The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-07-12
THE BOARD EXPLAINS.

The State Board of Education
has issued a statement to the pub
lie explaining it's action in the re
cent school book adoption which
has been severely criticized by
the newspapers and the State Su-
periutendent Of Education. We
would be pleased to publish the
statement but it is so long, that
our space forbids it, but. we will
say that the board would have
saved much of the adverse criti-
cism had ditimmedtately, after Su
perintendent Swearlngen made
his statement, come out in the
public prints and presented its
side of the controversy. The in
tegrity of the members of the
board was not questioned, not
this one: but 1T was the concensus
Of opinion, that the board erred
in Judgment in making so many
changes. the board argues that
being teachers, the individual
members are better qualified to
Judge the needs Of the schools
than are those who would criti-
cize it, including the minority
membership of the board. If we
had the space to spare we would
gladly publish the statement as a
whole, out we will give TO our
readers the boards comments
and preliminary remarks:
: Ia view of the ngs and
erroneous statements that have grown
out OF the recent protest issued by State
Superintendent Swearingen IN refer
ence TO the late adoption of text books.
the undersigned appointlre members OF
the State Board of Education submit 10
the people of South Carolin. the follow
ing statement Of the facts involved:
FITNESS OF THE MEMBERS TO JUDGE
AND SELECT TEXT BOOKS.
The undersigned members OF the
Board have all of them been for many
years intimately connected with the
schoals Most of them are teachers OF
many years experience. ranging
through nearly every grade and every
kin0 OF school.
SPECIAL PREPARATION FOR THE ADoP-
TION:
For something over two years, they
nave ha. this adoption in view and have,
in consequence, been acquaintine them
selves with the usableness. suitaoleness
and merits of the books in actual use lu
the schools. This has been done not only
BY examination of the books themselves
but ty the questioning of teachers all
over the State.
For some six months prior to the
adoption, books to be offered began 10
come r and expert Representatives Of
the book companies began their yisi S
TO the several members OF the Board.
The coming of these books ard agents
Increased 10 frequency, so that for some
three months before the adoption, the
members were called upon TO spenl
most OF their time. not given TO their
regular work, in the examination of
books and the discussion of them with
agents.
This prolong and searching examina-
tion Of text books to be submitted was
supplemented by informal discussions
and comparisons among the members
themselves while in attendance upon
Board meetings in Columbia. Hence
the several members entered the adop-
tion with clearly defined views as to the
relative merits and suitability OF the va
rious books, including those now in use.
and had. in many cases. their minds
made up on their first choice. or on the
books which they would be wiling to
accept in place OF this first choice. and
with definite ideas as to the opinions Of