The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-24
A Graded High School Needed in Ey.
ery County in the State.

GENTLEMES The republication Of Mr..
Benet's late able address on State education In
pamphlet form, and distribution by the Az.
beviile Teachers Institute before whom 1t
was delivered, to every member OF our. Legis-
lature, I am persuaded, Will do great good. It
Is an extraordinary eyt.opener that iS greatly
needed, and | take the liberty OF calling for
its republication in n more permanent form.
But I am not in favor of em6odying all OF Its
suggestions In n new school-law, for lam OPP
posed to any change OF the law MS II now
stands with respect to making elementary ed
%ucation. as far as the State undertakes 1t. NJ
together free. It certainly ought so TO remain
altogether free forever. And hen State funds
are insufficient to support an elementary
school for the entire year 1t ought to DO kept
open rs n perfectly free sclloo! SO long
as 1t is so supported. Its patrons then taking
the burden of its support off the State, and
keeping II open as a pny school, under the
same teacher, for the rest OF the year. IL Is,
too. not Mt all unpracticable. by nm arrange
ment made ut the beginning OF the year, for
State funds to support the same teacher four
months at ono locality. and our montis ny
another, q rs LONE in the spanr oNSvc po ws nasi
up tothe higher grades Of instruction, to what
is properly denominated Sect ndary education
then the policy OF "using State funds not as u
pay-all but as q stimuli us to education, seems
almost selEevidcnt. and more particularly In
the present financial and social condition, OF
the people of South Carolina. The demand OF
schoOl fees equal to at least one-half or the
expenses Of such higher grades Of instruction
is not only altogether just but absolutely nee
cssary to securing efficiency. The State Con-
s~tltution speaks of schools supported IN
whole or In pnrt by the state" II school
law, as 1t now stands; gives no optlon ma no
cd class Of SCHOOLS supported In part by the
State" II the Legislature could DO brought
to see this and to reflect upon 1t, 1t would en-
Constitution, and would ccase to obstruct
what facts to be presently mentioned plainly
indicate rs the popular desire and VIII. An
Amendment would he passed, this very WIN
ter, by which rs much us fifteen hundred dol.
lars would be set apart, out OF the present
school fund In each County, and appropriated
to aid in establishing ut suitable localities,
Graded High Schools, on the eXpresscond1tion
That such schools should be kept open for ten
months Of the year, and that az much money
should be collected, dollar for dollar, by tui-
ton fees paid by the benefciaries of such
schools ms is contributed towards their sup
Very soon eincient teachers, secured and
stimulated by better pay, would greatly com
mend and render popular the whole public
still higher College and University education
c%ational purposes, than which nothing
could be more hateful and un,
popular at present; YOU b hi 10 seem ~
This policy OF using State aid "as a stimulus
and not ns a pay-all" In secondary education,
is not q new one. It Is no mere experiment
now for the first time to be tried. Besides
having many successful examples OF Euro
pean practice and precedent Tor centuries IN
It's favor, 1t is actually now In operation In
the organization OF every State College and
State University In America, without a single
exception. 1t Is the principle on which the
CITY High School OF Charleston, which has
done SO much useful and noble work, was
founded, and now continues to exist, and IN
an awkward and incomplete way, so clcarly Is
there n popular demand for Its immediate
adoption, ithas been acted on, almost contra
nv to our present school law, In the towns OF
York, Chester, Rock Hill, Winnsboro, Black
Vile, Aiken and Abbeville. Who. then, can
most unanimous approval OF the whole peo-
pie of the State? Nevertheless, the states.
man who first enbodies It In legal form, Will
wreathe q crown Of laurel round his brow.
For the advantages OF such IN amendment
of the school law as has been suggested, an
amendment In mid OF, and supplementary to,
and in no respect antagopizing the present
free school system exactly as 1t stands, would
be offered, on the same conditions, to oil class
es and colors OF our citizens. without danger
of abuse by any, while stimulating the purest
ambition and the best aspirations OF oil.
NeSpee"u'' BENZ SSSJIR Il. STUART.
RI thank Mr.. Stuart for his complimentary
request that 1 should publish In pamphlet
form my address before the Abbeville Teach
ers' Association: and shall take his suggest
ion into consideration. Meanwhile 1t gives
me pleasure to see so eminent an educator as
Mr.. Stuart showing so deep an interest In O
subject which has been neglected too much
and too ~long-nunely, this question How
can we distribute and use to the best advan-
tage the public school fund Of our State
VIC. b.