The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1859-08-19
THE CHARLESTON FREE SCHOOLS.

sary exercises Of the Free Schools. As
these promise to succeed admirably in
Gir'ng free instruction to all CLASSES @: soci
city, rich and poor together. and as the
people ofS"u,h Carolina at large a,c interest
ed in one branch oi these Schools. some ac-
count Of them will be interesting. For Il
long time there have been isolated Free
schools in the city, supported 10y the School,
!nnd allowed 10y the STATE. bu, they cicc
Ted less than was nce'lcd for ge..er;.i r,uca.
ton. Inc commissioners thought som.
thing more should b.: done ana Sc, :.lpu,
doing 1t. Two large buildings have been
/, erected, which together will accomr,o.
date 1900 pupils; and two more vii! pro.
badly hc butt. In each School there ::,e
/ Three departments, in each which the pupil,
are distributed int" from five t" seven
cI;'>>rS, according To- their al,.irnI.n,,..
HE Glasses ar" taught auart; and N,
excellent system has been a,lnr,cd which
keeps all the puI':'s ON thc alert turiu.,
recitation.
Onc Of the Schools has bcc;. opened ONLY Il
lew wvcks--the u;icr has been il oncraIi,n
two years. Amen. IT," pupils are chil.l,.n
- our most prominent citizens. \ tax Of 80
per cen, Oh III" STAT tax is levied /, >,,;;,;,
'"c>c Schools IN addition 20 Tie STATE; fun.
- which also :hn smaller Schools are We;
Kept up until the larger hH:lings can be
erected. Into these Schools Also, the new
methods are introduced as far as rn,>,il;
and Il ncw viGnr has been imparicl to tl.cm
Books are furnished, AMI the nyrr,.-. eos,
"' '"'i'o" "i'i books tnr oacl pupil Tor tie
! past year has been *13.GO-anl there are.
now = AL the Schools near o2no ,un:,s
we attended the examinations recently. and
confess tha. We rcvrr witnessed lctter nor
indeed, SO good III the elementary studies. In
reading, geography. grammar and aril:n,c.
'c-ihe Proficiency waS highly gratifying.
1t would have puzzled the examiners to lave
wrought many OF the arlhnctical questions.
That were worked out in the head, an,l cx
paln"'! step 10y step. This people should
prize these Schools, for what they alc doing
tor the rising generation hundreds of whom
would without them receive little or no e,}u.
cation. They arc illuStrious examples the
efficiency Of the Free School system.
Eut free education here does not stop at
them. Those who wish to 90 farther can enter
the most excellent High School for BOYS. louu
established and PATTY sustained by the city
ard partly by moderate tuition fcvs-:nd
prepare for college The gir'S,,may enter the
free Normal School just finished and open
\ ed, partly Intended for training teachers
this beng the '.n"l advantage the School
offers. Ehe State appropria,cs to this ScIoo
Unnecessary, $4,000 per annun,, the CITY pay.
ing half the expense, Fifteen pupils are al
lowed from each Congressional District and
it would be well Gord!ose who wish special
training as teachers, to avail themselves OF
its advantages. The Course OF Slutly is l;b
eraI, as may be expected in High School
for girls. ltsis already popular School, and
exceedingly well managed. We tiud Algebra
Geometry, Rhetoric, Natural Science. Astro
nolny, French, Spanish and Music in the
Course Of Study. 1t would be well worth
while, for teachers from abroad to visit the
Schools, even If they came to the city for no
other purpose. There is very much in their
system, that may be adapted to any School
! and we are fully persuaded that primary and
! preparatory schools could will, profit bor-
row largely from the methods Of Instruction.
If we were going to begin again " a teacher
we would spond week in them, not mer-
ely as aspectator but as !SoutA
ern Christium 1arncnir.
MINISTERIAL WIr.-A renowned gentle