The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-10-17
Graded Schools.

high order in the near future. With the public
school system of the State q basis, first class
instruction at cheap rates will in time be affor.
ded. Thus far the friends of education look tc
"graded schools" as the means of accomplish.
ing their purpose. With many the term .sgra.
ded school" conveys no definite idea, but they
have been told that it is the "open sesame OF
good, cheap instruction, and they are desirous
of trying it so soon as they may learn what it is
and how to set it in operation. For the benefit
of this class generally, and more especially for
| onr friends in Monticello and Feasterville, who
desire increased educational facilities for ther
| children, we will give some description of gra-
ded school rs. the term is now understood in
South Carolina. Ordinarily graded school is
so named simply from the method Of classifying
| the pupils. But in this State il means in addi-
tion a school supported partly by the StntB Hps
preparation and partly by funds raised Srom
other sources. AS to the method of raising this
supplemental fund usage varies in different parts
of the State. In Winnsboro, where the first gra-
| ded school, in the new acceptation of the term,
was organized, an additional fund is raised by q
local tax of one mill. In Chester, Abbeville ar d
other towns, the fund is raised by tuition fees
| and subscriptions. A movement is on foot in
Chester, Bennettsvie and other places, to secure
| II local tax law similar to that in operation in
Winnsboro OF this, more anon.
Now, as to the character of the school, The
graded school in its primary sense is defined by
Wells, in his book on graded schools, to be "a
SShooi III pupils ure ulVlueu into GLASS;
es according to their attainments, and in which
| all the pupils of each class attend to the same
branches of study al the same time" Ira Divall
superintendent of schools in St. Louis, says
"All the pupils in any one class attend to pre-
cisely the same studies and use the same books.
In each room there will be q first and o second
class, and it is important that the identical pu-
pills who constitute the first class in one branch
should constitute tho first class in every branch
pursued by the class. BY this arrangement,
while one class is reciting, the other is prepar.
ing for recitation, and an alternating process is
kept up through the day, aifording the pupils
ample time to study their lessons, and the teach
err ample time to instruct each class. This is
what Is meant by graded and classified sch ool.
III. Z. llickok, late Superintendent of Educa-
ton of Pennsylvania, also says:
The due classification and grading of the
schools is but the application to the EDUCATIONAL
cause of the same division of labor that prevails
in oil we'll regulated business establishments,
whether mechanical, commercial or otherwise.
Ii is not only the most economical, but without
1t there can be little progress prosperity
The quotation from MIR. IIickok shows why
the graded school solves the problem of cheap
instruction. Simply because of the aggregation
of considerable number of pupils into enc
class, the teacher can employ his time to the
best advantage. An unclassifed school, in which
q whole hali-hour may be required for class of
one or two pupils only, istoo expensive. Twen-
",
with more satisfaction, alike to the teacher and
the child, owing to the life impaired to the re-
citation by numbers; so that the graded system is
adopted for Its cheapness. A graded school is
but college on small scale, with its different
classes, no pupil being in two different grades
ut once This is the graded school system as it
has been in use for years in all the States
we Will now speak of the term as used in its
wider sense in South Carolina: The public
school fund raised by the two mill tax is too
small to support school a sufficient length of
time, while the curriculum does not embrace the
languages or the higher mathematics. In Winns-
boro, the State quota, the local tax, and hereto
fore n contribution from the Peabody fund, have
suifced to give to all the school population of
the district the full public school curriculum,
absolutely FREQ. No child is debarred by pow
cry from receiving the fullest advantages of
what the school law provides. If, in addition,
the parent desires to have his child instructed
in those branches not embraced in the school
law, he can secure his end by the payment of
small tuition fee. This, we believe, is the cor
rect principle, but it requires the levy of local
tax. We are not able now to give our views
fully upon the question Of local taxation, espe-
cialiy as we have so often done it heretofore.
We may do so hereafter
In other towns which have no local tax law,
the usage, so far as we learn, differs. In
Chester, if we are not mistaken, children in the
lower grades are taught free. In the higher
Tor classics, higher mathematics, and instrument
tai music, they pay an additional charge In
Abbevillc, rs we judge from the address Of Mr..
Benet and from the papers, all the pupils pay
tuition, but the State fund is used somewhat in
the nature of n rebate to lessen the charge
This, MIR. Benet contends, is the proper idea,
that the State fund shall supplement private
tuition, instead of being the basis of the school,
lie would not have n free school, Taking the
theory that we do, that the State, as the mother
of all her citizens, is bound to educate the child
ren we believe thoroughly in free instruction
So many poor children secure an education
thereby who would otherwise be debarred. that
the State must, for the sake of her own future
maintain free schools. further discussion of
this point, however, must be deferred for the
present.
Whatever be the method of supplement- ng the
State tax, additional funds must be raised. The
citizens Of any place deserving increased facili-
ties must meet and discuss this question first.
Having provided for the money, the next thing
is to get the school. No particular number of
pupils is required, except that the larger the
number up to certain limit the more econom-
lcal the school. Employ teacher and, if need
be, assistants. Then get all the children to-
gether and class them into grades. Some will
have to be pulled back, others pushed little,
but very iittle, ahead. When pupil is ad-
vanced in one department and backward in