The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-01-15
County High Schools.

following to say in the matter Of coun-
ty high schools:
"In many counties the town school
is attended in its higher grades by
pupils from county districts, who in
some cases fas in Orangeburg and
Union) are admitted free of tuition by
the generous action Of the city board,
but generally are required to pay tut
tion. In either case, the limit of ca
pacity to admit pupils is being reach
cd or has been reached in many towns
especially in those that have grant
ed the privilege without the barrier
of tuition charges. What is to be
'lone to supply the demand for high
school education? Moreover, many
smaller towns have never yet been
able to provide a high school depart
mcnt for their own children, and con
sc4ucntly in some counties there is
not even this beginning of Il high
school accessible. to the children Of the
county. If the law provided machine
ry by which town and country-coun-
ty, in short-could unite in cstab-
fishing and supporting such school,
it would at once become attainablc in
many places where now the need of it
has come to be sorely felt. Indeed,
we have reached the time when some
counties have developed sentiment
in favor Of providing high school edu-
cation for all children, from town or
country, who will attend. The coun-
ty board of Anderson, for example,
in the person Of County Superinten-
dent X. +. Nicholson and City Super
intendent T. G. Walton, have been
agitating for year the establishment
of county high school, to serve the
city as well as the country. They
have called meetings Of the school
trustees of the county and secured
cooperation looking to combined con-
tributions of public funds for this
end. But mere voluntary co-opera-
tion of boards liable to constant change
Of membership will not suffice. A
simple enactment that the county
board may reserve and apply in its
discretion 10 per cent. Of the school
fund would suffice. It would give in
Anderson more than $4,000. While
that board would use the fund of a
high school, a board in a county not
yet ready for high school might use
a small sum to assist in supplying
good teachers to specially backward
or poor communities, or might think
best not to exercise it's power to set
aside and expend part of the school
fund.
ut would be best to attempt no
distinct legislation on the subject Of
high schools. An elaborate system
created by law for all counties at this
time would be positively hurtful-a
waste of money which is sadly needed
in the country school districts. In
any definite legislation there would
be danger of forcing prematurely a
high school upon some county not yet
prepared for it. All that is needed is
to strengthen the hands of the county
boards, by the several safeguards and
powers suggested above, and these
boards will establish the necessary
high schools as soon as local condi-
tions can be developed to warrant
them. The county board would thus
be, ss it ahould be, the governing
board Of the county high school. The
county superintendent, employed BY
county board, would have general
oversight of the county high school,
as of all the other schools in the coun-
ty.
"In some counties these schools
would serve for the better prepa, a.
tion of local teachers, until that dis
tant day when the colleges and the
normal schools shall suffice to supply
trained teachers for ell the schools of
the country. In some counties these
high schools would take the form of
industrial schools for boys and girls
satisfying somewhat the craving that
Clemson and Winthrop have served
to awaken in the breasts Of thous-
ands who cannot reach these splendid
institutions. Any one Of our coun-
tiea is aa large as State Of the old
world, and is amply able to provide
within it's borders high school for
the practical education of its chill
dren, rich and poor"
= The worn or soiled Bank of Eng