The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-03-02

greatest difficulty in the way OF
general education and how may
it be overcome?" gave in it's Jan
uary issue the replies from elev.
en- of these officers. It is worth
noting that ten of this number
state either one Of both of the
following difficulties: lnadequacy
of school funds; lack Of proper
appreciation Of education and
its benefits. Seven Of the ten
give the former as the chief oh
stacle. The eleventh a lady
superintendent Of Colorado,
thinks the greatest difficulty in
the way of general education is
that of keeping children in
school, which is, after all, a lack
of the right kind of sentiment.
The superintendent of Pennsyl-
vania writes that the chief OBJ
stacle is the lack Of proper ap-
probation of the real advantages
of an education, but that ''the
best way to farther the progress
of the school is to show the peo-
pie that money spentin the right
education Of children is the best
investment of public money ever
made and that if the people be-
lieve this proposition they will
pay for all the educational facili-
ties of which their children will
take advantage.''
It is hardly necessary to insert
here statistics as to the salary Of
men and women teachers in
South Carolina. Too well we
know already conceiving the re.
muneration ordinarily received
by them-too well we know the
insuficiency of these salaries to
grant any luxuries of life and
oftentimes many pressing needs
of life. While the pay received
by our town and city teachers is
at best only moderate that Of the
rural teachers is in many cases
positively discouraging.
The summers Of not less than
three months to be bridged over,
the need Of educational journals,
periodicals and books, the ina
bility to pursue higher courses
of study before such ambition
shall have faded away, these as
instances of many, are consider
ations bearing on the salary
question which make the demand
for better pay SO reasonable.
When it is admitted on every
hand that there is no response
bility and no work, more impor-
tant in the upbuilding Of human
ity, the inculcating of practical
knowledge and the imprinting of
high principles than that Incl
dent to the teachers work. is it
not strange that the teacher does
not receive a remuneration COM
pairing more favorably with that
Of his fellow laborers in the
world of thought and action?
Aside from the worthiness of
the claim, would there not be as
a natural result of such increase,
a reaction in renewed energy: in
encouragement, in progressive
ness on the part of the teacher?
Though speaking to teachers
| need not hesitate to say that
our profession-our occupation
as I have called it-needs elevat-
ing. 1t needs more dignity,
more prestige, more first class
ability than it now possesses. In
other words, school teaching
while the nobleness Of its work
is unapproached in any other
profession save that of preach
Ing, does not somehow carry
with it the weight of other pro
fess;ons. Why: Is it not because
of the fact that too low ideals
have prevailed for it.: Has it
not been too easy for persons to
get positions as teachers? Is not
teaching too frequently the
means to an end rather than
being the definite goal of the
young man or young woman en-
tering upon this work. AS a
result those who have tenacious
ly adhered to it as a regular vo-
cation have had to bear the
criticisms which may have been
brought about by really unpre-
pared so-called teachers. DR..
E. S. Joynes of the South Caro-
lima College recently expressed
in a brief newspaper article his
appreciation of the fact that so
many conscientious, cultured,
capable young ladies were will
ling to accept unlnVltlnS posi-
tions as teachers in the State.
many in the country communl
ties, but remarked that few
young men of strong ability and
genuine worth were to be found
engaging themselves in this
work, comparatively speaking.
For women, teaching is perhaps
one Of the best forms Of employ
ment, even with it's discourage
ments. but men-easily led on
by conventional as we'll as mon
etary consideratlons-have not
yet ranked pedagogy as a spec
tally favorable field Of action as
a life-work.
Now if the profession stood in
higher esteem, and if salaries