The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-12-23
NOT PROPERLY APPRECIATED.
PDOPLE ARE INDIFFERENT WITH
REGARD TO HIGH SCHOOLS.
They src Putting Neither their Chill
drcn nor their Money into the
Schools Established by the State
EFFORTS to Evade Requirements OF
tho High School Law.

Columbia. December i1.-Despite
the money and efforts expended In the
endcavor to build up State high
school system during the last two
yessrs. Prof. w. n. Hand. high school
Inspector. declares In his report that
Tho people are not supporting the high
schools. They are putting neither
their money nor their children into
them." ne asserts. In proof OF this as
scrtioa he cites these facts and argues:
Prom eighty-aine high schools have
gone. this session. to other schools 312
pupils. who lack one year or more of
getting through the high school ut
home. These s13 pupils. at $3.50
each. (a minimum allowance for a
years expenses away from home at
schoois. will cost $4,000 this year.
Many Of these pupils have gone from
schools partly supported by the State
board. In some instances the sending
away Of these pupils has so reduced
the attendance at the home school
that II Is having difficulty In meeting
the requirements a. to attendance.
'Such places must learn first to help
themselves" declares Mr.. Hand.
He continues. In his report to the
state high school board. as follows:
1T Is unnecessary for me to remind
this board OF the many difficulties It
has met In making merited and equit-
able. appropriations from the State aid
fsnd. Tho majority OF the school
boards have made nothing but rea-
sonable requests. stated definitely what
they had to offer. made good every
promise. used every dollar just as Il
was inte~dsd. ts be used. and In In
speetion measured up to every re-
Quiremeat hut there are others. 1t
has been exceedingly difYicult to pre-
vent many. schools from taking the
state aid iato the common school and
sivins absolutely no increased EN-
cheney In the high school. II has oc-
curred number OF times that a local
:. board having already employed one
high school teacher at 5000 to $1,000,
would ask and accept $500 from this
board. then insist on putting an assis-
tant At esSe. leaving e14o to be used
m the common fund Of the school-in
clear violation OF the law and the
scc-,ditions on which the appropriation
vas made. Time and again has your
hoard been assured In July or August
that . certain high school would have
more thsn Che required % pupils. two
nigh school teachers. and at least two
common schoM teachers-ail REQUIRED
by tho law: then with the law and the
regulations before the local board. and
knowing that the requirements had
not been met . month after the OPEN
Ing OF the school. the board has not
Withdrawn its application. but insisted
On getting the appropriation. Several
times appropriations have been re-
oussted on the promise that the law
and the regulations would be met
year hence. II would seem that many
people look upon the school law as
IN instrument "a be obeyed only
when II 10 entirely convenient"
This is pretty plain talk. but plain
talk abounds all through Mr.. Hands
very readable report.
Next to the inefficiency Of the
teaching force" says Prof. Hand. "the
most serious imperfeotion OF the high
school Is the course OF study" 1t l.
detective. he nays. I'm several particu-
lars which Mr.. Hand cites. as fol-
lows:
One course for all pupils. instead
ef at least two parallel elective
courses: entirely too many subjects
crowded into this single course, bring
eng together nii manner OF unrelated
and incongruous subjects: and three
years work spread out over a four
year schedule. To do effective work
n nigh school student ought not t.
carry more than Ave subjects at once
never more than six. More than
e"e-haif our high schools give seven
anj eight studies at a time to at ,east
n part OF their course: hence the
teachers and the pupils Obstinate their
tims and Efforts and get poor results.
Iuiiy one-haif the subjects are not
given time enough to be OF any real
value. To illustrate. thirty-threc
schools taugnt physcs-only three
gave the subject the allotted time TO
make one unit of credit; sixty-nine
taught American history. one OF the
meet important high school subjects
six m1de one unit: seventy-slx taught