EDUCATION. In 1900 0.4 per cent. of the popu lation ten years of age and over were illiterate. The percentage of illiteracy for the negroes alone was 28.0 per cent.. which was a deeided decrease from 1990, when the corresponding per cent. was 41.7. Although the Constitution of 1820 pro vided for a public school system. it was not until 1833 that a school was organized which could legally enfo•ee support. The office of State Su perintendent of Common Schools was created in 1539. The State Board of Education consists of the Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney Genera] and Superintendent of Education. As is common in States which have a large rural population, the country schools are often in a very backward condition, in marked contrast with the town schools. which are generally very efficient. In many districts there has been a de crease in the rural population, resulting in an increasing lumber of very small schools. The wealth of many districts is too small to sup port a long term school. Short terms, inefficient teaching, irregularity of attendance, and lack of gradation and superintendence, therefore. char acterize many country districts. However, the average length of the school term for the State 144 days in 1900—eompares favorably with the corresponding term in the neighboring States. In 1900 the number of children between the ages of five and eighteen was 900.400, the number en rolled in the public school;., 719.517, and the average attendance for the school year. 400,012. The State has no compulsory attendance law. The attempt to articulate the high schools with the university has necessitated the appointment of an inspector to examine the work of the high schools. In 1900 about 70 of these schools were upon the approved list of the universities, hut there are in all about 500 schools doing from two to four years of high school work. In 1900 there
were 16,201 teachers, of whom 10,104 were fe males. The State maintains normal schools at Kirksville, Warrensburg. Cape Girardeau, and at Lincoln's Institute in Jefferson City. The public school fund was begun with the Congres sional donation to the State of saline funds in 1812. The original stun has been increased by additions front various sources until. in 11)00, the total school fund amounted to $12,548,963. The total receipts for school purposes in 1900 were $9.554,384, over two-thirds of which was from railroad district, hack taxes, and tuition fees. The amount paid for teachers' wages for that year was $4.684.250, the incidental expenses amounted to $1.294,784. and the money used for building purposes $1.837.014. The average State levy upon $100 valuation for .school purposes was 51 cents. Higher education is afforded by the State at the Cniversity of located at Columbia. This institution includes among other those of law•, medicine, agri culture. and mechanic arts, and mines and metal Inr;_ry. There arc 'Within the State also a very large number of private and denominational in stitution-3 which bear the name of college or nni versity, but the enrollment at most of these is very small. Washington University, at Saint Louis (non-sectarian), has the benefit of a large endowment, and the Saint Louis University (Roman Catholic) also has a large endowment. Lincoln Institute is a well-equipped manual training school for the colored.