Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-07-10
SCHOOL TEXT BOOKS ADOPTION IN FORCE
Figures OF interest TO Many People OF the
State-Compulsory Use Henceiorth.
1.-THE State, July 1st. ]

Inc otaCe, July lst.
The fiscal year of the public schools of
the State is not coterminal with the cal
endar year, but runs from July of one
year to June 30 of tho succeeding year.
To-day, then, begins the new fiscal year
at which the adoption of text books for
the next five years practically goes into
effect.
This adoption or selection of books to
be used exclusively in the public schools
was made the 18th day of last Soptem ber,
and dc nomine became effective the first
of November last, but tho following, ad-
opted last September by tho State Board
OF Education, makes tho use of these
books compulsory after to-day: "That
no pay warrant shall be issued by any
Board of Trustees or approved by any
County Superintendent Of Education in
favor of any teacher who, after July 1,
l0O1, uses in tho public schools of this
State any text book to tho exclusion of
tho text book or books herein named"
Ihe amount OF money paid by tho
toxt books is astounding to those who
have never mede the calculation. What
becomes of all tho pins'' has worried
more than ono statistician. "What be-
comes of all the school booksp" Are
thcy handed down from gonoration to
generation until they are no longer fit
for uscp Somo book stores mako a"nico
thing" by buying school books from tho
children ut tho close of tho year and sell
ing them at a profit in tho fall. In a
great many schools it is part of school
discipline to require tho books to bo kept
neat and fit for succeeding classes.
But whilo thcro are numbers of WAYS
which are used to cut down tho annual
outlay, the expense of buying now school
books is, nevertheless, enormous. Last
year there wcre 273,5lO children in the
child used four books and if each book
cost IS cents the total amount repro
sentcd in text books in use in the State
was $273,5l0. This is low estimate.
Among the rules adopted in conncc-
tion with the adoption Of tho text books
was one stipulating that tho contract
price of the same books must nevor be
lower in any other State than in South
Carolina, and that the books must be
sold at uniform price throughout the
State, and tho price must be printed in
tho backs of books.
The prices arc somewhat lower, it ia
said, than obtained under the former
adoption, but there was quito change
i'll some of tho fundamental branches of
study which is as yet experimental.
The re readers range in price from 10
tho Fifth; spelling books from 13 to 25
cents; grammars, from 32 to As cents
histories, 40 to GS cents; South Carolina
history, 60 cents; Biographies, 81 to SO
ccnts; physiolOgics, 22 to so cents; copy
books, as to 60 cents dozen, and so on
through the list Of text books.
This adoption was not of full effect
until to-day, tho State Board having con.
tractcd to merely recommend and urge
tho teachers to use thom after Noycmbor
|, 1900, tho resolution reading: "That up
to July /, 1901, the said books need not
be introduced except where the teachers
and trustees deem their introduction
feasible and desirable. Tho adoption
lasts until July |, 1906, five years, and,
as stated before, no pay warrant shall be
issued to any teacher who uses in the
public schools of this State any tcxl
books othor than those named in the
adoption
There are, however, n number of spe.
cial school districts which are not bound
by this adoption, the charters of said
districts dclegating that power to the
local boards of trustees. This is the
case with most Of the graded schools in
towns and cities.
The selection of books by tho State
Board was made with view to adapt
the changes to the schools in rural dis.
tricts particularly.
The new adoption provides that pub.
fishers cannot decline 10 accept in ex.
change books now used in tho schools,
There is moderate difference in the
price. For instance, Second reader
costing "a cents, may be obtained for /!
cents in cash and an old reader given in
exchange.
Tho following figures. showing tho
number of pupils studying the various
branches of instruction in the public
schools will indicate the extent to which
this adoption affects the State financially