The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1902-01-14
EDUCAT Tl0N IN
SOUTH CAROLINA.
AN EARNEST Appeal. FOH ArATE'S
SCHOOL TEACHERS.
An"'h"r section OF III" ANNUAL report OF
tho sup ri"' endsrt uf tiuCat ION OF
NJ Ich ln, rest.
The State, llth

nual report Of tho State superinten-
dent Of education will be of partcu.
lar interest to the teachers of tho
State and those interested in the ad.
vancement Of the cause Of education
in South Carolina:
There is strong impulse among
the teachers of our State to regard
their work as a profession. They
have responded during the past three
years not only Loyalty but with
marked enthusiasm to the call to
summer school attendance. In some
counties there is hardly white
teacher who has not attended ono of
the summer school sessions during
this time, and most of them have at.
tended every YER. In Richland
County nearly every white teacher
has attended tho State summer
school. This annual gathering of
30 largo q body Of the leading teach
ers Of the State from country and
town has greatly stimulated profes.
sional spirit and enthusiasm In
many counties Saturday meetings
and systematic study under instruc-
ton are being carried on through the
secession; the touch Ct the leading
spirits in the educational work is
continued uninterrupted. The State
teachers association and county as
sociations earnestly and intelligently
discuss advanced educational reforms,
and speak their convictions in re-
commendations to the public and to
the legislature. The Southern Edu-
cational association is brought to Co.
lumbia through the support Of our
teachers when appealed to for the
required lumber Of mombers. The
State is astir with the thought of the
teachers for the best education of all
the people.
This strenuous life Of tho teacher,
however, takes time and money as
we'll as brains. Who pay the ex-
penses? Who get the benetit9
From the spring closing till tho
fall opening many toachers are in
entire uncertainty of employment an
other year. Many change their place
of work every year or two, though
no fault Of theirs, but through the
thoughtlessness of boards Of trustees
or defects in our school syst tom.
Many are paid less than 500 year.
The average yearly salary paid to
white teachers in the State, including
city as we'll rs country, during the
year closing June 30th WAS $lS9. 81.
That means far smaller annual
compensation to the great majority
of county teachers How is there to
be a profession without STABILITY of
employment and adequacy of com
pensation2 Town teachers have both,
to degree. Country teachers have
neither, as rule. Can tho legisla.
ture do anything toward changing
thisp
Better System-Our laws now pre-
won't good management-as far as
bad laws can prevent it. 1t is only
tho graded schools (which are excep-
tlonal in our system), and tho few
country schools voluntarily seeking
to adopt the met hots Of the graded
schools, that make possible the many
excellent teachers we HOW have in
South Carolina and the high concep.
ton of tho profession which is their
inspiration. We should hasten to
make the exception the rule. Let
us incorporate 10 our general school
law the approved features of the
best managed schools in tho State.
The matters are fully discussed
above in connection with the uncer
tain tenure Of trustees, county boar ds
and COUNTY superintendents or edu.
cation.
Certificates.-One Of tho defocts OF
our present system is the method OF
certificating teachers, which fails on,
tirely to distinguish the efficient from
the inefficient, the growing teacher
from the antiquated drone. Loose re
qurements for certiiicstion, or re
quirements loosely enforced, not only
directly injure the people by doceiv
ing them into the employment Of in