The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-12-20
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.

Mr. EDlToR: AS it has been intima;ed to
us by the School Commissioner of tbis
County that there will be, in short time. q
Convention OF School Trustees and Teach
ers, called to take into consideration the
propriety of pctitioning the Legislature to
make some needed changes and amend
ments in the free common school system of
this State. we would, therefore, very re-
specially ask your permission to make u
few suggestions in reference to what we re-
gard as alterations, sufficient in their ia
ture to claim the attention and serious con-
sideration OF our wise and patriotic Lcyis-
lators.
The first and most prominent which we
shall make, is q more elevated standard of
education in our public schools; and this,
evidently, can be attained only through the
medium OF II higher grade ofteachers And,
SIT, IN saying this we are not TO be under
stood rs advocating u system of public
schools taught entirely by classical teachers.
Far be 1t from us TO advocate any such uto-
plan scheme, for we regard the idea that the
masses can ever all be given a classical edu-
cation IN highly chimerical. existing only in
the disordered imagination Of visionary the
orists, who are never able to reduce any of
their proposed schemes to pract;ca Hut
sir, we do mean to be understood as atlyo.
eating system whose teachers, upon ex-
animation, shall be found qualified TO "filI
our present bllr' OF first grade teachers.
We would ask upon what ground can the
propriety or necessity of employing sec
ond or third grade teacher be shown when
suft ent number Of first grade teachers
can at any time be employed to take charge
CO eli cur public scn0ols? Is it for the
special accommodation of certain indi-
n fo,,-
in order to enable Mr.. AS wifc's great un.
cles third Cousins son to get position ns
teacher in the public schools because for
sooth he is willing to teach at very low
figures?
But, seriously, we cannot perceive tnat
this system can be advocated upon much
stronger. grounds than this, for it is any
thing else but prOmotive of the true in
tcrests of education. Where is the induce.
ment to cause young men to qualify theln-
selves for the ardu0us task OF teaching the
young idea how to shoot, when superficial
smatterers and incorrigible ignoramlses are
in many instances employed in preference
to them. So general iias ehis custom pre-
vailed of late years, that we not unf-c9 .:SS:,..
ly hear the irOnical remark: "G it is not
necessary for man to be Il scholar to teach
school,"
Now, sir, permit us to remark that there
has nothing been brought to bear since the
Inauguration of the present system of free
common schools that has 80 injuriously
effected it, or that has had one half the ten
tripartie system, of teachers. Where is that
good old corps of English teachers who
stood in solid phalanx and were so highly
appreciated in ante 6eli,lm days? Numbered
with the things TINT were their ranks have
been, during the last six or seven yeare, con-
tinuaiiy undergoing gradual depletion,
unit! ut present they. can scarcely muster q
corporal guard. Where. we ask, arc those
worthy old veterans OF '.thc birch and
ferGle," who were the only instructors of,
perhaps, nine-tenths of the successful bust
ness men of this County? All. all driven
out OF the school room and to the plow and
other like occupations, to give room to a
new issue" of teachers, large majority OF
whom should be under some competent
teacher, studying Webstcr's spelling book,
or else abandon the idea of teaching and gu
to the plow.
system of common schools, which we had
before the H:ar, has been broken m, giving
us Ill its place system of one-horse schools
oil over the country, presided over and
taught by incompetent teachers, because
competent teachers, knowing their own
worth, can not and wiu mol teach Mt wases
! ranging in many instances from So tc SIC
per month.
In the second place. We would suggest that
the trustees OF each school district be paid q
IetiSOuaule amount OF money out Of the
school fund each year for their services rem
dered.. Let them be inducted into office by
taking an oath to perform faithfully and
truly their whole duty as may be prescribed
! by law. Make il their bound duty to visit
each school in their respective school dis
tricts at least once every month. And in
order to detect and prevent any fraud that
| might be attempted by any teacher, the
day-book of every teacher should be closely
but carefully examined, taking memoran-
| dun of the number of days each child has
attended school, together with the number
of the school districG in which the parent oi
| the child resides Take the nsnio of the
paront or guardian. Then the number oi
| days that each child attends should DO null
| tipiied by the per diem rate which the
teacher may be allowed. and handed over to
| the parent, 50 that it can be clearly seen
whether the teacher has given due credit foI
| oil public funds received. And for the fail
| ure of any trustees TO perform his duty as
| required by law, Let there be @ penalty TN
ncxed so as TO Insure his performance.
And in che. last place let the schools oe
opened on the first Monday In JanuaTy oi
each year, and kept open in each school dis
| trict until all the funds shnll have been ex.
| hnIsted w. H.