The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1878-07-23
4 GRADED SCHOOL FOR CHESTER
Arguments that Apply Equally Well
for Wlnnsboro.
From The Chester Reporter. I

'graded schools" has been slightly
agitated, but is very little under
stood. With your permission
l will give some Of the results of my
inquiries.
AL teachers know how laborious
and unsatisfactory the unclassable
school is the school embracing pu =
pills OF Oil ages, sizes and stages of
advancement, in the me room, eac h
in his or her own book and no two
on the same page Of any book
Thus the number of classes often
equals tho number of pupils, while
the teacher must hurry through
each class to give little time for
ALL
In graded schools those pupils Of
the same advancement and sudies
are classcd together, this being pos
sible from the number Of
teachers. Thus, while in the un-
graded school, Thirty pupils will
occupyall the teacher s time hurried-
~ {; III the graded school fifty and
even sixty pupils are put in the
same class.
In one room fifty or sixty "pri-
mary" pupils arc MI studying the
same lesson at the same time in
the next room the Intermediates"
III another tho grammar school
class, etc. We thus take advantage
Of the 'tlivision Of labor" each
teacher having fewer teachers as
well as fewer classos, can more thor
oughly prepare himself or herself
on the lessons Of the day, us every
teucher should.
In the pot school of Washington
SIX hundred pupils aro taught by
ten tetcaers. In Atlanta fifty pu-
pills arc given TO eacl teacher In
Winnsboro one hundred and forty
five pupils of both sexes are taught
by three teachers whereas, before
"tne system" was introduced about
one hundred were taught by tho
same number of teachers with more
than double cost. Mr.. r. Mems
Davis says that for the present
yelr the cost to the community of
the education Of these one hundred
and forty-five pupils was about
$1,000. when by the old plan it would
have been about $3.50.
In tho city Of Atlanta, under "the
system" the cost is not quito $500
per scholar for ten months. In
Spartanburg it is estimated at 18. 90;
while the present average in Chester
is prob b y above $4,000 Parents
can mako their own calculations.
This brings us to the subject of
raising tho money, which is usually
done by direct taxation. Some one
will say impossible" in our present
condition. Mr.. Davis, quoted above,
says th4t Sin the poverty struck
condition of the State, graded
schools solve the problem Of educa-
ton" Other towns havo adopted
anu are adopting it rs the
most economical and eff.
cient system. For instance, instead
OF tuition fees of from $40 to $50
per child, lay tax OF (14) ono and.a
h'lf mills on the town property. Of
course, this will be botter for pa
rents with two or more children.
But now about the old bachelors
and others without olive branches ?
Those Of this class with whom have
conversed offer no objection, but
would rather undergo the tax and
have permanent, efficient schools
than go free under the present
system.
Now rs to the amount necessary.
l make the following calculation
A tax of u mills On town
property will raiso. -. $1,5O0.O0
Peabody fund of $500 for
each IS pupils in at
tendance for ITO pu.
pills. ;. -. 10000
Present public fund up
propriuted to whites
Of town :. 100000
$2,5oO.Oo
Expended thus
A superintendent who
shall have full charge
and also teach. 49,. 100000
A male assistant, 80. 10000
$2,4OO.00
Mr.. Davis says that the Winns-
boro graded school is drawing pu-
pills from the country already--its
first year. Those acquainted with