The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-12-29

The need OF a revision Of the
school laws OF South Carolina Is be-
ins discussed by many who are m
terested In education. The county
supcrintendent's association. State''
teachers association and other or
ganizations have favored q revision
OF the law and have adopted reaolu-
uons expressing this opinion. No IA
vorabie action has ever beon taken
by the legislature.
A bill was introduced by Represen-
tAtive Aver In the house of represen-
tatives at the last session for the ap-
pointment of an educational commis-
sion whose duty II would be to go
over the school laws and straighten
out the kinks. This bill was killed
At the last meeting Of the State
board OF education resolution was
passed favoring the appointment of
. commission. The following Is the
resolution: .t,
Resolved. That the State board Of
education respectfully recommends
to the general assembly the appoint
mont OF an educational commission
with full authority to revise. correct
and amend tho existing school laws
Of the state. and to make q report of
such Recommendation at tho session
of 1s11--such commission to lie COM
Dcssd Of one representative VI s:ate
collesss. one representative Of pr,-
vste dsnominationai colleges. one
representative Of city superinten-
dents Of education. one woman. one
senator. two members OF tho house of
representatives and thres membrs nc
large TO be appointed by the COVER
nor.
y That suf,cient amount be ap-
propriated to provide q secretary
for such commission and to pay the
actual expenses of its members.
Mr.. swearingen. the state super
intendsnt of education. IL a strong
advocate for the appointment Of an
educational commission and in his
forthcoming report to the iegisla-
ture he win give some reasons and
: comparisons ss to why this COM
mission should be appointed. He
has the following to say:
Every recommendation made in
this report might be used apprc-
: -oriatsly in- arguing for. the. ap-
pcintment OF an, educational com
sos-~'"n The revision OF our school
iAc.S e 'ons been u-ssd by the
D friend ~ ,ducation. The body OF
the law was framed in 1878 and
he's served It's purpose we'll.
s"Under It. taxation for schools
become hxed principle In South
Caroline school expenditures have
Increased from Ss1o.oso.12 to ST.
sss.Ss6.s7. An enrolment OF 11S,-
3ss has given place to an eroll-
ment OF 3s4.s02. Forty-t two coun-
ties today embrace within the terri
tory which had only 81 One thou
sand and eight hundred and thirty
three school districts are reported
instead OF AT. More than 5000
officers and trustees do the work 20
day that was then done by 400.
The constitution of 1895 has sup
planted the constitution Of 1853,
but the body Of our school law
stands almost as II stood 81 year
ago. The parings and accretions Of
three decades bear witness to the
the siftings Of public opinion; but
the arms Of the educational guido
post set up In 1878 can still be
traced. Then the free public school
was an experiment; today that
school is the most important con-
cern OF the state.
This catalogue Of contrasts might
be lengthened indefinitely for educa-
tional conditions change with social.
economic and industrial conditions.
Though our problems may be the
same. our facilities for sowing them
are different. Any student of our
general school law can recognize
Its weakness. its omissions and dupli-
cations Its confusions and contrad-
lotions. Its localisms and archalsms.
This condition is nowhere better
Illustrated than. In the status of
school trustees This Is the largest
body OF officers In the state. They
have absolute discretion in the dis
bursement OF school revenues, yet
the law governing their appointment
has been changed three times since