The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-27
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
THE PAY OF TEACHERs--THE AVERAGE
ATTENDANCE OF sCH0LARs--THE
SCHOOL AGE.
The School Commissioner Of Able.
tions Of Vital Importance to the
1F SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS

OFFICE OF SCHOOL COMMISSIONER
ABBEvIELE COUNTY,
ABBEvILLE, $. c., Jan. IL, 1855.
The County Board OF Examiners have agreed
that the monthly pay of teachers shall be &C.
cording to grade OF certificate, or grade OF
First Grade, Twenty-Five Dollars. 81
Second Grade, Eighteen Dollars. 'a
Third Grade, Ten Dollars.
That the minimum average number OF ra-
pills per month that shall entitle teacher 70
full pay in country schools shall be Is; in In
cOrpOrated villages and towns ~. In cases
where the average number between the ages
of 6 and 16 falls below the minimum the srus-
tees shall pay Il per capita shareOf the month
The following changes of general import,
ance to trustees and teachers have been res
Gently made in the School Law: -
/. Certificates granted by County Boards arc
valid for years, and are renewable with or
without examination, at the discretion OF the
said Boards.
is less than six or more than eighteen years OF
age, to attend any Of the freq pubic schools.
The law requires the trustees to meet as ear
ly MS practicable in the year, In order Tn locate
be done before the lst of February OF eaciI
year, so that by that time all the schools of
the district shall have been established and
oil the teachers employed. No school ought
to be opened after the first week in February
unless under peculiar circumstances. The APP
portionment of the school fund to the several
school districts is madeon the LIST OF February,
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 OF
teachers nor their grade IN time to ascertain dn
the length of the school term for their district.
The trustees, therefore, are urged to ascertain
as soon az the apt ortionment Is maze tne
length of the school term for their district ana
report the same 10 all the teachers and to tho
school Commissioner. The school term Of each
school of the same district, for the time II ~
operated as Il public free school, should be the
same. ~
There has been a q ear defect in the admin
istration OF the school law in respect to the 10
cation Of schools. III some places the sch0ols
are located too near each other. This dtstr1Du-
ton of the forces and efforts of a community,
as well as the distr button of the public fund
has had the effect of shortening the school
term, and depriving. such unfortunate, com.
munities of the influence and advantages of
one good, we'll paid, well-equipped and well
sustained school. / recommend to the trus-
tees the sentiment OF q distinguished COM
mnnder, who, when asked the secret OF his
success, promptly replied, u concentrate my
/ In some places, on the other hand, the
schools are too far apart. The effect mas pecn,
the schools are too near each other. 1t has
lesscned alarmingly. the attendance In Inc
county schools, and, doubtless, smothered inc
spark OF genius In many worthy youtn.
minstraton az it Is important. While the
law requires the trustees to pay due regard to
any school house already built, or SITES pro-
cured, it also requires them to have regard ~
so as best to promote the educational Interest
of the district" ] am disposed to believe that
there are schools in the county that ought n
be removed from their present iocauoi,, anu
established in places accessible to a larger
number Of children who are not now Wlthln
u convenient distance of any school. NO Two
public free schools for the same race ougnt O
be within less than five miles OF each other
Two and half miles IS not too great O dis,
tance from a good school: 4 ve1V je,o only VIII
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 term
ana tho efficiency of those that 'oe have.
1t Is a lamentable fact, known even 70 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 chiidren's education from themselves,
where it properly belongs, to the public, where
it belongs only IN cases or ! extreme sv PoSedd ds
mand that the public, which cXacts from them
n few dimes for school tax, shall in return edu-
cate their children. build and repair their
pcnses ] | OF the school. This disposition ought
to be chccke at every point, ana especnliy III
the matter Of building and repairing scnont
crs to take any part Of their already too small
salary and appropriate it to building and re-
pairing school houses. The school house Is =
local matter, and the community, ought TO
build it at their own expense. The circurn-
stances ought to- he 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
nv views on this subjest will not be well re-
ceived, but believe them to be right. and
that is Il sufficient reason for me TO recon-
mend them to the earnest consideration Oh the
trustees
Thc trustees will please see to it that the
teachers monthly reports are properly hlIed
out. as the School Commissioners annual re-
port is based upon these monthly reports.
Any letter conveying suggestions san and & rec
concentrations to trustees IS essentially dcler-
tive, that does not ask their hearty support IN
the proper administration OF the SCHOOL n.y.
in raising the standard Of teachers certift-
Gates, in increasing the efficiency OF the
schools, in arorsing an interest In the aIl-lm-
portant subject OF properly rearing and edtl-
eating our children and in making during ths
short period of our office, unIniStakaolc ad,
vanccS all along our own lines in the grand
march Of education.
Respectfully,
GEO. G.. HODGES.
School Commissioner \. g.