The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1878-09-05
now THEY MAY BE ORGiSIzED
AND SUCCESSFULLF OONQUpTHp,

AND SUCFESSFVhLF C0NQUQTHp.
Success Of the Experiment at Winns-
boro--The Problem Of Education
Solyed ia South Carolina.
W1NNsBoRo, August %, 1873.
4o The Editor Of the .Nc,os and
Courier: AS the question of graded
schools is boing agitatod in a num-
Der Of tho towns in our State. and
rs information is sought as to the
mode OF inapgHrating, conducting
and supporting them, a few thoughts
on the subject may be of interest to
your readers. Let mo premise by
saying that this article is not in-
tended for those who are already
familiar with the system through
the medium of the admirable in.
stitutions now in operation in
Charleston, but for others who have
heretofore been accustomed only to
the old-fashioned, unclassifed
schools. A graded school, in gen
eral terms, is one in which all the
pupils in the same grade study the
same lesson, and each pupil studies
every branch embraced in tho
curriculum of his grade. But in
the popular acceptation at present
in South Carolina it seems to mean
ip addition q school supported
partly by public finds and partly
by privata means: The method Of
classifying and conducting O. graded
school eau he learned from works
on the subject, such az Wells on
Graded Schools, or by application to
some Of the principals of the ex-
collent schools in Charleston. In
this connection the writer would
return his acknowledgements to H.
2. Archer, Esq, of your city, for
valuable suggestions on this very
subject.
AS to the plan of organizing such
q school in any of the interior towns
of the State, few facts concerning
one that is already in good working
order may furnish some useful
llints. In January of tho present
year the people Of YYiansboro Dc
termined to utilize the school fund
coming to the district of which the
town is u part. Up to that time
education was confined chiefly to
private schools, of which there
were at least half a dozen, each
dragging out procarioqs existence,
while q considerable number Of
children were not in attendance on
any school. Tho public school
trustees rented the buildings of the
Mount Zion Institute, containing
one large and two smaller class
rooms. A male principal and two
lady assistants were employed The
school was thrown open to pupils
of both sexes within tho scholastic
age. The English branches and
arithmetic were taught free of
charge. It was stipulated that
pupils in tho higher mathematics,
ancient and modern languages and
the sciences should pay o monthly
fee of two dollars and half. Three
grades, reaching as high as the
"Third Reader" and embracing
pupils of both sexes, were placed in
one room. The remainder of the
school was divided into four grades.
The boys in these grades were
seated in the main room, under t he
supervision of the principal, while
tho lady assistant had chaige of the
girls in another room. Separate
Fairgrounds were arranged for
the sexes, and no trespassi4g was
permitted. Both sexes recited to-
gether, the classes being marched
from room to room under monitors.
(Whore tho roops are contiguous
the monitors ore not needed,l The
school opened in February, and all
parties Interested awaited the re-
suit. Ono hundred and fifty seven
pupils were enrolled the first month,
and this number was main tanned
during tho session, the aotual ate
tendance averaging about one huns
dred and thirty. Of these, between
twenty and thirty were instructed
in the extra branches. The ex-
perimopt has thus far succeeded
admirably. The school, owing to
the excellence attainable through
Increased numbers, has been better
than anu af itc ,,rodoaaanora For