The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-12-11

people who never reach the college
are to receive their training for in
telligent citizenship, for industrial
efficiency and for social enjoyment.
The high school offers boys and girls
unable to go to college an incentive
to go beyond the elementary school;
the high school Is constantly beckop-
ing to the pupils of the common
school; it meets the desires of the
ambitious, and lends a magnetic in
fluence to the Indifferent and the
discouraged
Every community maintaining a
good high school is making for itself
an intellectual centre, and elevating
the tone of every man and woman in
it. Every pupil taking high school
education is a distinct gain to the
State and to society"
A very striking statement and ono
Of great Importance to every citizen
of the State is the following. para
graph taken from the report: 1.-The
common schools are suffering from
a lack Of competent teachers. A
very simple mathematical calcula-
ton will show that it would be i'm
possible to put college trained teach
ers in charge of all the children in
the common schools. For years to
come the high schools must furnish
the majority of the teachers in the
common schools. Hundreds of the
teachers now engaged in the COM
mon schools have only common
school education. This is specially
true Of the country schools.
''The high school is the very found
alton upon which the higher institu-
tions must rest. without it the COL
lege and universities could not exist
and do their legitimate work.
"The average community can
maintain it's high school on less
money than it usually spends on it's
pupils attending higher institutions,
while still doing high school work."
After discussing many other phases
of the high schools, Prof. Hand con-
cludes as follows:
"a few people are inclined to be-
come impatient with what they re-
gard as the slow process Of the high
school development, and even to
grow pessimistic as to the outlook.
Such a view should not find one to
entertain it. The growth and devel-
opment of the high schools are talk
ing place as rapidly as consistent
with permanency. The most lasting
monuments are those built at the ex-
pense of time and much labor. To
build a permanent system of high
schools must take time. It will re-
quire years to establish a system
that will stand. Everything is en-.
couraging; all that are needed are
intelligent direction and persistent
work.
mot every high school in the State
has grown in efficiency as it might.
very few have made very little ap-
preciable progress within the past
four years. Six or eight of the State
aided high schools have been to me
and to the high school board sources
of disappointment, but even in these
there are evidences of awakening. It
requires some time to arouse a COM
munity which has neglected it's school
for ten or fifteen years. or has pA-
haps never had high class school.
Your inspector believes that at no
time within the history of this State
has the outlook for better education
al facilities been brighter. Courage
and perseverance must be our watch
word; there is no place for half
heartedness.
II wish to express here my genu-
Inc appreciation Of the support and
courtesy given me by the college and
school authorities throughout the
State, and my sincere thanks to this
board for it's unfailing announcement
and confidence.
Respectfully,
"William H. Hand, Inspector"