North Carolina Schools In The Early 1900s Were Nothing Like They Are Today
By Carolyn Harmon|Published December 28, 2022
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Carolyn Harmon
Author
Under Brown Mountain Lights the Beast of Blandenboro wanders this magical land where lighthouses shine on kingdoms only accessible by ferries. A Lost Colony of legends and pirates revealed in historical sites and majestic mountains with views that make us weep. The home of handmade sculptures and scrumptious cuisine. North Carolina leaves this long-time writer and artist breathless with endless surprises, including the unlikely warmth a winter walk on the beach can bring.
The early 1900s in North Carolina education was a difficult time of expansion and growth for leaders from the previous years of mostly apathy toward prioritizing educational goals. In 1901, for the first time, the General Assembly made a direct appropriation of tax funds for public schools — $100,000 for each year of the biennium. And the old State Literary Fund was reorganized, providing a revolving loan fund to build schools. Then in 1907, the General Assembly authorized the establishment of rural high schools, a very important move as up until then, they only existed in special tax districts in the state’s towns. Here’s a look into some of those early days.
1. The buildings were different, including the Vine Hill Academy in Scotland Neck, established in 1810 as a private boarding school for boys.
With education, technology, legislation, funding, and other supportive factors, North Carolina schools have improved greatly since these early 1900s schools. And while everything now is better and faster, what we wouldn’t give for a chance to walk a mile or more to school, sit at one of those antique desks, and experience — just once — a school day back then.
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