The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-01-02

efficient school system IS the guarau-
tee of expert supervision, sud they
are further agreed that skilled pro
fessional superintendent or inspector
Of schools csnnot be secured where ID
the salary is inadequate; (2), the ten.
ure short or unc, rtain, or, (3), the
choice is by popular election. Oars stat
utory law for county superintendensss
of education combines ail three OF
these defects. Until they are removed
he duties of inspection and snpezVis
ion cannot 5e properly done through
ont ~ he Stste and it would be waste
10 provide more school money. ! know
that many friends of education do not
see this. They have not studied the
ouestion But they ought to put som,
faith in the conclusion reached by all
students Of the school pronlem here
and in other countries. Let the school
system provide expe-t supervision aod
sil other wants Will be supplied It
is the one thing needful the overshad
owing need.
Salary. average salary paid
county superintendents of education
in South Carolina is 1923 Is; the usual
salary is $500 or 500, This is prepos.
tercus. The Office is regarded and
made by law Insignificant, subsidiary
to the incum bert's private business, or
small pension for gooG citizen.
Poor pay, poor preach" /" In my an.
nual report | urged an increase Of the
salary of this officer in every county,
and discussed the qualities and work
of capable superintendent, stressing
%, his executive duties as business
and iaancisl manager; ~ MS profes
sional work as "a expert inspector OF
schools snd teacher and trainer Of
teachers. shall append to this report
some extracts FROM what | there said.
Tenure of OGce.-The same argu-
ment that holds for the continuation
Of faithful a3d efficient teacher,
graded school SUPERINTENDENT, college
professor or presidents, applies to the
superintendent of the schools of the
county. A change Of maossement ev-
cry two or four years will retard any
systematic work. a new management,
however intelligent, REQ rres some
time to become acquainted with and
adjusted to conditions. Meantime there
is friction, aud friction is waste. just
when faithful and capable officer be
gins to get everything toned W, un
der control, ready to be brought to
high efficiency, he must abandon the
management TO one to whom the whole
business is entirely new and strange.
Possibly he surreDders the work
though congenial aud inspiring, be-
cause he cannot afford to give his
time for so small salary. Possibly
he is defeated because he has served
his two terms" or ''has had it long
enough" It may be that he is defess,
ed because he hss refused to prostitute,
the Office to the ends Of politician,
and his opponent is 8 den,gogue that
plays upon low passions and narrow
prejudicss, or makes unscEupulous
combinations. He may be defeated
merely because he is known to b, able
TO make living without tho salary
and his opponent is in need of pen
sion, or because his opponent has more
kin in the county, or be is a 'llier COM
panion.
This is not the way a mill or rail
road or other successful business is con
Quoted Nor IS it the method for
schools in States where public school
education has proved most successful
Nor is it by this method that our town
schools are operated Only our couo-
try schools are thus sacrificed. Like,
sise they are subjected to the fr' queut
char giug of teachers This is the
fatal weakness in the couatry schools
This is the vital difference betwsen the
country schools aud the town schools
Are our county schools not worthy to
be given the same advantageous
management that is provided for the
town schools and the colleges?
An educational system Is great
business. a business, although con-
Quoted by the State, should be con-
Quoted on business principles. The
fact that there is tendency not to do
this bu. to let small politics control, is
the cause Of the strenuous opposition
of so many intelligent citizens to the
conduct of any business by govern
ment. improvement has always been
effected by aboli>hing the methods Of
politics The eff cheney Of the Uaited
States scientific bureaus, and of the
postal service, has been obtained
through an organisation which e1
cludes politics and guarantees the per
employment Of competent work
e,s In the dispensary system Of South
Carolins the nece 'sity has been ex.
perienced for the application Of the
same principles. Shall We do less for
our public schools?
Popular Election.-The law pre-
scribes no qualifications for the Office
of county superintendent. Only in
few counties is there sentiment
which insures that he must hsve been
a teacher. But he may be the poorest
white teacher in the county. 1c mauy
counties it is not expected that he shall
be an educated man. Ia a few he is
utterly incompetent He may be col
lege graduate and Jet BY temperament
beiutterly uofs for the work. In
GEORGETOWN, where the whites have an
to give some Offices to the
negro nsjority, the ofico of superin-
tendent of education is selected IS one
to b, given to the Negroes fit in!i-
c. ion Of that county's conception of
the assistance the white teachers
should receive from a superintendent
of education The colored incumbent
is an Intelligent man, and has done
much 10 bsuefl the teachers of his race