The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-03-02
The Public Schools.

.nit me through your columns to submit
the following for the consideration OF the
Trustees OF the free common schools and
others having control of the educational
interest OF Anderson County:
The District Tru.te Of blank School
District employ teacher at salary of
$50 month. The community in which
the school is located has large school
population. On the border of the district
smoll handful OF pupils attend small
uelshboring school in Adjoining dis
trict. When the teacher of the school in
blank district makes out her report, it
appears that there has been an attendance
during the month of $50 days. or daily
average of A3 scholars Out Of the free
school fund there has been paid, therefore,
for the month, 20 cents per scholar, or a
per diem OF 81 cents. When the report OF
the teacher of the smnll school in the ad-
iacent district is submitted TO the Trus-
tees Of blank School District, they declare
that, in jn>tice, they cannot pay more
than q per diem of 81 cents on the trans
ferred scholars; since TO do so would be
discrimination in favor of the latter school.
We see that the pay Of the teacher in the
latter schcol-at best. quite meager-is
variable quantity, going down in proper
ton as the number OF scholars increase in
the school in blank School District The
teacher Of the small school feels that in the
latter case Of receiving per diem Of cn!y
8! cents, an injustice has been done and
desires tc appeal, but is met with the OBJ
isct,ou that the lnw empowers the local
Boards of Trustees Of School Districts to
employ teachers aud TO fix their salaries
and that they have full jurisdiction in all
matters pertaining to the public schools,
tie only restriction being that they en-
ploy teachers ho'ding certificates from the
County Board OF Education. Something
like the above has actually happened.
Now, let US suppose case involving
the same principle:
There is school district with territory
sufficiently extensive and school popu-
lsiion sufficiently large to locate two
schools in different parts of The district.
The two communities ia which the schools
are located are about equalin school popn-
laton, and equally alive tothe importance
of education in their midst. The Trustees
employ teachers for these respective
schools, which we shall call school No. i
and school No. 9 The teachers emp o5ed
for each school are both alike efficient,
and hold license Of the same grade In
school No l every Sthipg is favorable
there is a total enrolment Of 60 pupils and
there is an average daily attendance Of As.
In school No. things are not so favora-
ble an epidemic Of whocpiug cough fails
on the community, consequently the eD-
rollment and the attendance at school is
not so large. There is an enrolment CT
40 pupils, and an average attendance of 25
pupils. The Trustees, in employing these
teachers, inform them that their services
are not worth mcre than $25 snd that in
no evert shall either Of them receive an
amount greater than S?5; but the salary
OF one Of them must bea matter of con-
tingepcy, and must depend en- the num-
her Of scholars attending the larger school
When the services Of both teachers have
been rendered and they have made their
respective reports, the Trustees in form the
teacher Of the smaller school that it would
not be equitable and right to pay her s25
while the one with an average of As pupils
received only $25. Although she had put
in full time and had done hard, faith ul
earnest work, it would be matter of dis.
elimination if they wero to nay her pei
diem OF 5 cents. while the teacher in school
No. l received only little over 81 cents
per day. Therefore, as matter Of justice
they pay the teacher of school No. l S25
and the teacher Of No. 2 little less thar
Sl4 In estimating work OF any kind the
first thing we do is to establish standard
or unit OF measure or value; otherwise wt
could form no just estimate Of the work
The Boards of Trustees for the prbli'
schools of Anderson County, as rule, EN-
poy teachers holding first grade license
at q salary of S25 In fixing this salary
they are governed by standard. Ifthi'
were net the case there would he gTea
latitude for partiality and favoritism OF
the one hand or injustice and oppression
on tie Other, for teacher with 10 pupils
might receive $50 and teacher OF 80 pu
pills might receive considerably less thar
$50. In arriving at this standard, We con
ceive they would proceed in this way
They would estimate tbst An average of =;
pupils would be good school, and tha
the services of teacher holding n frs
grade license teaching such school ar
worth at least So and this wonld maxi
tuition worth cents per diem up 10 th
limit of % scholars at least. IL tuition il
an average school is worth cents day.
on the scholar. then p teacher holding
first grade license and teaching sctoo
ofless t!nn 25 scholars, ought to receive
per diem Ct at least j csnts.
Let us have full. free, and general ex
preston OF opinion on the above subiec
bv the public Trustees and school officer
of the County NJ. n MITCHELL.
Explosion Came From Underneath.