Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-02-27
Normal School.


mnl school by the State, for the purpose of
educating teachers and training them in tho
improved methods Of instruction. Old things
are passing away and all things oro becon,-
ing new, but we arc sorry to express our
opinion that the changes arc in no way for tho
bctter. One would think from the great cry
about teachers and normal schools &c., that
in our heretofore days education was q sham
and teaching dry, prosy repetition of books
without benefit or Development, mental or
physical. What are the facts? Those who
know the early history of our educational
interests will. with rare exceptions, look in
vain for euch instructors aa Kennedy, Lever
cit, Iutson and the learned men who formerly
run the schools in South Carolina and devoted
their lives to teaching. Is it because there
arc no men in the State competent to teach
and train the youth Of the country? Cer-
tainly not. On the contrary, there arc
now ten educated men in the country
to where thoro vas one twenty i've
years ago, whlo every class and condis
tion Of our people have advanced in general
Intelligence from contact with the educated,
beyond the anticipation Of the most jealous
advocates of education. Tho want of good
and efficient teachers is not due to tho absence
of men competent to teach, but to the public
school system itself. If every fifth man in
tho county was thoroughly educated in n
college or normal school, not ono in hundred
Of such would engage in teaching. An cdu-
Gated mind can realize moro in any employ
ment than in teaching under tho public school
system, unless it be in IN occasional commu.
nifty. Tho idea is prevalent in tho public
mind that paying school tax should and
does cxcmpct man from paying tuition.
This opinion governs men where man pays
only oro or two dollars tax and sends from
four to six children to school Unless tcacl,-
ers are paid we'll you need not expect. and
certainly will MT get, good and efficient
teachers. Before tho war an educated tcach.
or would realize from ono thousand to fifteen
hundred dollars per year. This is what
drew into tho service men competent to teach,
and good pny would now have a like effect.
What need Of normal schools and taxing the
people to sustain thom2 Do we expect to
produce greater or moro learned mon than
our country formerly produced, when normal
Look at Congress now and thirty years ago,
wlon such men as Calhoun. Webster,
Clay, Slas Wright IIayne. McDufle and
other great lights adorned the chambers Of
tho Senate and House of Representatives.
Their mantles havo fallen upon the shoulders
Of mono Of their SUCCESSORS. Look at our
judiciary new and when O'Ncal, the Ward
laws, Butler, Johnston, Dargan and other
great iurists adorned tho bench of South
Carolina. They knew nothing of normal
schools, and yet where will we find their
equals, much less .hoir supcriors. These
aro the lights which the South Carolina
College sent forth to lend lustro to her name
and to adorn tho pages Of history. The
schools Of their day and time arc exactly
what wc need now, and VIC want no improve.
mcnts on the books used or the manner of
teaching or tho mon who were their fruit
Tho writer, quoting from the Superintcn.
dent of Education, says Normal schools for
training teachers must DO established before
tho public school systcm can bo made to do
all the good which it is capable Of doing"
Ifthc system is capable Of any good VIC have
bccn unable to see it. 1t has destroyed all
thorough education and has driven from the
fold ninc,tenths Of tho educated teachers of
tho country. We cannot oppose it, as it is
part Of our constitution, and wc stand pledged
to its support, but the evils it has done and
will yet do can never be repaired. The State
is too peer to make such levy as will keep
tho schools open all tho year and secure good
teachers, and hence education has declined
under tho system. As q general rulo we arc
opposed to tho State becoming an educator.
This should bo left to private enterprise, as
the salo Of goods, working farms, &c. While
this is our position in matters of general
education, wo do think the State should es,
tablish and maintain q university Of high
order, whcro her sons, after graduating at
colleges, could 90 and complete their cducas
tion in any and all higher branches. This is
done in Germany and in Europe generally,
and in nearly oyery American State univcr.
sity is established and maintained by tho
State Such an institution would keep our
money at homo and draw largely from other
States, us tho patronage Of tho South Carolina
College did
A thorough collegiate education will always
Gt men for teaching as we'll as for any and
every profession and avocaton in life. Now
we have colleges Of good standing at Walhalla,
Mt Greenyile, ut Spartanburg. at Due West
and at Newberry, ~hero men can 1T them.