The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-09-10
ROTATION OF SCHOOLS.

~ 1OEANGEBURG, =. VI, -AuSuSG Ii.-lnlS
holiday season being probably the most
prDpitions fcrthe onsideration Of edu-
catio1al topics, in prospect of the real
work which must soon be entered upon,
take the liberty of presenting q few
thoughts with the hope of eliciting an
expression of views that. may result in
good for the, cause of public instruction.
do not intend to raise the question as
TO whether it is best to have q public
school system at all or not. I want. to
deal with facts, not fancies. The fact is
the public school system is here with us,
and the practical question is what are
ne going to do with it to make it most
effective for good 2 There is a somewhat
popular cry that the public school sys.
TEN is q humbug, that at best the schools
only run about three months in the year,
that private enterprise is crushed, and that
the cause Of education is rather impeded
than advanced. It strikes the writer
that n those who waste their time in
such abuse would only expend their ener.
skies Ia trying to make the system what it
should be. yery different results would be
realized. It is difficult to imagine how
the 2aising of acertain amount of money
;hy taxation and paying it out for the.
support OF any local school can possibly
work damage to that school, and that is
all that the public school system does.
The public school authorities do not
nlihtat against any we'll organized and
pood.Workins private schools, but, on
sthe CONTRARY, are always anxious and
ready to encourage, cooperate with and
foster such institutions. The only re-
/. ouirements is that the school should be
centrally shd advantageo located,
and sthst tie teacher should be conpe.
tent, moral and acceptable to the commu-
nity. Ag&n, as to the schools running
onN threS months, is it not probable in
mott Of tIbse communities in which the
! schools lin only -as long as the public
%fnn&s w%e wanting? Now, it is not
sdened Tat there are difficulties, and
8Serious dies too, in the practical workings
s$Df fhe s{hool system, but the assertion is
seuturef that these difficulties arise not
"a Anpe6Ifrom any grave imperfection in
itself as from the want of
A {Ien oH<he part of all concerned.
tANM ssFthese difficulties, to some extent
"a iSssE the following suggestions are
nbIYbfered:
S Make the school districts smaller,
size that on ly one school for
sf6e5Svlfite and one for the colored people,
: sSantpalIy located, shall accommodate all
sfsSe children in the district. The object
6e5tS3a ia IN ensure better attention on
:tl3o ;rart of school trustees. School trus-
fessSnot being paid for their services,
{ tSssannA he expected to travel over vast
afsa& Of country 70 visit the schools; but
Sifs {he schools under their charge are re.
aueed to two, and within convenient Wis.
SifiIe distance, they will, assuredly, be
ssbsfter superintended by these local Off
ssisas. This plan is adopted in Orange
sburg County, and works much better
than the old township systeln.
s s2 EnSeurage the cooperative plan,
that is the running of the school as a
public school as long as the public funds
last. and then the continuance of it by
the patrons with private funds to the
and of the term. In this way profession.
a teachers can be obtained, because their
whole time being employed, they have an
object to work for. The best public
schools in Orangeburg County are run in
this way, and are doing most satisfactory
work. This plan seems to the writer to
be the best possible one for making our
public school system success, and should
feceiye the hearty commendation and
encouragement of all public school off.
cials.
8, Where the poverty or indifference
of q community prevents the adoption of
the co. operative plan mentioned above,
how would the peripatetic plan do? By
this term / do not refer to the system of
philosophy taught by Aristotle while
walking in the Lyceum at Athens.
kise it simply to signify the moving, of
he teacher from one school to another.
borrow from our Methodist friends,
lSlle ccircuit system would probably be
more Ineligible term to convey the
meaning. The object of this plan is the
reduction of the number and elevation
Of the grade of teachers, and the making
Of teaching a profession that would at
tract better men and women. As the
master now stands the large majority of
tie teache,s are employed only about
sthree months, or one.third of their time,
at teaching, and devote the remaining
.Sgo.thirds Of their time to farming or
some other business to make living.
Teaching is, therefore, altogether sec
gondary matter with them, picked up only
ITO furnish a little cash to carry them
through their main business. Herein
lies tie great drag of the school system.
There Is no life, pride or interest. Moth
ingca succeed under such circumstances
It Is eniinently true that "as the teacher
3, 80 is the school," Get good teachers
and you will have good schools. This is
the sole object of the plan here suggested.
Let us illustrate moro practically. Sup.
pose a County has an appropriation of
SIS, 900 and ninety six teachers: Under
the present system each teaching one
school gets on an average SIPS for the
time he teaches, and then goes at some.