The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1888-03-29
Teachers COlatnap5..;, Il :,

wisdom OF the management of this
fund is clearly seen in the quickened
zeal of many communities in working.
up a school large enough. to get the
benefit of the fund. The change
here recommended would I've unnpobu-
lar ut first i'll some quarters, but when
people realized that. il was the law of
the land, opposition to it, rs in the
case OF the stock law: would soon die
out. AS the law now stands very it,,
tie efforts are made in the country to
pay the teachers anything over and
above what they get from the public
school fund. In Abbeville county n
first grade teacher receives twenty
dollars q month from the public fund
Tor an average Of five and three -ouor.
ter months. The average annual sal
"ry OF teachers of the public free
schools of South Carolina is one ann.
dred dollars. Is it ans wonder then
tnat the standard of qualification and
efficiency OF teachers in our rural
schools is becoming lower and lower
from year to year? Goyd teachers
are seeking other occupations. and
young men Of little experience and
education, and men of feeble health
are taking their places temporarily.
Mr.. j. w. Henry, of Missouri, does
not express it too strong when he SAYS
"cheap teachers are a curse to
community, worse than the frrcs
and lice of Egypt, for here they pre
vail to considerable extent they de-
grade mind, deprave morals and cor
rupt religion" It is an old and true
saying that .'poor pay makes poor
preach" Where the people dematid
cheap lawyers pettifoggers flourish;
where they demand cheap doctors
quacks show their ignominious heads:
and where they demand cheap teach.
ers forthwith appears clnss of ped
agogucs who, having failed ut every
thing else they undertook, would
now drag down from it's divine posi-.
ton this noble calling to their own
mean level.
t'Bptter far
That Hcavcn's lightning blast his soul
And sink it back to Chaos lowest DEPTHS
Ihan knowingly. by word or deed. he
send Il blight.
Upon the Trusting mind of youth"
The carclessncss and indifference
OF parents and the poor pay they
offer for. the education Of their chill
dren furnish to the thoughtful mind
an explanation of the widespread com
plant that the system is Insufficient
that the, schools are poor and the
teachers incompetent. The effect Of
making the fund supplemental only:
would be to enlarge the fund, to
lenSthen the public school term TO-
stimulate local efforts, to attract
better class of well.paid Teachers and
to put the schools on better footinr
than they have been for many vears
l believe the school tax was. in,.
POSED Mt first by an odious govern.
ment to help the poor ignorant negro
to get simply the most elementary
school instruction. At no STAGE in
the history of the tax was it intended
that the fund should take the place
wholly Of private tuition fees on the
part of the whites. For n lone time
after the system was begun our white
schools did not receive and did not
ask for aid from the public fund
But now many of them Get no aid
from any other source. II is II.
mentable fact that in some sections
OF Abbcville county, and I suppoSe
the same is true in other counties
mere is an increasing disposition, on
tho part OF parents to shift tbe r..
possibility of their childrcns' cduco-
ton from themselves, where # nron.
erly Belongs, to the public, where if
belongs only in cases of extreme nov
erty and misfortune, or wilfnl NEGLECT
The demand that the public. Which
exacts from them a few dimes for
school tax. shall in return educoto
their children, build and repair tbo
school-houses, pay the incidental ey-
penses OF the school, and in some
cases pay even their music bill. IT
Is pernicious and essentially enron.
eous doctrine to suppose that papentss
are released from all resonsilGlfvFto;I
private fees for the education Of
their children because they pav q
small tax for school purposes. The
streets OF this community are lighted
4