The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-12-27
THE SCHOOLS OF THE STATE.
A Prosperous Year for the Public Schools
Some Changes that would Contribute to
t:le Improvement OF our Educa-
tionai system.

Some Changes that would Contribute to
t:le Improvement OF our Educ;t-
tionai system.
The following extracts from the re-
port of the STATE Superintendent OF Ed
ucutior, COL james II. Rice, will give
some idea Of his work, the condition OF
the schools and his opinions as to the
best nieals of improving the present
Schoo! system:
L have VISITED eve county ! tke
State see January. l>>S. This has been
accomplished Only BY a EcrT large outlay
of time and mUnerv. but II has afforded
me e-.cept;ona! opportunities 1or obserr-
Jag the entire fed. ;t.n not thus de-
pendent llDul the reports u the cOmmls-
sioaers alone, but am enabled to see aAd
judre for myself OF the character OF The
work done, and of the necessities OF the
situation ior the future. | met d very
large ndmber OF the copa,y boards, and [
hone nave brought them into harmonious
and intelligent cooperation Will our cen
trai WORK.
i am slre .i.rt very la ge mai ior| y of
Our Citizens are n perfect sympathy with
the efforts OF the State % tran every
child. They regard ii as a duty. and uu-
darstand it to be for the best interest Of
the Commonwealth. | am happy TO re-
port, view iIg the field as whole, that IN
iltel 'igent Interest grows everywhere. For
Instance. thee Is an Increase OF 1917
p1pils in the enrolment OF 1888. This Is
a practical evidence of growth that cannot
be gains;liG. There is also an increase OF
! l4.O36 il the average attendance, a most
norable proportion.
Il not Only report great increase II
| general enrolment and average attend
ance bat am happy 10 say that We have
! l62 more schools JIisl tiIat many more
! Light houses 20 g;!!Ge the youlg and
| unframed travellcr-the coming ruler OF
oar beloved Stale. The growth oF our
| educational system and the development
Of the views Of IL" individual citizen are
not Only thus shown. but are strlLinS!y
exhibited IL The character OF the school
build lGs. The iOwns are vlelng with
each otnpr. MinnSb0rO and Rock Hill
have spelt about 1000 each Oh the-r
|
l0,000, aad has loca>ed her magnificent
school houses upon the most commanding
and beartifui situations III the city. Spar
talburg levies a ta,; of $4,000. with d
special local tax TO-: her schools. Smaller
aad larger towns. ald countrv districts
the State over. are rapidly putting tAelr
molev into modern school houses. | not
ouir report more schools, more pupils,
and more general attendance, bit most
emphatical!v report better schools, more
thoroughly qualified teachers, more
earnest official work, more active popular
sympathy, ald as one Of It's most con-
vincing evidences, the fact that during
the last two years more money has been
put into good school buildings in our
State than IN any other similar period OF
her history BY law every five years, the
State board OF examiners has the right,
and it is their duly, to select books for
use in the public schools. I4September,
aiGer weeks Of examination and days Of
arduous session, we selected the various
series fol- use for the nett five years.
=
Il renew my recommendation OF 1887,
that general law be enacted allow :ng
any and all school districts 20 supplement-
The general tai by local levy under some
! general and fixed limit. At present the
difficulties are almost prohibitory.
Il aga;n earnestly urge that the law be
amended with reference to school COM
missioners. 4 Joint resolution to strike
ihe word school commissioners from the
Constitution was passed in 1887 by a
| lar. majo rity of both houses, and will be
ac.ed on by the people before this report
is read. 1T was offered without consulta-
ion with this department. anG | feel no
personal responsibility for the issue. Two
classes of legislators voted for its passage
those who desile to abolish the Office
altogether, a1d those who wish to make
this Officer creature Of the statute and
more etfect We, under new and necessary
legislation. 1t IS needless to conceal the
facS that there is great prejudice against
this Office, us it has been often admin
istered The people at large Judge The
.iee b. its fruit. Many OF these officials
have displayed Their activity only IN COL
| leciilg their salaries. To abolish the
Office, howeye.., would be fatal mistake.
A number of these men have been thor
oughv competent. and they have given
Unlimited labor 20 that work. 1t is right
to take the word school commissioner out
of the Constitution. We coGld then de-
mand qualification. The law requires this
/ Officer 10 eyam:Ae every teacher, and Yet
it allows any man. who ca get the woes,
to ill The office. When, as {: matter OF fact,
he cannot, In many INSTANCES. examine a
s;lgle eacher This is a blundec and
worse than Il crime This bedraggled
remnant OF our hadical Constitution IS a
premium upon !lcompetency, and IS a
wrong alike to patrons, teachers and The
precious children We profess to love and
traia For future citizenship. The word
should be stricken from the Constitution,
or d clause of qualification added thereto.
The office must stand, but the officer
should be controlled by statute. | re-
commend that, after the selection by the
vo,ers. in any case. the man selected be
examined by the State board of e::;am:n-
ers IN Columbia. Failing TO receive an
average Of - pc: cent, and thereby de-
monStratlng his untitnesS for this high
place, thut the vacancy be filled by APP
pointment. There would be few failures
and the standard would be elevated at
orce. This examination shC;1id be simi-
lar 70 those for teachers, only embracing
many Questions on The laws of common
school system. Tbs is ,he most impor-
tant Office IN our work. TO f!j it proper
ly Requires many qualhicatioEs--enecgy
enthusiasm, common sense, based upon a
good general knowledge of books, me-
thods Of teaching and the school law
This Knowledge can only be ascertained
by examination, and places The applicant
on the same pla,e with the teacher. Such
au officer will be enabled 10 unlock every
difficulty. and prove the li1k which will
bind together and make effective what
would otherwise be an incoherent mass.
A proper MAJ thus selected, possessing
the genius o. common sense and thorough
" in sympathy with the elevation of the
peop;e, should be paid not less than one
Thousand dollars per annum. His work
would soon place the common schools on