The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-10-28
OUR SCHOOLS.
PAPER NO.. s.
BY PROF. WILLIAM 81. HAND.
ssssaxassaxss$s Observation-Disclosures

Poor Attendance-Even with in
sufficient funds, poor school houses,
short school terms, and incompetent
teachers, the people may still sho"
a c~ommendable educatiinal purpose
by sending every child to school
every day the schools are in session.
Much good may be got out of a yer;
inferior school, if the children at
tend II regularly and with the pur-
pose Of getting the most possible V
If 1t. How are the white children
of South Carolina attending the
schools? In 1907, the white enroll
ment in the public schools of the
State was 144,6 while the average
attendance was only ~103,304. The
federal census taken seven years be-
fore 1900, gives South Carolina
2l7,972 white children between the
ages of 5 and 20 years, while u
legal school age is between 6 anu
21 years. 1t is safe to assert that
barely sixty per cent of the Whl!7
children of the State are enrolled IN
any kind of a school, and not oveT
FORTY per cent are in average atten-
dance. In 1900, thirty-siX per GEN.
of the white children between the
ages of 10 and IA years were not
enrolled in any school, public or
priyate. In the same year Massachu-
sets had only six per cent OF her
white children of the corresponding
ages out of school, Connecticut hac
seven per cent, and Michigan eighi
per cent.
In 1900, South Carolina had a.
TT native white i~lliterates over III
wears of age, only 1872 fewer white
i11iterates than the State had III
1870, thirty years previous. At the
same date Connecticut, with near!
twice the white population of South
Carolina, had but 1858 white Tilt
crates over 10 years Of age. Again
South Carolina had 1888 native
white illiterates of the voting age
Rhode Island, with four-ffths the
nopulation Of South Carolina, hao
inst $50. We had 1889 native
white illiterates between the ages
Of 10 and 10 years; Michigan, with
twice our population, had l,l4l'
Connecticut had 40, and Rhooe
island 100. Is it reasonable to moro
for the South Carolina of tomorro"
with her load of helpless illiterates'
IN cone successfully with those States
and sections which have freed them
selves from the bondage OF lgno
rance? The day is forever gone from
South Carolina when a few hlgnls
trained men of leisure could dlrecl
and control the destinies OF the peo'
nile. This responsibility has peer
shifted to the shoulders of the mass
es and now we are forced to con
slider the training Of the masses
ONLY Yesterday Hon. o. B. Martin
cove ont this: Several educa-
tional leaders in New England frank
" told us that they are spending
their money and building up thell
schools in order to retain and main
tain their industrial supremacy
They realized that we have adVan-
tages and great resources IN the
South, but they propose to keep TN:
lead, if possible, through the power
of trained brains and trained hands
Intelligence and skill will win every
time in every race. What is Sout''
Carolina doing to meet this open
challenge from New England?
Who are these South Carolina
white children not in school, anu
why are they not in school? Some
are the sons and daughters of parents
themselves ignorant and unable 10
appreciate or to, understand what
education means to their children
and to the State; some are children
of fathers and mothers, greedy ar
selfish, who are more than Willing
to make w~age-earnerS and bread
winners out of their young untaught
offspring; a few are the children OF
parents opposed to education, be-
cause they have known some edu-
Gated s%coundrels; a very few are
the children of parents who actually
need the labor of their children to
exc out a living, and many are the
children of fathers e%ngrossed IN ma
terial affairs and mothers recrean;
to duty. Many of these children are
at work on the farm, in stores ana
shops at a few cents a day, and IN
the cotton mills making good wages
for children, while hundreds OF 9th
'ers are roaming the streets and coun-
try lanes-the training grouns for
idlers, Migrants, and enemies to law,
order, and decency.