The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-03-17
THE PAY OF TEAcHERs--THE AVERAGE
ATTENDANCE OF sCHoLARs--THE
SCHOOL AGE.

The School Commissioner OF Abbe.
VILE County Makes Many Susges.
tions of Vital Importance to the
People.
OFFICE OF SCHOOL COMMISSIONER
ABBEvILLE COUNTY,
ABBEvILLE, s. g., Jan. IL, 1855.
The County Board of Examiners nave agreed
that the monthly pay of teachers shall be ac-
cordng to grade of certificate, or grade OF
school, as follows:
First Grade Twenty-Five Dollars.
Second Grade, Eighteen Dollars.
Third Grade, Ten Dollars.
pills per month that shall entitle a teacher to
full pay in country schools shall be IS; In In
corporatcd villages and towns Zo IN cases
where the average number between the te tr' ages
tees shall pay per capita share OF the month
The ts following changes of general import.
ance to trustees and oac teachers M nave oeen re-
]. Certificates granted by County Boards are
valid for Q years, and are renewable with or
without examination, at the discretion OF the
said Boards
2. 1t shall not be lawful for any person who
is less than six or more than eighteen years OF
age, to attend any of the free public schools.
The law requires the trustees to meet as ear
ly rs practicable In the year, In order To l9cate
the schools and elect teacheis. This ought to
be done before the 1st of February of each
year, so that by that time all the schools OF
the district shall have been established and
all the teachers employed. No school ought
to be opened after the first week in February
unless under peculiar circumstances. The ap--
portonment of the school fund to the several
school districts is made on the lSt OF FetGuary.
or as soon thereafter as practicable. Unless
the trustees fix some limit TO the time during
which they will contract with teachers of pub
lie schools, they cannot know the number or
&h1t, do fpnn ~
with the accuracy that the subject demands
the length of the school term for their district
The trustees, therefore, are urged to ascertain
as soon as the app ortionment Is MADE the
length of the school term for their district and
report the same to all the teachers and to the
School Commissioner. The school term OF each
school of the same district, for the time 1t Is
operated as public free school, should be the
same.
There has been 81 ear defect in the admin
istralion of the school law in respect to the To-
cation of schools. In some places the schools
are located too near each other. This distribu-
ton of the forces and efforts of community,
as we'll as the distribution of the public fund
has had the effect of shortening the school
term, and depriving such unfortunate com.
munitfes of the influence and advantages Of
one good, we'll paid, well-equipped and well
sustained school. I recommend to the trus-
tees the sentiment OF q distinguished COM
mandcr, who, when asked the secret OF his
success, promptly replied, II concentrate 'ay
In some places, Oh the other hand, the
schools are too far apart. The effect has been,
probably, more disastrous than In cases where
the schools are too near each other. 1t has
lessened, alarmingly. the attendance In the
county schools, and, doubtless, smothered the
spark OF genius IN many worthy youth.
This part OF the school law Is as dificult OF ad-
minisration as 1t is important. While the
law requires the trustees to pay due regard to
any school house already built, or sites pro-
cured, 1t also requires them to have regard TO
so as best to promote the educational Interest
of the district" ] am disposed to believe that
there are schools in the county that ought to
be removed from their present location, and
established in places accessible to larger
number of children who are not now within
u convenient distance of any school. No TWO
public free school Is for the same race ought to
be within less than five miles of each other.
Two and a half miles is not too great dis,
tance from Il good school. A very Je,O only will
be required to go even this distance, and they
can, surely, we'll afford to do so, If, by having
fewer schools. we increase the length Of the tern,
and the efficiency of those that Ue have.
1t is q Iamentable fact known even to the
casual observer, that In some sections OF the
county there is an increasing disposition; on
the part of parents, to shift the responsibility
of their children's education from themselves,
where it properly belongs, to the public, where
it belongs only In cases OF extreme poverty
and misfortune, or wilful neglect. They de-
lnand that the public. which eXacts from them
few dimes for school tax, shall in return edu-
! cate their children, build and repair their
school houses and even pay the incidental eX-
penses OF the school. This disposition ought
to be check ed at every point, and especially In
| the matter Of building and repairing school
houses. 1t Is manifest injustice to the teach
ers to take any part OF their already too small
salary and appropriate it to building and re.
pairing school houses. The school house Is O
local matter, and the community ought to
build 1t at their own expense. The circum-
stances ought to be very exceptional indeed,
which would induce the trustees to appropri-
ate any part of the public fund to building
and repairing school houses. feel sure that
my views on this subjest will not be we'll re.
ccived, but believe them to be right, and
that Is sufficient reason for me To reconl-
mend them to the earnest reconsideration Of the
trustees.
The trustees will please see to 1t that the
teachers monthly reports are properly filled
out, as the School Com inissioners annual re-
port is based upon these monthly reports.
Any letter conveying suggestions and rec
concentrations to trustees Is essentially defec-
tive, that does not ask their hearty support IN
the proper administration Of the school law,
in raising the standard of teachers certifi-
Gates, in increasing the efficiency of the
schools, in arOuSing an interest In the all-im.
portant subject Of properly rearing and edu-
eating our children, and III making during the
short period of our office, unmistakable adj
! vances all along our own lines in the grand
march of education.
Respectfully,
GEO. C. HODGES,
School Commissioner A. G.