The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1881-04-01
POOR PAY, POOR TEACH.

=
expect first class services ?''
This is all very true, and it is sound doctrine
to preach, but the State is, year by year, drift
ing farther and farther from it. The services
Of competent teachers cannot be secured with
out sufficient pay foi their services. Neither
can one afford to teach three months in the
year and "wait for something to turn up dur
ing the remaining nine months. Under these
circumstances no reasonable being can erpcct first
class service In fact, do not see how this rea-
sonabie being expect services Of any Kind Still
this is the case, and You hear grumbing on
every side at the condition of our educational
interests. Where lies the blame? In the teach
ers No. The government of the State? Yes.
And through this government the people Yes.
The government prctends to take the education
Of the children TO itself, but am sorry 10 say
it, but still it is true, the laws of our State on
this subject farce These laws cover much
ground, but no provision of them is properly
enforced, save the election and maintenance of
the State Superintendent of education and the
County School Commissioners, and perhaps a few
other minor provisions. Money is required to
run the schools of the State, and laws on the
subject, not backed with money, arc perfectly
useless. The people pretend to look to the State
under these laws to educate their children, and
they step behind them and think themselves
safe. This is why the teachers are not paid u
living salary, and why our schools throughout
the State do net run OH an average exceeding
three months out of the year. The State can
pay and the people won't pa, sill these reason.
able persons appear to expect first class services.
Our public school system, rs it now stands, is
doing untold injury to the educational interests
of the State The Superintendent of Education
may make long reports to the Legislature ; the
newspaper men may write knowing and clo-
qucnt articles OH education, but these do not ed
ucate tue children Of the State. The report Of
the Superintendent may show that SO many
thousand white and colored children have at
tended the schools during the year, but this
does not add one dollar TO the amount appropri-
atcd by the State for educational purposes, but
the more in attendance the shorter term the
schools run. This is not helping the cause at all,
and the teacher is just as near starvation as ever.
AS soon rs the public funds arc exhausted our
schools vanish like fogs before the morning sun.
The patrons, though the same thing happens
every year, are exceedingly surprised that the
money has given out, but most gracefully rofua.
to supplement the public funds with their pri-
vatc funds, and their children are turned loose
to run at large for at least nine months, and the
poor teacher must make the best possible shift
he can for living. The State suffers by this,
the teacher suffers and the children suffer,
but those that suit:r the most are the children.
No State can secure the services of first class
teachers under these circumstances and, since
this is the case. it becomes cncumbcnt upon the
State to take the education of her children un-
der its charge and see that they arc properly ed
ucatcd. y State has the right 10 do this, not
because 4 rich man owes an education to the
that the State owes an clucation to any Of her
but that her own interests demand it.
II n State can dig canals, arm and equip sol
licrs and ships Of war TO protect herself from
foreign or domestic enemies, she certainly has
the power to protect herself against the greatest
Of all encmics-ign0yuact.
The stumbling block IN the way of our cdu
called. 1t has been tried for a number of years,
and has proved tnilure-a complete failure
rs it fails to meet the ends for which it was in
tended. If the people Of the State would take
the public money in the light Of an aid coming
frUn the State rs n stimulus TO the educating of
the children of the State, and supplement this
aid with their private funds, then much good
would be accomplished. No 'rcasonablc per-
aon" can fail to see that these reasonable Jenpic
of our State wholly fail to look at the matter in
this light. Only two remedies present them
selves TO me at present. One is, to abolish our
free school system and let the people take tho
matter entirely into their own hands. The
other is, for the State to raise enough money to
pay for good teachers for nine months in the
year; and pay them we'll, too. The no j,ay
system is yearly driving men that are competent
from the school room, and this will continue to
hc the case until something is done to better our
educational system. Our present free school
system is dclusivc phantom, and we must use
some means TO improve ii, or abolish it, before
ignorance shall have bound the State hand and
foot.
Without good pay the State or the people,
whichever you choose, will always have poor
teach. An educated man cannot afford TO de-
vote his fine and talents to calling that does
not sufficiently rcmuncratc him for his labor
South Carolina to-day needs II corps of well paid
and well trained teachers in her schools. and
money alone will secure them and if the pco.
pie will not then the State must pay them. |
hope that our free school system will be made
an issue in our next campaign.
When | state that the people refuse to supple
ment the public funds with their private funds,
know whereof speak, and will make no
further comments on it AT present. | believe
that n system of free schools, when properly
worked, is good thing, and n good system
would meet my hearty approval but having
been for some years past closely connected with
the workings Of our present system, and hclicv.
ing it to be y complete failure, cannot approve
I "