The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-09-04
GRADED PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Success of the Experiment ut Wlns-
boro,-The Problem of Education
Solved i'll South Carolina.

Success of the Experiment ut WINS
boro'-The Problem of Education
Solved i'll South Carolina.
W1SsBoRo'. August %, 1873.
To the Editor Of The NcWs and Courier:
As the question of graded schools Is being
ngitatcd in q number of the towns IN our
State, and as Information Is sought ms 10 the
mode of inaugurHting. conducting and sup.
porting them, n few thoughts on the subject
NAV he of interest to your readers. Let me
premise bysaying that this article is not IN.
tended for those who arcalrcndy tiniliar WIN
the system through the medium OF the adj
mirablc institutions now In operation IN
Charleston, but for others who have hereto
fore been accustomed only 10 inc o'u-lhlh-
toned, unclaSsiticd schools. 4 graded SG''oni,
in general terms, is one In which, all me
pupils In the same grade study tho same
lesson. and each pupil studies every branch
embraced in the curriculum OF MS Gr:tue.
But in the popular acccptation at prcSeit IN
South Carolina IT. seems to mean IN ndditnom
n school supported partly by punlic iu!iur
and partly by private means. Inc nletnuuo
classifying and coducting n Craze" SriI"o'
such as Wells on graded schools, or ~! appli-
cntiont to some OF the principals ottic cNeel-
lent schools in Charleston. In ms conncc-
iinn tha writer would return his acknowledge
,nrnts TO II. p. Archer, Esq, of your city, for
valuable suggestions on this very SUBJECT;
As to the plan Of organizing Sucn II Sciool
in any OF the interior owns OF inc HI"le;n
few facts concerning one that IS alrenu! IN
rood working order may furnish some uSriui
hints. In January Of the present year nc
ncnplc Of W'insboro' determined to utilize ING
school fund coming to the district OF Which
Tic Nv is n part. lp TO thnt LIZ y sc,,ooiis
Of which there were ut least h?!i II ao"rli; wv
dragging on n prccarious existence, Wni'Ga
considerable number Of children were not III
attendance on n school. The public scnno.
trustees rented the buildings OF inc MOUNT
Institute. containing one large ana TWO
smaller ciaSs-rOoms a male pranclptl TTiu
two lady assistants were empii0Ecu: liG
school was thrown open to pupils OF pom
sexes within the scholastic age. Inc C.il@!lSIl
branches and arithmetic were taught rec OF
charge. It was STIMULATED that pupils III inc
higher mathematics. ancient ana h,oucIi
languages and the sciences should nMS a
monthly fec Of two dollars and Il hall. Inrcc
grades, reaching as high as the "Thtrd Read
err and embracing pupilsof both SEXES. Wrre
placed IN one room. INC rc'.',rJ mnc THO
bows In these grades were seated IN the nam
room, under the supervision OF inc prlhclIal,
whi!cthc lady assistant had charge OF thr
were arranged for the sexes. and no trcsSpaS-
sing was permitted. Both sexes rccltcd to-
rrthcr, the classes being marched from room
10 room under monitors. (Whcrc the rooms
cdD Tho school opened In. FEBRUARY, ana
ali parties interested awaited the result.
One hundred and fifty seven pupils were
enrolled tho first month, and this num-
Der was maintained during the session,
tho actual attendance averaging about
one hundred and thirty. OF these be;
tween twenty aud thirty were instructed
has thus far succeeded admirably. Tho
school. owing to the excellence attainablr
through increased numbers. has been better
than any of It's predecessors for years, ana IL
has been found that the presence of the two
| co nc I'm tho SDSno class Is most DcnctlCl1l.
each stimulating the other to renewed eXcr-
ton. Parties living In the country arc mag
town, and tho increase will be still larger
next year. 1t Is confidently hoped that in
time Mount Zion Institute will again become
a fIorrishing academic school, with the pup
lie schoOl as n permanent feeder. The result
will be beneficial, not only in an educational
point Of view. but also rs regards the mate
rial interests of the town. Every, pupil re-
tanned at home mcanSa saving OF Il certain
sum of money to be otherwise expended:
During the first five months the school was
supported from the PUBLIC funds. For me
next session it will rcccivcthree hundred dol
lars from the Peabody fund. and the citizens
thus securing, at a. private expenditure OF Il
few hundred dollars, q years instruction OF n
hundred and fifty pupils whose tuition fees
under the old system would have amounted
to more than three thousand dollars! These
graded schools solve the problem OF education
in povcrty-strickcn South Carolina. Without
them, thousands will grow up In absolute iG-
norancc.
Thc above Is the result of the experiment
in Winnsboro'. What Winnshoro' has done,
other towns can do, If the people are in car
nest and if competent teachers are employ
cd.
For raising the necessary funds three
sources exist. The amount supplied by the
school fund should he for n school OLA hum
drcd and fifty pupils seven or eight hundred
dollars. Three hundred or four hundred and
fifty may be secured from the Peabody fund.
The balance can be raised by extra tuition
and by private subscription. To maintain q
school OF the above mentioned size ut least
eighteen hundred dollars should be raised.
KS to the manner OF obtaining aid from the
Peabody fl;rd information can be had on APP
plicltion to superintendent HIS Thompson.
\ few points connected with II may. how
ever, be mentioned here. The trustees OF tho
fund will give three hundred dollars to every
public school OF one hundred pupils main
tanned for ten months with an nvcraCc at
tendance Of cighty-fiVc per cent. or four I'M
drcd and fifty dollars for u hundred and fifty
pupils the same time with an average attend
ancGo OF eighty per cent, provided In each
case that the current funds from other
sources are double the amount asked from
the Peabody fund. Application mustbc made
mt the beginning OF the year on blanks fur
niShed by the state superintendent of cdlca-
ton. The promised amount will be Paid Mt
the end of the year on proof thatail thecon-
ditionS have been complied with.
\ fnw words in conclusion concerning the
third source Of revenue. II would be much
better to revive, in Incorporated towns. at
least. the provision for a local schooitax; than
to trust to individual subscriptions. Some
argue that the school fund Is already. too
large. That this is an error Is conciusivciy
shown by comparison with other states.
South Carolina raises q little over Il dollar for
cvcry child within the scholastic age. Many
other States raise seven or eight dollars per
capita, several others from twelve to fifteen.
while Massachusetts raises each year twenty
~ ttl- - "a ttIt thn ffn-
scribed ages. I'll absurd to say VIC pay too
much, or even to hold that we raise anything
like enough. Besides, 1t Is easier on the indi-
vianal TO pay n tax than pay tuition. \ TAX
of four mills on ten thousand dollars Is re-
uuircd TO raise forty dollars Yet how many
citizens worth not the half OF ten thousand
dollars now pay twice forty dollars q year IN
tuition fees? y local tax Is the cheapest
of the abuse of the local tax during the days
of Radica,iSm. But 1t can be so lledged around
with restrictions rs never again TO become Il
burden. The scheme IS rs follows: Let II
be confined to those towns In which graded
schools arc located. Let the cNtrcmclimit of
the levy be fixed at, say two mills. 1ctn
vote OF 4 majority OF those persons paying
taxes other Than pol. tar be rcquirid TO levy IT,.
The taxpayers will then have the matter, IN
their own hands, and cannot be compelled TO
pay the tax against their will. The reslric-
tiOn of the vote to q certain class Is perfectly
Legitimate. The Constitution provides eX-
III tESls tlit ~ 49, =.
poll-tax, shall be levied. This local tax is,
therefore, to be paid only by those persons
owning property. And MS the p~oll-taNpaycr
are not affected by the levy Of his extra tax (,
the tax is levied, they are benefited Indirect.
~ through the superior ADVANTAGE. allordcG
of educating their children. Since It Is much
simpler for q tow to levy q tax OF fve nun
drcd or q thousand dollars than for the citi,
zcns to subscribe that amount. an earnest
effort should be made to restore this tax With
the limitations mentioned above. This
methods in vogue in a very large number of
States.
1t is needless to cry out against the public
schools. They are n fixed fact. They are
cheaper than private schools, and can ne
made better. In pcrfccting the system. south
Carolina will be marching abreast, not My
of every other State In the Union, but of
Germany and other European nations; No
one in casting a glance overtheS state and see
ing the large number of children, born OF cd
Gated parents, now growing up in Ignorance.
will deny that we arc relnpsing, and mat
something must be done speedily to check
thiS~d downward career. The surcst remedy IS
the organization Of graded schools In oil The
towns In South Carolina. May their day be
not far distant. r.. M. ~.