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

For the information of our readers we pro-
pose to give brief account Of what is doing in
this CITY in the cause of Public Education. We
are the more encouraged to do this on account
of the taunt ever on the lips of our detractors
about the Ignorance of the poor whites OF
South Carolina" and our alleged indifference
on the subject of common schools.
The present Common School system was in
aueurated in Charleston in July, 1866, when
the St. Philip School was opened. This sys-
tenn is not perfect; but it was thought the best
within our reach, and many of us remember
the all but insuperable difficulties, those OF our
public men encountered, who stood in the fore
front of this struggle. To W. J. BENNETT,
ESQ.,, perhaps, more than to any other one
man, Charleston owes these schools If they
have been successful, if they have conferred
upon our rising generation even modicum Of
tho benefit contemplated in their establish
ment, Mr. B., we feel assured, will feel him
self amply repaid for all the years of arduous
labor and unremitting care and attention
which he has bestowed upon these institutions.
The name of Hon. C. G. MEMM1NGER, the hon.
ored Chairman of the Board, is so indissolubly
connected with the Public Schools of Charles
ton that it is unnecessary to do more than SIM
ply to state the fact to secure its universal ac-
acknowledgement
In its main features the system followed in
these schools is the same Us prevails in all Or
ganized and properly supervised public schools
everywhere. 1t is only in minor points that
they differ; some paying greater attention to
certain branches of study than Others Where
education is under the guardianship of the
State, as now is the case in every enlightened
country in Europe, and, in measure, we be-
lieve, also in many of the States of this Union,
there is uniform system; the sudies, school
hours, text books, ETC., being all prescribed by
the Minister of Public Instruction. The people
of the United States heretofore have almost
uniformly opposed such an organization, much
in the same spirit and for the same reasons, if
we are not mistaken, as make them oppose the
establishment of National Church. But since
we have an Internal Revenue Bureau and simi-
lar machine for taking care of the freedmen;
since we have become reconciled to large
standing army, and Radical reconstruction OF
the original Constitution, both Of the United
States and the individual States, we can look
forward to the establishment of u Department
of Education with less of jealousy and appre-
bension than was our wont heretofore Cen
tralization of the Government is already On
ACCOMPLISHED fact; and we have more reason to
anticipate substantial benefit from this ott-shoot
of it than from any other. The last Congress
laid the foundation for such an organization, in
creating 9 Bureau of Education, to which we
were pleased to see the right man appointed,
MIR. HENRY BARNARD, than whom no litter per-
SON could have been found TO fill such d trust
Mr. B, has devoted his whole life, his means,
and well endowed mind, with admirable tai
cnts for organization, to the cause OF common
schools. The Bureau at present is nothing but
amere office to receive and dispense informa-
tion, not clothed with any power. This, how
ever, we have little doubt will soon follow.
Where education is not under the entire and
exclusive charge of the Government, the great
difficulty always has been, and must continue
to be, to procure suitable teachers. A system
of common schools, without Summaries or nor
NAL schools for the training of teachers, is an
anomaly. Though the system were ever SO