The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1900-02-15
TALKS To TEACHERS.
State Superintendent of Education
John j. McMaban Tells Bamberg
County Educators How to Make
Better Schools.

| SIbl6 OuptliAIcHdVht VI A""e"'"
John ]. McMahan Tells Bamber
County Educators How to Max
Better Schools.
There were but three of Bamberg cour
tvs pretty school marms, who were coul
ageous enough on Saturday last to bray
the mud and rain and attend the regula
monthly meeting of the Teachers Assc
citation. There was double that numbe
of male teachers present, and County Su
perintendent of Education ". E. Seas
and ex-C County Superintendent L. N. Bel
linger were on hand to swell the audi
ence. Because of the small number pres
ent no business was transacted and tn
meeting was adjourned by President Cal
houn to meet Saturday, February 9th, a
II o'clock A. NJ, when the committee
appointed at the last regular meeting vii
report, and the program of work adopted
will be taken up. Everybody is invited
to attend this meeting, especially tin
school patrons and trustees.
In accordance with previous arrange
ment, State Superintendent of Education
John J. McMahan came down from Co
lumbia to see how the new organization
was getting along, and for three-qualtcr'
of an hour outlined in an informal, dis
cursive way certain plans whereby BAN
berg county's school service might be i'm
proved. Things scholastic in this county
he said, were not what they ought to be
and to clinch and confirm this statement
he read lot of statistics concerning oul
schools which were a surprise to his aud
itors, and will be a revelation to the read
ers of The BAMBERG HERALD and friends
of education all over the county. For in
stance:
The average school term for white pu-
pills in South Carolina is 4 S1-100 months
each year; the negro pupils are given
8 g. 100 months. In Bamberg county the
white pupils get little less than one
month of average schooling, cor B S2-1OO
each year; the negroes do little
worse than this, receiving 29-100 months
yearly.
There is the same falling off in the
matter of pay. The average amount paid
yearly to white teachers in the State is
s159.09; in Bamberg county they receive
S145.95. The negro teachers in the State
average $62.7 a year; in Bamberg coun-
ty they draw $57.4S. In order to get good
teachers, male and female, Mr.. McMahan
thinks the average pay should be higher.
Bamberg county is a little better off
than the average State school in the pro-
portion of white pupils to teachers. The
average number of white scholars taught
by each teacher in Bamberg county is
30 $40; in the State ii is SO 4-10. The
negro schools are not so well of, for
while the average number of negro pupils
to each teacher in the State is GA $40, in
county the average 7S $40.
There are "a white schools in the county
with 40 teachers. There are 81 negro
schools and a like number of teachers.
There are in Bamberg county a great
many schools which the State Superin-
tendent classed as "bad." These he ar
ranged in the following statistical order: !:
District No. 5-Fishpond has five white
schools and five teachers, with a total OF
l07 pupils. Last year these schools run
on an average of 1 $40 months each ;
there are three negro schools, employing
three teachers, and these had an average
term of one month.
District No. o.6-Buford's Bridge has five
white schools for 105 pupils, which get an
average schooling of three months each
year.
District No. 15-Oakland has one white
school, presided over by one teacher, who
has % pupils who receive two months
schooling per year; there is negro
school, with one teacher and S3 pupils,
and the school term for them is two
District No. 26-Colston gives its chill
dren black and white. one months school
ing. There is school for each, and there
are IS pupils in attendance on the white
school and .55!enrolled in the negro.
District No. 4-Lemon Swamp also
has one white and onesnegro school, the
children attending which get two months
tuition. There are 16 pupils in the white
school and 81 op the rolls of the negro
school.
District No. 4S-Barbary Branch, which
is combination school, being partly sup
ported by Barnwell county has white
school with s5 pupils, which receive from
Bamberg county's appropriation money
enough to run two months. The amount
received from the mother county enables
it to make little better showing.
Mr.. McMahan believes that careful
study of local conditions and local topog-
raphy will enable consolidation OF some
of these country schools, and consequent
ly longer school year. In the country
districts in the eastern and northwestern
States he says the school authorities, in
stead of bringing the school to the schol'
ars, bring the scholars to the school" An
experiment of that sort, he thinks, might
be tried to advantage in Bamberg county
Arrangements could be made during the
school year with some farmer to pick the
children up each morning at their homes
and convey them to schoolhouse cen
trally located, returning them to theil
homes when school is finished. If the
vehicle used is weather proof there will
be no "off" days, and pupil, parent and
teacherl will be the gainer.1If two OF
more schools are consolidated the increas