The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1896-02-12
The Public Schools.
To the Editor Of the Dispatch:

Having called puDllc attehUoH
in the editorial column Of the
last issue January 29t5) OF
your paper to the present system
of public school districts of this
county, and requested me, as vet
eran teacher of long and varied ex-
perience, to give the public my
opinion in regard to the matter, L
will endeavor to comply with your
request as briefly as I can.
In the first place, I wish to say
that I have always been, as I am
still, warm friend and sincere ad-
vocate of popular education, that is,
such education as public school
system is intended to furnish to the
masses of the people. From the
outset, therefore, I have watched
closely and studied attentlvely the
practical working of a system OF
public common schools in South
Carolina. After an experiment and
experience of more than twenty years
past, I am sorry to say that we have
not yet in Lexington county, and no
where in the State, | presume, out
side of the larger towns and the
cities, such public schools in the
country districts as to command the
entire confidence and cheerful sup
port of all good and intelligent
citizens. We all see and feel, that
the large outlay of money and labor
that is made every year for this pur-
pose, is not followed by adequate and
satisfactory practical results and
benefits.
In establishing system Of public
schools in this State, however, there
were many and great difficulties to
be overcome. Many Of these have
now been practically surmounted;
and, it would have been strange in
deed, if some progress and improve
ment had not been made in the
public schools during the last ten
years. We have now, rs matter
Of course, more and better schools,
many of the school houses are better
built and furnished, improved
methods of teaching have been
adopted in many of the schools, and
we have more good and we'll equipped
teachers. All this is encouraging,
but still it does not satisfy public
opinion, or convince the tax payers
Of the county that their money is as
wisely and ber efcially expended as
it might be.
The action Of the County Board OF
Examiners some years ago in re-
districting the county, by dividing it
up into school districts by fixed and
arbitrary lines, was p mi'take, as
the result has shown. The matter
Of locating the schools md laying of,
the school districts Should have been
left to the people of each community,
with the co operation, and assistance
of the county School Commissioner
and his Board of Ec~;aI oiners, as wac
done in Oconee county. It would
have worked bette { in every respect,
been more perm anent, would have
cost the county nothing, and been
far more satisfactory to all concerned.
But the great and Prin cipal draw
back to the progress and prosperity
Of the public schools in South Caro-
hna is not this, that, or the other
defect in the school law-not the
that have been made in
their management, but it lies deeper
1T is with the people themselves.
They do not take hold of the schools
in an energetic, orsiness like way, as
they should, put down all divisions
and wrangling IN their several COM
and make their schools
what they night and should be
made, benign blessing and benefit
to them and their children. But
you must first root out all short
sighted selfshness and unreasonable
foolisseesss and in a manly spirit be
willing to be governed by fair ma
jorsty of tbs good people Of the
OF school district.
NEsToR.
Lexington, S. c.