The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1881-02-16
Fhe Press and Banner.
By Hugh Wilson and Fl. 7. Wardlaw.
Wednesday, Feb. 16. 1881.

DE huSH NllsOh anu H. L. WHlui""'
Wednesday. Feb. 16, 1881.
The Public Schools.
Tn matter Of public schools demands the
thoughtful considerations of every citizen. and
the administration OF the law and the eSpcn-
diture OF the public money make no less Il dc
mand on those governing the schools for the
exercise of al intelligent Jud-men; of the
facts, ana an adoption of those measures
which Will best subScrve the public good,
while complying with the letter and the in
tent of thelaw. We write in no Spiritof fault
finding, but with the hope of offering some
suggestions which, though they may be con-
silered trivial in themselves, may give birth
to other aud better suggestions In the minds
OF those who arc more directly interested In
schools than we are. The schoo! system OF
this State Is ncw..tO us, and while We are great
ly indebted to the State Superintendent for
his noble work in this line, we are no less IN
dcbtcd to the County Board Of Examinersio for
their very able and efficient services In the
past; yet 1t Is possible even with all the c"il-
mcndablc efforts of thee most excellent OH
GERS in the administration of q new system,
that they may not have reduced the schooi
system to that degree of perfection which we
hope yet to attain. Even If succeeding OIL
GERS and trustees should be inferior 10 thoSc
who have already done 30 well, we shall eN-
meet the new officers to do even better than
they did, because we shall have the advantage
! of their experience. We will profit by their
| wisdom. and from their errors We cannot fail
to learn valuable lessons.
While we do not claim to know rs much
about schools, rs does tho County Board OF
| Examiners, yet, on the principle that VIC like
to hear suggestions from subscribers who
know but little about publishing q ncwSpa'
per, the School Commissioner no doubt Will
thank us for reviewing some Of the laws
which have been promulgated over his OIL
Icial signature, which are as follows:
Jules AND REGULATIONS o THE BETTER
CONDUCTING OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SfS'
TEN IN ABBErILLE COUNTY DURING THE
lst' The public schools for white pupils and
colOrcd pupils respectively Shall not be near
er THAI four miles. Provided, that where
there arc already established separate schoos
for males and females, In Stcli case or cases
the School Trustees may continue the same is
pub !c schools. Provided further, that where
there are achOol-hUu>eS nearer 10 each olner
Trustees would subscrvc The public q II
used as public schools, in such case or cases thc
Trustees may place the schools nearer eacn
! other than four miles, after consultation WIN
and gaining consent Vi the county boalu VI
=. b. II is recommended by the County
| Board that the Trustees should place the pup
lie schools not nearer han Two inlies 10 tlc
l,,,l,r,- linn or tho YnSnpItl Nn school DIS
! tricts: So as TO prevent as much as possible
the tranSierence of pupils from one school
District to another.
2nd. The pay OF teachers In pubic schools
according TO grade of certificate shall be for
, Firs, G~radc-Thirty dollars per month.
Second Grade -Twcnty dollars per month.
Third Grade-Twctve and 4 half dollars per
month.
\. b. The above rates must be neither In
creased nor diminished:
sd. The public schools shall open on the
first Monday in February ISL.
4th. The public schools shall Dc continued
ut least three months; but 1t shall be the duty
OF the Trustees to keep the schools open AS
much longer as possible.
5th. The minimum average number or pu-
| pills in actual attendance ti,at shall cntitlc q
teacher TO draw full pay shall be-lor the rura,
! districts, Fi!tccn-fOr INCORPORATE towns ana
villages, Twenty; In cases whcrs the mu,i,ner
falls short of minimum. the trustees snail
Day 4 per capita share Of the full lay..-
=. b. The attention OF Trustees and Te:ch-
ers Is called to the fact that the legal Scholas-
tic age Is siX~-to-sixtern years.
6tn, Each teacher shall he required Ia enter
into a contract signed by himself and All or q
majority Of tlcTruStees OF his Schooi Dlstflct,
ana no pay certificates shall be approved un-
less such contract shall have been made.
II IS recommended that tho Srhooi trustees
of the respective School Districts hold Il meet
Ing OF their Boa:d ut least five days before INC
olorinS VI their schools. at which they shall
place aud designate The schools, and eject The
teachers. r.. CoWAS.
School Commissioners.
We object first to the rules as n who e,
on the ground that they attempt to govern. or
do govern, too much. And in the second
place, because tho School Commissioners or
the County Board, BY the adoption OF these
rules, infringe upon the duties and preroga'
tives Of the Township Trustees. The Town
ship Trustees who are appointed because OF
| their actual or supposed fitness for the place
T! and being on the ground, familiar with the
roads, the school houses. the distances, thede-
mands and needs of the people, certainly
ought to be able TO act better for the interests
of their respective neighborhoods than Can
the County Board Of Examiners who live At
| Abbeville Court House, and who know little
personally of the needs and wants OF a dis
tant ncichborhood. If the Trustees OF any
| Township do not better understand the wants
OF their communities than any body OF men,
however learned and practical, but who are
strangers, we suggest that they arc unfit fol
! the ~poSition-and VIC arc leu to inquire why
men knowing so much Of n ~neighborhood
would make the mistake OF appointing Trus
tees incapable Of discharging their duty
For another reason, we object to rules, as q
whole, because the same regulations anu rules
will not apply 10 any two townships, or asl
that matter, 10 any two schools. Having sale
this much in q general way. We will givesome
special objections 10 the %"rules,' in question
/. Public schools shall not be nearer than
-four miles, A law like this is arbitrary
and damaging to the public interest IL rigidly
enforced, and If not On forced is no law ut all
The above -four mile rule" Is one made BY
the Board Of Examiners or the School Com
missioner. Now read whatt the law enacted
by the Legislature says on that subject: 1.-The
"Poards Of Trustees shall have authority and
at shall be their duty to provide suitable
"school houses in their districts and to make
1.-THE same comfortable, paying due regard tc
.any school house already built, or site pro
"cured, as we'll as to all other circumstance
proper TO be considered so as 10 best promote
'Ue educational interests of The district" Moth
ing Is here said about "fsur miles"
2. Trustees may place the schools nearer
than four miles, after consultation with and
gaining consent Of the Board Of County EX
'aminers.' The true rule, in our opinion,
should be to place schools where they are
most needed, irrespective of the location OF
other schools. a Trustee from N~inety-Si1,
for Instance, 1t seems to us, would be very un-
proftably employed in riding to .Abbevillc
Court House to seek a meeting Of the County
Board Of Examiners in order to get their con-
sent TO establish q school In his W township
"A matter in which the Trustees themselves
should be competent to determine. Again, so
far as we are able TO learn, there IS no warrant
Of law for this requirement by the Board OF
Examiners. The Board is not required by law
to meet oftcner than twice a year, and then
only Eat such places and times as the County
School COMMISSIONS shall appoint
3. The recommendation that the Trustees
should place the public schools not nearer
than two miles to the boundary line of the re.
spective townships" Is without sufficient rea.
son and discriminates unfairly against per.
sons OH the line. The only possible objection
10 children attending school IN another town
ship, Is, that the School Commissioner would
he put to the additional trouble OF making
"