The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-04-23
FREE PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.

FREE PUBLIC INSTRUCTION..
Mr.. Editor AS friend of free pub
| lie schools, We write to thank you fo
your editorial on "Our Neighborhoot
Schools" in the Adrocate Of tho 1Stl
inst. Our people need both instruction
| and exhortation in this matter of til,
education Of their children, and it seem
to us eminently right and proper tha
the Church papers should do their par
| Of this instructing and exhorting.
In 1910, the Commissioners of Foreigr
| Plantations addressed to the Governors
the colonies, several questions relative t
their condition. To one respecting th'
means of education, the Governor O
Connecticut replied: zone. fourth of the
annual revenue of the colony is laid ou
in maintaining free (common) school.
for the education OF our children" Tc
the same question, Gov. Berkeley, oI
Virginia, replied: II thank God there
aro no free schools nor printing, and
| hope we shall not have these Hundred
years" These two States are fair speci
mems of the two sections. If any deny
this, let him compare the illiteracy Of the
,ohite people North and South, rs givcr
in the last United States census. One
| set Of States is known as the cold Free
School States" No Southern State j,
found on this list.
For many long years the old Virginia
Governor has slept with his father rs
Peace to his ashes The opinion he
held Of free schools still lives, and may
bo found nonrer home than the Old Do.
minion.
We quote few figures from Prof. II
Means Dayis's sketch Of Education in
South Carolina, in the Hand Book of the
State. From 1911 to 1862 the State
appropriated about $37 900 year for the
support Of free schools. Each parish OF
district was allowed rs many free schools
as it had representatives in the lower
House. The greatest number of pupils
any year was 1918 lin 1889. The
largest expenditure was SAC, ,95l lin 18l9)
during which year the attendance was
only 5000. In 1882, the Legislature, by
close vote, passed an act doubling the
appropriation for free schools. After
that, some $4,000 year were annually
set apart for tho maintenance Of these
schools. In 1853, the attendance was
1900; in 1864, 10000, outside of
Charleston; in 1860, there were 1870
schools and 1915 pupils; in 1868, 1928
schools, 845 teachers, and 1881 pupils.
Prof Davis discusses the question why
this system of instruction bore so little
fruit in the face Of 80 much interest and
60 many admirable attempts at its cult.
walton. He says one cause of failure
was "the trant Of proper supervision aud
The consequent incompetency Of teachers.
But the controlling cause, he adds, Of the
failure Of the free school systeu, sras, that
It's need tpas not felt by tie people. (Italics
and capitals onrs). Now, Mr.. Editor,
these causes exist to.day-not strong
enough to destroy our free schools, yet
sufficient to seriously cripple their use.
fulness.
Our, State Superintendent, has been
severely criticised. In fact, he and the
poorly paid teachers have received the
greater part of the public criticism. Let
him and them be criticised. Such q
course will do no harm, and may do
good. But the responsibility of proper
supervision rests mainly upon the Dis.
triot Trustees md the County School
Commissioners-not upon tho State 6u.
perintendent. There are in tho State
3,4S2 public schools. These average 4
months. $50 days) year. Were the
State Superintendent to visit one school
n day it would take him Jortg. three years
to 60 round. But his critics say, and the
law says, he should 7isit the counties.
He has 30 little authority over the county
school officials that but few good results
would follow.
( Colonel Thompson--in IN annual 20.
port for 1881, p. S5-says: County
School Commissioners should be respori.
sible to some authority, and should be
liable 20 removal for neglect of duty"
Last year Colonel Coward used his iniiu.
ence and hts authority TO induce the
respective County School Commissioners
to make necessary arrangements, as the
law authorizes them to do, for, conduct.
ing County Normal Inslitutes; !; yet but
four counties, of the Mirty;Jour, held
such Institutea.i TO expect our State
Superintendent to do All the ttpfoper
supervising of our schools, would be as
unreasonable as to expect. the Comptroli.
erGeneral aud the State Treasurer TO do
oil the work OF the County Auditors and
County Treasurefs. q Let the people
require this "propct sIperS ZION ,s butle
them demand II from the local anthori.
tics, the District trustees and. County
School Commissioners, who not only
have tins and authority % DO This work,
bnt whom the law says sliais lothis duty.
az Cities That have well organis sed school
syaten,s employ 0 sup erfntend ent, who Is
usually aalxperiance teacher, and who
dov0tee al his fima aud attention. 70 the
work of snperrislng tho sob ools Ito
teaching Ills teache how 10 tesah.
ColuinBia has for hes sapsfihs hsendent q
practical teschet and pays him veil for
his service. His sd iary 4 IS two aud a
3hat tfnacs % large es sny School Com.
iInia as61er'a d. Char easorss sSupsrinten.
2dsas llSs had fpnitys syeass experiences 10
thss ch0olteori N6isE Ee gives all bis
ipiHg, Ii0guperlnySnqI tue EcnooI9, ana
teatslars, aud pupils and ia atrons pot Sthe
sbeaei of hiS large = Axparsenca. Thesa
'ofllcsrs arc elect bf The City beard, ID
jwtiSsAa ami nfhurIt, ll.ax tafaS ND bictt. III
tnch I'D 81 sscer Is neas5 I'D la cities, where
larger Ia iasicS ara 81 d and Wh here, as d
1colsctlue SfJeftet teachefs can SEo %.
.cnfed, HOW tsac more need Is there Of o