The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-12-19

GIN !
!alara, &olitits aud |
\ \ We take the folloVi1 Srm theaisousr
,sicp ID the LegislatuEssdpon the bill d
|allow tue people in the several school dis
kricts to lev q tak sf IL mills for tho pur,I
pose ogesta ayfPhing Graded School
Gen. Kennedy said: Mr. Sps |, my
object in asking for the spostpoa1 htsoT
this bill till to- day was in order 8EaS thS
members might. have an opportunity of
consi dering such an important matter as it.
is. regard it as 50 important and SO
much connected with the welfare of South
Carolina that no member should hastily
come to conclusion upon it, 1t has been
aptly said by some one that the American
who has not made up his mind on every
subject is curiosity, and he that reserves
his opinion is still more of curiosity A.
After most grave and deliberate consideif
tion, have concluded to support this I'll
eswsh sS sSSbstss aRa ss aeadss ss
Should be added to it. l need not speak
to this House of the great principle which
has been established in the full light of the
nineteenth century-that it is necessary for
the State to take charge of the education
of her children. The doctrine has been
wisely formulated thus That of things
necessary to the general welfare the State
should do what it can do best, aud leave to
the individual what he can do best. This
great principle ofeducation has taken hold
of imperial Prussia, monarchical England
and republican France and Switzerland,
and i'll this country every State in this Union
has, to greater or less extent, considered
the subject.
New York devotes ten millions to educa
tional purposes; Massachusetts four mil
lions; Missouri owe. two millions; Louisi-
ana, over half n million; Kentucky, one
million ,auase half South Carolina has
whecled.M8 line, and between the poll
tax and the two mill tax raises 1870 900.
From the last report Of the State Superin-
tendent of Education it appears that 1872
463 children attended school during the
past year, which would give SO per capita,
while for those who should attend it would
give S1.25 per capita The average tune
that the schools have been kept open dur
ing the past year is three and onc-third
months. The average pay of teachers is
S25 per month. Has South Carolina done
her duty in proportion to her population to
the demands upon her and to the illitcracy
among her people We do not ask an in
creased tax. But we do say that we have
an immense population growing up in ig-
norauce, and we ask that the provisions of
this bill be adopted that cities, towns and
villages which desire to supplement- the
State fund by imposing tax upon them
selves be allowed to do So. Aud the chief
.p9aesos in doing seis in>crder to establish
fWRat Is known as graded schools. Now
confess that when began tn, investigation
of this subject did not know what graded
school was, and l take the liberty of read
ing description of what graded school
is from Il definition which | have obtained
while searching for information on the pucs-
ton.
"Ordinarily graded school is so named
simply from method of classifying the pu-
pills; but in this State it means, in addition, a
school supported partly by funds raised
from other. SOURCES. Wells, in his book en-
graded schools, defines it to be school in
which the pupils are divided into classes,
according to their attanmcnts, and in
which all the pupils attend to tho same
branches of study at the same time. All
the pupils in any one class attend to pre-
ciscly the same studies and use the same
books. In each room there will be first
and second classes; and it is important that
tic identical pupils who constitute the first
class in ono branch should constitute the
first class in every branch pursued by the
first class. BY this arrangement when one
class is recitins the other is preparing for
recitation, and an alternating process kept
up through the day. afording pupils ample
time to study their lessons and the teacher
ample time to instruct the class"
This simplifies instruction and affords
more time to it. In school of mixed clas-
ses half an hour might be devoted to class
Of only one or two scholars.
This bill provides that such school
shall be established in every city, town and
incorporated village where it is desired
No one will deny the necessity of high
school in each ofthcsc communities and va.
rinns nlans have hnnn ,rnnnrnl MI L.