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

Mr.. EDITOR: AS il has been intinated to
rs by the School Commissioner of this
County that there will be. in short time, a
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-
spectfully ask your permission to make
few suggestions in reference to what we re-
gard as alterations, sufficient in their nn
ture to claim the attention and serious con-
sidcration of our wise and patriotic Lcgis-
lators.
The first and most prominent which we
shall make, is mure elevated standard of
education in our public schools; and this,
evidently, can be attained only through the
medium OF higher grade ofteachers. And,
SIT, III saying this we are not to be under
stood ms advocating q system of public
schools taught entirely by classical teache,s.
Far be IL from us to advocate any such uto-
plan scheme, for we regard the idea that the
masses can eyer all be given classical edu-
catiCr rs highly chimerical, existing or.ly in
the disordered Imagination of visionary the
orists, who are never able to reduce eny of
their proposed schemes to practice. But.
sir, we do mean to be understood as adyo-
eating system whose teaClers, upon ey-
animation, s!::i! be found qualified 70 "fM
our present Iilr' cs first grade teachers.
We woul2 ask upon what ground can the
prophecy or necessity of employing q sec
ond of third grade teacher be shown when
sufficient number OF first grade teachers
can at any time be employed to take charge
of all our public schools? Is it for the
SPECIAL accommodation of certain indi-
vidunls, Aeeping up system of favoritis,n,
in order to enable Mr.. AS wife's great an.
clcs third cousins SON to get position as
teacher in the public schools because for
.ooth he Is willing to teach at very low
figures?
But, seriously, we cannot perceive that
this system can he advocated upon much
stronger grounds than this, for it Is any
thing else but promotive of the true in
tcresis of education. Where is the induce
nlent to cause young men to qualify them
selves for the arduous task OF teaching the
young idea how to shoot, when superficial
uIhnttercrs and incorrigible ignoramases are
i'll many instances employed in preference
to them. So general has this custom pre-.
ruiled of late years, thut we not unfreauent-
ly hear the irOnical remark: 80 it is not
necessary for man to be q scholar to teach
school,"
Now, sir, permit lis to remark that there
has nothing been brought to bear since the
inauguration of the present system of free
common schools that h6s 30 injuriously
effected it, or that has had one half the ten
dency 90 bring it into disTespect, as this
tripartite system of teachers. Where is that
good old corps of English teachers who
stood In solid phalanx and were so highly
appreciated III ante beLium days? Numbered
with the things that were their ranks have
been, during the last six or seven year,, con-
tinunlly undergoing gradual depletion:
until ut present they can scarcely muster q
corporal guard. Where, We ask, are those
worthy old veterans OF 1.-The birch and
ferule," who were the only instructors OF,
perhaps. nine-tenths of the successful busi-
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 q
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 go
to the plow.
Hence, 1t can be seen at q glance why our
system OF common schools, which we had
uriorc the war, in, been broken up, giving
us i'll its plac. Z system OF one-h0rse schools
oil over the country, presided over and
competent teachers, knowing their own
worth, can not and ,oiu not teach Mt wages
ranging in many instances from $5 to $40
per month.
In the second place, VIC would suggest that
the trustees OF each school district be paid G
"
school fund each year for their services rem
deied. 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 it 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 a memoIan-
dun of the number of days each child has
attended school, together with the number
of the school distric; i'll which the parent of
| the child rs<ldes. Take the name of the
par0nt or guardian. Then the number of
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, 30 that it can be clearly seen
! whether the teacher has given due credit for
/ all public funds received. And for the inil-
uEe of any trustees to perform his duty rs
required by law, let there be penalty an
| nexed so "a 10 insure his performance.
| And in the last place let the schools be
| opened or the first Monday in january of
| each year, and kept open III each school dis
| trict until al! the funds shall have been ex-
1 hnr,of1A