The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-08-26
Our Public School System,


our educational literature is capita
address delivered, by w. G. Benct
Esq, Of the Press aasd B0aaa,e", before
the Teachers Association Of Abbcvillt
Oh tho 1st"of August '" lie, treats o1
the defects and advantages of the pub
lie school system and suggests certain
improvements. While we do not on
tircly agree with him in all his posi-
tions, he states his points strongly. Ii
most OF his ideas we concur most
heartily. , ,.... ,.'..
The defects Of the systom Mr.. Rcno
holds to be its tendoncy'to regard re-
suits instead Of methods, in Other
words, to cram the mind instead OF
training it, its tendency to lower, cdu-
cation by combining it to elementary
subjects, rejecting tho clnssics and the
higher mathematics, and to rcprcss
individuality, and fostcr Il spirit OF
communism. '.'| ~ .'' - ''''''' y ''. ...
The first objection is not solely ap-
plicablc to. public schools. Many pri-
vate institutions believe they have
accomplished their end whcn they have
stuffed a mass Of facts into the Juvenile
rlind. This can be rcmcdicd By teach
ing the teachers. It is truo that tho
common schools aim to toach only the
elements Of knowledge, and in this way
they do to some extent initiate against
higher culture. Yet here the apparent
,,oroGc>- ,,rnsn,i, ;icolf +Hnt il,, ,,,oc+
distinguished literary mon Of America
have come chiefly from those States il,
which the public schools have longest
existed, and the South, which before
the war depended OH private enter
prise, while developing q highly refined
people, produced but few men Of let
tcrs. When elementary instruction
costs nothing, the aspiring individual
has more money to spend in acquiring
tho finishing touches. Tho eysto", W.
doubleday has II ccntralizing effect, bnt
VIC hope it will never, INDUCE conn
munlSm. rarfe .riH i."..I. .ns, .., .'
The, advantages arc the general and
more equal diffusion of knowledge,
and the chcapncss Of impnrting il.
These in Tic present condition Of our
pooplc We regard as incalcuable adj
vantagcs. When the Stnte his pro-
vidcd all it's children with tho "thrcc
RS the knife, spoon and fork of cdu-
cation, as Mr.. Bcnct 50 aptly calls
them, we believe that vast strife has
been takon..y aa ..... n.G, .u.. .
In ourown system Mr.. Dcnct thinks
ngravc defect exists in not providing
TOR trained teachers. This is truo.
Normal schools Of some kind should
be inauguratcd, but VIC clo not know
when to expect them. Our Lcgisla-
turc seems to be either very ill-iniormctl
orvcry careless about tho whole schomc
of education. The admirable recon-
mcndations Of Superintendent Thomp-
somarc passed by unhccdcd. The con-
stitutional Tux Of two mills is, in Mr..
Bencts opinion, too much. IIc thinks
the State should levy only: n small sum
as a premium Oh county or individual
enterprise. 1t should be remembered,
however, that this two mill tax is really
county tax. as each county now OK
ponds all the funds raised in it's limits.
He believes that private schools should
be aided III some cascs by tho public
fund. We think investigation will
convince him thnt the nero mention of
free school these hard times kills out
pay schools, aud that it is vain to expect
parents GENERALLY to pay tuition fees.
lie also prefers a fee bill to local
tax. In theory his idea is admirable,
but wc do not believe that 1t will bear
tho test Of experiment. All parents
will not pay UP, and many will with
draw thcir children in the middle of
the session, thus disorganizing classes
and running tho school. While the
local tax falls with weight on tho
wealthy, worry few of this class exist,
and tits better for them to pay more
thanto have half tile children stopping
s'hool, 50 soon as the country becomes
more prosperous the fec bill will do
well. Why not let tho Legislature
provide for both a local tax and a fec
bill, soas to give eachtown its optioni
We heartily concur in tho opinion
that tho State Superintendent should
hold for q long term, and that school
commissioncrsshould bcappointcd, ,and
also that before being appointed thoy
should bo'rcquirod to stand an exami-
nation, before tho State board. Thor.
ough' md frcqGent inspection should be
required, aTllliisiMe believe to DO tic
proper function fqthe, State Superin.
tcndcnt,'who should be well paid fol
his work, Lastly, MI. Bonet suggests
and wethiinlkk &reibly, that good results
would followa limiting Of the scllolas.
ticfage to tile period between eight and
fooprtteqeh Years. This would, Tic says,
reduce tho ,nulDborIof children from
228,0O0 toy1i6,000 and double tho length
\ Of session each year. No one will deny