The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-02-20
Does South Carolina Need CompuI-
sorry School System?

(By James B. Kennedy, Professor
Political Economy, Wells College, in
Charities and The Commons, Feb.
49,
Edward T. Devine, in presenting
The New View of the Child, names
five fundamental elements in it's
composition. All, of these are i'm
portant. but none needs more study
and investigation, particularly in the
South, than that element termed.
useful education" BY no other
means is 1t possible to prepare boys
and girls. young men and young wo.
men, for. the position of a useful
member Of society. This does not
mean that 1t Is impossible for boy
or girl to be useful member of So
ciety without ali education,-indus-
trial or vocational. Yet 1t does in
tend to imply that without the educa-
tional training O. larger per cent. Of
the youth of the land will become
useless, If not destructive members of
society.
This Is a serious problem in every
geographical division Of the United
States and within each State compos-
Ing these divisions. BY the twelfth
census, 1900, the greatest percentage
Of illiteracy OF the total population
ten years and over was in the South
Atlantic division; the second highest
percentage was In the South Central
division. These divisions cover the
Southern States. The percentage for
the two divisions Is 23.9 per cent. and
22.29 per cent. The three States with
the largest percentages In the South
Atlantic division are South Carolina,
$50 per cent: Georgia, 30.5 per
cent. and North Carolina. 1877 per
cent; those in the South Central di-
vision are Louisiana, 1875 per cent;
Alabama, "a per cent, and Mississip-
pi. 80 per cent. These figures sad
den the hearts Of many who are
working for an extension Of educa-
tional advantages. AS a representa-
tive Of the South and native of the
State with the second largest per-
centage Of illiteracy, these figures
contain much exciting regret, but at
the same time they furnish some
ground for rejoicing. South Carolina.
indeed. deserves some credit and
commentator In her fight to lower
the percentage OF illiteracy. In re-
ducing this from 55.4 per cent. in
1900. the State has not been wholly
negligent. And yet she cannot claim
to have done her full duty.
Examine the States illiteracy in
greater detail.
In general the percentages show
considerable decrease in illiteracy.
There Is decrease among all classes
except the foreign-born white. Dur
Ing this decade the foreign white
show IL per cent. decrease in num-
bers. but small increase in Hitter
acy.-frOm 6.3 per cent. to 6.5 per
cent. The greatest illiteracy is
among the negroes.-62.S per cent. in
1900; yet this is a reduction OF 17.6
per cent. Of the percentage at the be-
ginning Of the decade. For the same
period the native white reduced its
percentage of illiterates by 24.S per
cent. These reductions are encour-
aging. But closer examination shows
not all encouragement. Note actual
conditions. In the total population,
ten years and over, one person out of
every two and three-fourths Is Hitter.
ate. Among the native white popula-
ton 1t Is one out of seven; among the
negroes one out Of two.-to be more
accurate 1 to 1893. Greater reason
has the State to be aroused on this
subject when her record is compared
with other States. Take Iowa and
Nebraska whose total illiteracy is 2.S
per cent. These are extremes. South
Carolina at 35.9 per cent, with Louis
lana only showing a higher percent
age, and two western States at 2.3 per
cent. 1t may be argued that the
comparison Is not just one. that the
large colored population in South
Carolina is responsible for the high
illiteracy. In part this is true. But
one illiterate out OF seven among the
native white cannot be thus explain
ed Economic and social conditions
have been such that the illiteracy of
the State may be the natural conse-
quence. This has been the case. The
paramount issue, then, at present is