The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-11-15
The State Ought To Provide For
Public High Schools.
MIR MARTIN REVIEWS
A Work that has been Accomplished
ia the Western States and Urges
the Passage of a Good High
School Law in South Car
DINA.

Vltho
State Superintendent OF Education
Martin Is very much interested In the
subject of highlschools. BE has taken
the matter up n his forthcoming an.
nual report tothe General Assembly
and he has thdse interesting sugges.
lions to make do that topic.
The absence bf high schools makes
a weak place Id the educational ~.
tenn of South Carolina. The time has
come when this want should be sup.
piled. One of the most heaomenal
growths in any educational line is
the great growth of State universities
In the middle and far West. This
growth is largely accounted for by the
provision on tho part Of the L'gisla
lures of those States for high schools.
As a rule, these State universities en-.
roll more than three thousand STU
dents. This occurs in States whose
population does not exceed that OF
this State. Such VI University growth
is impossible without good prepare.
tory and high school facilities. 1t is
poor educational policy for a State to
spend approximately a quarter OF a
million dollars on four colleges, and
then make absolutely no prLvision for
high schools to be feeders for these
colleges. The statistics from the
States above referred to show that
the high school not only serves as q
feeder for the university, but that
thousands Of boys and girls are pre-
pared for life's duties In these high
schools. In fact, # is customary to
offer two courses, one for students who
expect to go to college or to the uni
versity, and one for those who do not.
In this connection I wish to quote
from the reports of a few State super.
'ntendents, where there Is provision
for the public high school.
The Hon. J. W. Olsen, Of Minneso-
ia, ssys: II do not hesitate to state
that in my judg ment the Stste is
amply repaid In results for the en-
couragement thus given to this class
of educational institutions. These
schools, coming under the supervision
Of the State high school board, must
comply with the rules OF the board.
and we employ Inspectors to see that
these rules are compiled with. This
results In better buildings, we'll light.
ed, heated and ventilated, in good
working libraries, as well as physical
and chemical laboratories, etc. The
aim is to induce communities getting
this aid to do more for themselves.
This aid from the Late enables the
county and many q small town to
maintain a high school that otherwise
could not afford to do so, which, In
turn, draws in q vast number Of its
best young people for high school In.
struction, who would not and could
not receive it If it were not placed
within their immediate vicinage."
Superintendent T. J. Kirk. Of Cali
fornia: Rapid strides have been
taken in the interest Of secondary ed.
ucation within the past two years. The
Constitution has been amended by
popular vote so as to incorporate high
schools in the State school system, and
In pursuance Of such amendment the
Legislature of 1908 enacted a law
creating q fund for the benefit and
support of high schools: An ad valor.
en- rate Of one and one-half cents on
one hundred dollars Of all assessed
property in the State is annually lev
led for the purpose think
it Is safe to say that no school law OF
recent years has been more highly ap.
preciated than this. 1t has helped
struggling country high schools where
some of the very best secondary schools
work is done. The Ter ms OF
this Act in reference to revenue are
similar to the Act creating a fund for
the benefit and support Of the Univer-
slty OF California"
The high school idea has passed the
experimental stage, and has been
worked out very fully in Wisconsin
Superintendent G. P. Gary, Of Wis.
consin, says: 1.-THE sum appropriated
to State aid for high schools in nine
ty Thousand dollars. This is appor
toned among the high schools
Of the State in proportion to the
amount paid out for instructions
In the high schools. Each school re
ceivss half the amount paid for IN.
struction III the high school providing
the 800, 900 will hold out to pay them
all that much, II not it Is apporti)n