The Journal of Negro History Volume V Part 30

[101] _Ibid., op. cit._

[102] _Ann. Report Board of Ed. of Kansas City_, 1915, p. 123.

[103] _Report of Supt. Public Schools, 1916_, p. 69.

[104] _Report of The Board of Education of St. Louis_, 1908, p. 234.

[105] _Report of Board of Education of St. Louis_, 1908, p. 235.

[106] _Ibid._, 1913, p. 108.

[107] _Report of Public Schools of Mo._, 1916, p. 290.

[108] _Ibid._

[109] _Report of Board of Dir. of Schools_, Kansas City, 1911, p. 243.

[110] _Report of Supt. of Schools_, 1916, p. 286.

[111] _Ibid._, p. 292.

[112] _Ann. Cat. Lincoln Inst._, 1916, p. 6.

[113] _Laws of Mo._, 1915, p. 69.

[114] _Report of Commissioner of Education_, 1916, p. 586.

[115] _Negro Year Book_, 1917, pp. 234-241.

[116] _Ibid._, pp. 234-240.

[117] _Ibid._

[118] Missouri had 174 illiterate out of every one thousand, and Oklahoma and West Virginia had 177 and 203 respectively.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN NEGRO COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES[1]

Within the last few decades a deepening sense of responsibility for the religious direction of the American College and University students has arisen. The problem of religious education has become a part of our national consciousness. The term "religious education" has come into general circulation respecting every grade of education. And in every instance it seems to be more or less a characterization of an ideal type of education and a method of realizing that type. Evidence of this is presented in the numerous religious, semi-religious and educational periodicals, as well as in the reports and published statements of educational inst.i.tutions and organizations since 1903.

There is a new conscience for character and social usefulness in the college and university. It manifests itself in topics under discussion in conferences of educators, in their personal inquiries, and in the hearty cooperation given agencies for the higher life. In the whole range of education there is a growing recognition of the religious and moral elements inherent in all education. The former emphasis on the difference between religious education and secular education is pa.s.sing. The foundation of teaching is being lifted into the religious realm. Education is aiming to develop men and women to their highest possibilities for their own sakes and for the sake of their contribution to the welfare and progress of society. The National Educational a.s.sociation is a potent factor in establis.h.i.+ng a strong belief in the worth of religion in education.

The Religious Education a.s.sociation, organized in 1903, is one of the chief, if not the chiefest, agencies in hastening this new era. The secretary has said: "The leaders.h.i.+p of this new crusade seemed successful in directing a pa.s.sion for religious education born of the fusion of the scientific spirit with the spirit of humanistic idealism." Between 1903 and 1913 over $120,000 was spent in religious educational endeavor. The period subsequent to 1913 shows a larger proportionate expenditure. The larger part of this sum stands for gifts.

How has the movement demanding efficiency in religious education affected Negro inst.i.tutions? The status of religious education in Negro colleges and universities, considered quant.i.tatively and qualitatively is the task of this investigation. What do the supervisors of Negro inst.i.tutions conceive religious education to be?

How does religion function in student life? These are questions arising during the investigation of the problem before us.

There are 38 private and denominational inst.i.tutions for Negroes, which do college grade of work with varying degrees of efficiency. Of this number, thirty-four are co-educational colleges, two are colleges for men and two are colleges for women. There are six State colleges which do some college work. These are all land-grant colleges with donations from the respective States in which they are located. There are several so-called colleges having curricula for college grade of work prescribed but no students matriculated to take the courses. They are not included in this study for obvious reasons.

The terms "colleges and universities" are by no means safe criteria for measuring the efficiency of, or even for cla.s.sification of Negro colleges and universities. This condition is not peculiar to Negro colleges. Those for whites, in the South especially, present the same condition of variety. It seems that there has been a special mania, in our South Land especially, for setting up a laudable ideal in the cla.s.sification of educational inst.i.tutions, and then working up to it during subsequent ages. They believe there is much in a name or t.i.tle.

This keen sense of potentiality being in the cla.s.sification, college or university, is too often misleading if taken on faith.

Another phase of this cla.s.sification may throw some light on the numerous Negro "colleges" with such wide divergences in standards of curricula. In the South, $9,000,000 are spent for the elementary education of the Negro, when $25,000,000 should be used for that purpose by the States. There are 1,000,000 without any school facilities at all, and 2,000,000 who cannot read or write. Then the money spent does not begin to meet the needs of those who are receiving the education given. For example, the South spends $10.23 for each white student of elementary age and $2.82 for each Negro student of the same age now given the opportunity to attend school.

Thus many inst.i.tutions of a private nature are stimulated by this State of affairs and seek to meet it. But in so doing, they are actuated by various motives and perhaps they all could not justly be labelled sinister. It is evident then that our study deals with 38 private colleges, all denominational except four, and six State colleges on land-grant bases.

The method of the thesis, therefore, has a.s.sumed a four-fold form. The writer took nine months in making personal investigation of twelve typical Negro colleges. One in the Northwest, one in the Northeast, and ten in the South. Of these ten, five are in Georgia, two in South Carolina, two in Tennessee and one in Alabama. The second method was the questionnaire. Questionnaire No. 1 was sent to 60 educational inst.i.tutions. 38 responded in full. Eight returned the questionnaires with some answers. These were excluded from the study because they lacked desired data. A second questionnaire was used. It contained data from students in the respective inst.i.tutions considered typical.

The Y.M.C.A. leaders also contributed to this sort of data.

Questionnaire No. I follows:

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN NEGRO COLLEGES

1. Name of the inst.i.tution, president and dean.

2. Enrollment in the college department.

3. What religious services are held by the school? Is attendance required and what number attend?

4. What curriculum courses in religious education have you, viz: Bible courses, Sunday School Teacher Training, Psychology of Religion, Philosophy of Religion, Religious Pedagogy, Social Service, Social Ethics, Methods of Social Reform, etc.

5. Which of the courses are elective and which are required? How much credit is given for each?

6. Have you any courses in the Seminary or Divinity School for which you give college credit? What are they?

7. Are the teachers of curriculum courses of religious education professionally trained for their task, for example; were they trained in a school of religious education or in a divinity school? What inst.i.tution attended and what degrees received?

8. How many students are in your curriculum courses of religious education?

9. What voluntary religious organizations have you, for example: the Y.M.C.A., Students Volunteer Movement, B.Y.P.U., C.E. League, College Church, Sunday School, etc.?

10. Are the teachers or conductors of your voluntary organizations professionally trained (viz, as in question 7)?

11. How many students are enrolled in your voluntary organizations?

12. What opportunity have the students for the expression of ideals received through these organizations? What Christian work is done, such as handling boys' or girls' clubs, ministering to the poor and infirm, orphans, foreign missions, visiting prisons, asylums, or orphanages, teaching vacation Bible schools, etc.?

13. What is your own estimate of the religious value of your courses and organizations? Have you any definite data upon which to base your estimate?

14. Does your school have a special appropriation for religious work, viz: for the Y.M.C.A., for a chaplain, college pastor, etc.?

15. In your opinion, are the Negro colleges meeting the needs of definite religious training?

16. Any other information or suggestion concerning religious education in Negro colleges will be gladly received.