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 fol
your editorial on "Our Neighborhood
Schools" in the advocate of the 1Stt
inst. Our people need both instruction
and exhortation in this matter of the
education of their children, and it seem:
to us sminently right and proper thai
the Church papers should do their par
of this instructing and exhorting.
In 1870, the Commissioners of Foreign
Plantations addressed to the Governors o
the colonies, several questions relative tc
their condition. To one respecting the
means of education, the Governor ol
Connecticut replied: "One.fourth Of the
annual revenue of the colony is laid out
in maintaining free (common) schools
for the education of our children" To
the same question, Gov. Berkeley, Of
Virginia, replied. "I thank God there
are 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
auhite people North and South, as given
| in the last United States census. One
set Of States is known as the "old Free
| School States" No Southern State is
found on this list.
For many long years the old Virginia
Governor has slept with his fathers
Peace to his ashes The opinion be
held of free schools still lives, and may
be found nearer home than the Old Do
minion.
We quote few figures from Prot. Il
Means Davis's sketch of Education in
South Carolina, in the Hand Book OF the
State. From 1911 to 1852 the State
appropriated about S37 900 year for the
support of free schools. Each parish OF
district was allowed as 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 S4S,95l in 1879,
during which year the attendance was
only 5000. In 1882, the Legislature, by
a close vote, passed an act doubling the
appropriation for free schools. After
that, some $4,000 year were annually
set apart for the maintenance of these
schools. In 1858, the attendance was
$1,000; in 1854, 10000, outside OF
Charleston; in 1860, there were l,2O
schools and 1875 pupils; in 1863, 1923
schools, 845 teachers, and 1881 pupils.
Prof. Davis discusses the question why
this system of instruction bore so little
fruit in the face Of so much interest and
so many admirable attempts at its cult
vation. He says one cause of failure
was "the auant of proper supervision and
the consequent incomlpetency of teachers.
But the controlling cause, he adds, Of the
failure Of the free schoo! system. aoas, that
its need avas not felt By the people. Italics
and capitals ours). Now, MIR. 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.
trict Trustees and the County School
Commissioners-not upon the State 6u-
perintendent. There are in the State
3,4S2 public schools. These average 4
months. $50 days. a year. Were the
State Superintendent to visit one school
a day, it would take him forty three gears
to 90 round. But his critics say, and the
law says, he should visit the counties.
He has 30 little authority over the county
school officials that but few good results
would follow.
Colonel Thompson-in an annual re.
port for 1881, p. 95-says: County
School Commissioners should be respon.
sible to some authority, and should be
liable to removal for neglect of duty"
Last year Colonel Coward used his influ'
ence and his authority to induce the
respective County School Commissioners
| to make necessary arrangements, as the
law authorizes them to do, for conduct
ing County Normal Institutes; yet but
four counties, of the MirHyjour, held
such Institutes. To expect our State
Superintendent to do all the 'sproper
supervising" of our schools, would be as
unreasonable as to expect the Comptroll'
er General and the State Treasurer to dc
all the work of the County Auditors and
County Treasurers. Let the people
require this "propcr supervision" but lei
them demand it from the local authori
ties, the District Trustees and County
School Commissioners, who not only
have time and authority to do this work
but whom the law says shall do this duty
Cities that have we'll organized schoo
systems employ superintendent, who Il
usually an experienced teacher, and WHIT
devotes all his time and attention to th'
work of supervising tho schools--tt
teaching his teachers how to teach
Columbia has for her superintendent
practical teacher, and pays him we'll 70
| his services. His salary is two and
half times as large as any School Com
missioner's. Charleston's Superinten
dent has had many years. experience il
the schoolroom. Now be gives all hi
time to experimenting the schools, ant
teachers, and pupils and patrons get tn
benefit of his large experience. Thes
officers are elected by the City Board, t
whose authority they are subject.
such an officer is needed in cities, wher
larger salaries are paid, and where, as
consequence, better teachers can be Sc