The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-05-21

rood, and the text books all that could be de-
sired, unless the teachers be competent, IN
character, habits, native intelligence and ac-
quiremcnts for proper discharge of their du-
ties, failure must be the result.
We are glad, therefore, to have it in our
power to state that we believe our Commission
ers have succeeded in making judicious ap-
pointments for the schools under their charge.
Mr.. HENRY P. ARCHER, the Principal of the
st. Philip street school, has served regular
apprenticeship at teaching. He was yice-Prin-
cipal at the Friend street school as long as that
establishment was in existence, then was elect
ed one of the assistant teachers at the High
School of Charleston, which position he filed at
the time he was elected to his present post. We
have been several times at the st. Philip street
school, and have come away every time with
better opinion of the system in use there, and
the admirable manner in which it is carried
out. AS in oil other educational establish
mcnts we have visited, since the close of the
war, College, High School, and Female Somi-
naries, so here also we noticed the effect of the
war 1t is safe, we believe, to assume that our
youth of both sexes, and of every condition,
have lost at least two years in their scholastic
progress. Boys, of an age and size who should
bc in the Fifth Reader, ''tlrough all the sums
in Davis, in algebra, Sallust and Nenophon,
now read in the Third Reader, pursue long di-
vision, or are beginning 10 feel their way IN
decimal fractions, and know nothing Of ''gram-
mar" save as it is retailed in chatechctlcal
doses by one ROSWELL C. SMITH. There are
individual excepti ions of course, butwc believe
our statement is correct as rule. While this
retartlation is certainly TO be regretted, it is
not necessarily an irreparable loss. Many OF
the greatest thinkers on these subjects, who
were, moreover, practical men, hold that boy,
whose physical education has been we'll cared
for, who commences his school education Mt
twelve years of age, other things being equal,
in the long run usually has the advantage over
him who begins school at five or six. Every
one can call to mind Instances of this charac-
ter. II, therefore, our boys and girls shall,
during the next few years, have the beneft OF
regular attendance at school, taught by good
teachers, every trace of this loss will soon be
obliteraied.
The st. Philip street school has had 1000
pupils on it's roster since July, 1856; when it
opened The average attendance last month
was 96S.
The Friend street School opened May 23
1859, and was burned December II, 1861, con-
tinued in the building of the German Friendly
Society until August, 1863, when it was dis
continued. Up to that time the number Of pu-
pills enrolled had been 1898.
The Girls High and Normal School of the
State of South Carolina opened May %, 1853,
and closed in August, 1864; up TO which time
the entire number of pupils had been 45l.
This institution, under the charge of Mr. F. a.
sAwYEn, took rank with the very best of its
kind in the land, and its graduates may now
be found engaged as teachers in every State OF
the South This school was reopened IN Janu-
ary last, Rev. H. NJ. MooD being the Principal.
The average attendance at this school last
month was 80.
Tie Morris street School opened in October,
1860, and was discontinued February Is, 1865,
Up to that time it had 5000 pupils. 1t was un-
der the charge of P. F. SMITH, Esq.
During 1861, when all these schools were in
full operation, they had an average attendance
of 2573 the maximum being in March of that
year, 269O, with &c teachers. The number of
teachers engaged at present is IS, inclusive OF
connected with the Meeting street school,
which is in charge of Mrs. isabella BLAIR,
and last month had 2l2 pupils.
The present buildings are inadequate to &C
conlmodate the half even of the children who
have been applying for admission; and we ear
nestly hope that the Board of Commissioners
will soon have it in their power to put up other
buildings, and thus increase the facilities for
common school education to the full extent OF
the public demand. We feel the importance Of
this subject-an importance that cannot be
overratcd. Our people must be educated, anu
the education of the State, like the education
of the individual, must commence with the
foundation Educating from above downward
is very slow process, as has been repeatedly
and abundantly demonstrated. The beg inning
must be with the common school, and we hope
our future legislators will bear this fact IN
mind.
The present Board of Commissioners of Pub
lie Schools for this city consists of the follow
ing gentlemen: Hon. c. G. MEMMiSGER, Chair
man; Hon. HENRY BUlsT, Hon. W. D. PORTER,
Hon. W. ALsToN PnINoLE, Hon. WM S. HENE-
RY, Hon. G.. II. SIMoSToN, and Messrs. L. D..
CooGAN, FREDERICK RICHARDS, JOHN RUSSELL,
C. M. FuRMAN, ". ]. BENNETT, F. A. SAWYER
and BENZ. LUCAS.
M n G