutions who have completed the required work in pedagogy for the teacher's diploma at the State University arc entitled to a State certificate. which leads to a
life certificate: Fairmount College. Wichita ; .Macpherson College. Macpherson; Baker Univer sity, Baldwin; Ottawa University, Ottawa; Friends' University, Wichita; Bethany College, Lindsborg; Southwest Kansas College, Winfield; Salina Wesleyan University, Salina; College of Emporia, Emporia; Lane University, Lecompton. The University of Kansas (q.v.)—the State Uni versity—is located at Lawrence. Another im portant and successful institution is the well known State Agricultural College at Manhattan. The young farmer student is here taught to be come familiar with all the practical problems of farming, and scientific experiments and investi gations are continuously carried on with the idea of improving all kinds of agricultural and stock laising methods. There are besides the above a number of other institutions which assume the name of college or university. The inspection of the higher institutions of the State by the State board and the granting of certificate privileges to those approved have resulted in an enlarge ment of the equipment and a raising of the stan dard of those institutions.
In 1900 the total amount received for educa tional purposes in Kansas was $5,277.702. of which $3,897,873 was received from district taxes through the county treasurer, and $421, 133 was received from State and county school funds. The total amount paid out during the year was $4,622,363, $3,173,062 being paid for teachers' wages and supervision.