The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1903-03-17
THE RURAL SCHOOLS,
Methods for Their Improvement Address
of Prof. E. B. Wallace, Before the
County Teachers.

! full attendance of teachers, only about
twenty-five being present. Those in
attendance, however, showed a deep
interest in the work, and the meeting
was pleasant and profitable. The ad-
dress was delivered by Prof e. B. Wal
lace, County Superintendent Educa-
tion of Richland County. Mr.. Wallace 8
talk was plain and practical, and full
OF useful information and suggestions.
His subject was, '"rhe Improvement of
Rural Schools" The meeting was
called to order by President E. S.
| Werts who expressed qualification at
the large number of teachers present,
| especially in view of the fact that the
| county roads are in such condition that
travel is almost impossible. lie then in
troduced Prof. e. B. Wallace, the
speaker of the occasion.
Prof. Wallace said that he wanted
first to say something of the great
County of Newberly. He did not feel
a stranger here. He said | 9 is half
Newberry man himself, his mother hav-
ing been from this county. His moth
er's guardian was Newberry's distin-
guished jurist, Judge John Belton
O'Neall.
Prof. Wallace, taking up the discus
sion of his subject, said that in the
matter of the Improvement of the rural
schools, the first problem which must
be confronted is the great influx of
people from the country to the towns,
| the depopulation of the rural districts,
the main reason for which is the desire
of parents to give their children the
advantage of a good education. There
are well grounded charges against the
country schools. First their INSULT
cheney; second, their tendency to teach
town ideas and nothing pertaining to
rural life; third, their failure to simu-
late an interest among the children.
This is not true of the city graded
schools Here the conditions are nor
NAL. Artificial conditions must he sup
piled for the county schools.
The idea seems to prevail, said Prof
Wallace, that any teacher is competent
to teach country school, to take care
of the education of country children,
and that any kind of a schoolhouse is
good enough for country school. The
picture was not overdrawn. He spoke
from personal experience and observa-
ton gained in his school work in Rich
land County. The country people, some
of them, are opposed to Improvement
of their schoolhouses because they say
it is getting too much like town try
ing to initiate town too much. The
country school house must be improved
Another trouble with the country
schools is that they think any kind of
book is good enough. Another, that
the buildings hardly ever have any
beauty or artistic design. His opinion
was that a schoolhouse should be as at
tractive as possible, and should be in
the best possible location, on a public
highway, in view of passers-by, some
thing to appeal to the pride of the COM
munity, something around which the
life of the community may centre.
Another great trouble the rural
schools are too isolated. The superin-
tendent gets around possibly once a
year and spends an hour. What good
can he do by such visit? The policy
of the South has been to multiply
schools. The politicians are mainly re-
sponsible for this. They promise the
people an increased number of schools,
and waste the public money in building
useless schools. The city schools are
prosperous, and they are well equipped,
have large number of pupils, and
there is social intercourse and rivalry
among the students. Paris is the CEN
tire of the worlds fashions because it's
society population is congested. The
speaker said he believed in the consoli-
dation Of the country schools. One
teacher with fifty pupils can accom-
plish nothing. Combine two schools
and give two teachers. The schc d is
increased and becomes an object Of
pl ide; two teachers are able to accom-
plish more results with the increased
number Of pupils than one with smaller
number; the best men of the community
take an interest, are induced to 90 upon
the board Of trustees, and work for it's
success, and the school prospers.
There is purity and ruggedness
about country life, said the speaker,
that the city does not possess. And
for this reason country boy will out
strip city boy with the same ability.
The speaker had seen this explained
recently. City boys are accustomed
to beautiful buildings, to the hearing
of great orations, and take no notice.
Country boys are not, and when they
see and hear, they have the desire to
emulate to do great things themselves.
He did not want to see the country blot
ted out. He wanted to see the country
developed, and the gccd things of the
city carried to the country.
He reiterated his belief in the efficacy