The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-01-16

schools. The first essential is teacher
OF high moral character and adequat,
professional equipment. Our teacher
have better opportunities for profes
} sional training than ever before, ant
they show n higher average of intclli
gence and professional fitness; bu
they are too often poorly paid for thcil
services, and the best results cannot be
expected until the schools, instead OF
advertising for bids from teachers
offer adequate pay and demand good
qualifications.
The complaint Is made, and not un-
Justly, that our school system is not
well artlculatcd; that no provision has
been made to ill the gap between the
common school and the college, and
that the college must therefore main
tain preparatory department. While
it is true that very few of those who
enter the common school ever reach
the high school and fewer still the col
lcge, yet those who desire to fit them
selves for college should have The op-
| portunity to do so in their own schools.
/ This deficiency has been met in many
of the towns and IN some o. the coun-
! try districts by the erection of graded
! schools; but in most of the country
schools inadequate preparatory train
| ing is offered. The result is that many
OF the country pupils who desire TO
compete for scholarships in the State
colleges or who desire to enter college
arc at a manifest disadvantage, and
must either employ some one to coach
Oft
school or graded school i'm town, at a
considerable outlay for board and tut
| tiOn.
The importance of lcvying an addi-
tiohal tax for the support of the country
schools cannot be too strongly urged
upon our people. This will enable
them to employ competent teachers for
longer terms; it will enable them to
give their children elementary and pre-
paratory training at home; and it will
tend 10 check the abnormal flow of
population from the country to the
town; it will be beneficial from every
point OF view. While ii is pos
siblc for the graded schools to become
too mechanical and inclastic, the ire
gularlty in attendance at the country
schools renders it impossible to have
graded instruction ~ systematic work.
Since the State offers free education in
order that its people may be fitted for
the duties Of citizenship, it is worthy
OF consideration whether, within pro-
per limits OF term and age, it should
not require attendance at the schools.
The ideal is a well articulated eystcm
extending from primary grade to col
legc; at least one well equipped school
In every community, accessible to
every citizen Of school age; a term Of
at least eight months, and the require
ment that within reasonable limits,
The community avail itself Of the ad-
vantages offered by the public; a coun-
ty board of education removed from
local prejudices, charged with the duty
OF assigning teachers to vacant schools
and OF inspecting the schools. At a
later period each school should be
equipped with circulating library and
should be prepared to give technical
training in tie industrial arts. We
are far from the ideal, but our schools
arc making gratifying progress; and
the whole subject has been much en-
barassed by the race problem. We
should address ourselves faithfully to
the development of the system. "Thc
glory OF founding educational systems
cannot be ours; but the cifoit for i'm
provcment, by building wise practice
upon sound theory, is within the reach
OF each one Of us.' Whatever YOU
effectively do for the Improvement of
| ou: educational system will be so much
wisely contributed to the welfare of
the State and the advancement of civil
liZation.
The report of the State supcrintcn-
dent of education will acqualnt you
fully and in detail with the condition
and needs of our schools.
This report contains full and in
telligent discussion Of the whole sub
jcct Of the common schools and those
things which are necessary to make
them more efficient. In the estima-
ton OF the State superintendent one of
the most pressing needs of the coun-
try schools Is better supervision of the
work done. This is very important
matter and cannot be too strongly i'm.
pressed. To secure it, however, it is
necessary to have and to spend more
money, so that men trained for the
work could be employed. The salary
OF county supcrlntendents ranges from
$500 to 5000, while the town superin.
tendcnts receive 5000 and upwards
and their fields of supervision are in
comparably smaller and far less com
plex, and hence their responsibilities
arc less. And yet unless the selection
OF the county superintcndents could bt
made on account Of merit and regard
less of personal or political afliliation
and not be subject to change upon tn,
political whj.ns of changing publ,
sentiment, incrcaseI pay would not b,
, guarantee of efficiency in the man
agement oil the country schools. Th,
management of our schools should b.
as far removed from political influence
as possible and men should be put il
charge who are devoting their life t.
the work. The Office of county super
intendcnt Of education being an cleo
tive office, only as the people come t
realize the importance of efficiency an
; competency as essential qualification
: IN the man who fills It, can we hop
y for or expect good results. Very fe'
men have the courage to run counte
to public sentiment and all are NOR
,, or less influenced by those thing
!, which affect their own interests. Pr
u vision should be made as already su,
= gested for county board Of educatio
Cb aalpcted In auch xyay ao ,,ot +c ~ a.