Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1880-07-08
Our Public School Systoln and
it's Effects Upon Us.

Our Public School systom and
it's Effects Upon Us.
| Speech Dcltvcrca at South Union on the
1911 Of jane, by lPns. Z. Calhoun,
Esq.
have selected subject upon which
much has been said, both pro and con; but
| it is one that is of great importance to us,
since it is so woven in with our country's
prosperity or decline. Nluch depends on
it aud consequently We cannot bo too ia.
milior with it. One reason why / have
selected this subject as n suitable theme to
address you upon to-day is, that not long
since | was in crowd of men and tho
subject was brought up, and think that
every ono profrsscd ignorance about it and
my object to- day is to cndcavor to throw
some light on the subject, at least one side
of it, and | will do as much as [ can with
it as tho limited time have to trcut of it
will permit.
| AS remarked above, our public school
system, if it can bo called system at oil,
is Of vital Importance to us rs people.
knowledge is good heritage, and you
cannot leave your children better legacy.
1t is IL legacy that no ono can be deprived
of, and it is an investment that pays good
interest. Does tho system meet the
demands of the times and arc your children
under it rcccivn. a sufficient legacy? If
they are, ii is good thug, iC not, then We
should try to better the condition Of things
and give them a proper legacy. But
| l>,., 7 ft,nk x-,,ll L,>
able to judge of this matter before get
through. Al ask is that you give the
matter your consideration and weigh it for
yourself. Tho public school system has
been in use for some time in various coun-
trica ] am not able Just now to give
dates, but they are immaterial since they
do not affect US here. 1t has bccn tried in
various ways, with more or less success, with
tho less prcdominating. 1t sprang rather
from communism than anything else and q
desire to make education universal that is,
to extend it to all classes Of persons, cspcci-
ally, though, to tho poorer classcs-to those
persons who were not able to educate their
children. This, no doubt, may have been
the primary object, and the real foundation
! of tho public, Or as it is sometimes called,
the FREQ school system Of education; and
take it in this light it is q good idea. Ger.
many, England, Scotland, Eraucc~-~all have
their public schools, and in Germany the
attendance is compulsory. 1t has been
more or less successful in all these countries
under their various systems. Especially
| has it been successful in Scotland lt
would be useless for mo to undertake 10
explain tho systems of other countries.
! We arc a peculiar people in America. We
think that We can do just as well, as We
have done, and better too, on our own hook,
as other nations. We must have our ways
about everything. SO We have system Of
| public schools, worked on what is known az
the "Amcriean system" and am sorry TO
say that with all Of our boastng as to our
inventive gcnius, We hayn not invented O
sufficient public school nor have wo i'm
proved on those Of any other country.
| The idea is to make education universal as
possible, to reach all classes and conditions
Of persons. 10 raise our standard, and to
make tho masses as intelligent as possible,
to overcome superstition and ignorance; to
| improve society and prevent crimo, we
have laws in this State purporing to rcgu-
late tho management and conduct OF our
public schools, but tho ou!y part of them
that are enforced is tho collection of inod-
equato taxes for their support and tho
election apd maintenance of tho officers
required By Law to carry the system into
effect. Tue law requires that schools shall
| be kept open for at least six months during
each year. Now take tho schools through
out tho State and you will find tho average
timc to be nearer three than six months,
and tho law still further provides, that as
soon as system of public achools arc
established, that tic attendance shall bo
compulsory, and it still further provides
that a normal school shall DO established,
within five years after tho adoption Of our
present constitution, which shall bo open
to ali persons who may wish. to become
teachers. These are good provisions and
they arc of great Importance in properly
conducting our schools. In fact, froo
public schools cannot bo carried on success.
fully without them. But when will We
have these provisions passed. When will
VIC havo a perfect system Of froo public
schools? When will wo have normal
SCHOOL, How can wo enforce tho coElpul
sorry clause? AS tho matter now stands
we will mover have them. Tho publio is
giving it too little consideration. Ii is u
dead issue as it now stands and am una
bio to SEQ how it is to be rcsuTcctcd aud
put ip healthy condition. You will Gnu
q grca. many who will join issue with mo
in this p,s.tor, and usk them only to look
into it for themselves. They perhaps have
only looked at il as to the temporal aid that
they rcccivo from it aud not at it as it
affects the State or their country.
This subject has been, as remarked in tho
outset, variously discussed both pro and
con. but pcycr. it appcars, satisfactorily.