The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-10-29
The Peabody Fund and the Education
Of Teachers.

In the Columbia Register of Goth inst
we find the following information under
the very appropriate head of "1mportan
to Public Schools:
CDR. Sears, the general agent Of thu
Peabody fund, has informed the Supcrln
tcndent of Education that the trustees
have resolved to apply the income OF the
fund to the education Of teachers, hoplnt
thus to elevate tho character OF tht
schools. From many PORTIONS or tnt
State applications from schools lor aiC
from this fund havo already been rercly
ed, and it is we'll for those who are depeho
inc upon such assistance to know THAI II
ali probability it will not be granted. Il
seems to be the policy OF the trustees L'
aid exclusively i'll the education OF te'cii'
erS."
This is very cheering information 10 al
who havo tho educational interests O
South Carolina at heart, but very dis
courariny to those whose desire Is to saw
| their pockets while having the children
educated. The great and pressing neec
in u State is not money to maintain ou'
schools but good teachers to take charge
of them, and tho Peabody Trustees are
wisely walking on the right road wher
they apply their bcneticent fund to the
education of teachers. We have long be-
licved and earnestly urged that the true
and only way to help public education l:
not to tempt the parents to spare tholl
pockets but to provide good teachers
Liberal State aid, too liberal, indeed, sup
p~leInented by Peabody bcncfactions ha'
produced a generation Of Educational
paupers in South Carolina, unworthy o
this State and of her educational tradl'
tons. Our people now act as If they
were glad to shift the responsibility o
their children's education from their owl
shoulders TO those of tho State and OF any
persons like the Peabody Trustees whose
generous help they turn into an encour
agcment of educational mendicancy.
In our State Superintcndent's Repor
for rs we find that the Peabody Educa
tional Fund contributed $500 to thu
cause Of public education in South Caro-
lima during last year,-$2,OO0 having beer
received by the whites and $1,000 by the
negroes. With the exception of tho
money spent on the Teachers Institutes
of Chester and Winnsboro and the State
Agency, the money was spent OH schools
here and there whose managers had beer
diiigent enough to secure it. No doubt
it helped the pockets of the communities
that obtained it, but as a true help to edu'
c%ation--it might as we'll have been sprink'
led on the sands Of the Sahara.
We do not know in what way the Pea
body Trustees propose to eXpend this
fund for the education Of teachers
whethee by helping to establish Normal
Schools is this State, or by awarding tc
deserving men and women scholarships
to Normal Schools in other States. Either
mode would be praiseworthy. At pres
ent South Carolina barzars hold valuable
Peabody scholarships at tho Nashville
Normal Collegc-of whom two are from
Abbeyille County. The time certainly
has come-it came years ago-wher
South Carolina should have Normal Col
leges for training good teachers. AND
while we think the State Public Schoo.
Fund sufficiently large for the support o
State Normal Schools, we would rather
sec the Peabody aid given to a Norma
School than to the support of public
schools. $1,000 would greatly help {
Normal School; as a help to public
schools it is simply a squandering OF the
money which the Peabody Trustees have
scnsibly stopped.