The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-02-02
ERorn1lns. a. 8 oligar,chyl..

It is not surprising that tEle re-
port Of the conn mission appointed to
examine ands revise the school laws
.ot the State and the bill introd duced
In the General Assembly to enact Its
recommendations into law, should
meet with opposition. The changes
that would be brought about by the
adoption: Of. the bill now before the
General Assembly would completely
rsyolutionize the educational system
81 the State by taking it out OF. the
.hands&ofs the people anl putting 1T
into the hands Of a few men, y with
the State. Superintendent Of Educa-.
ton at their head with almost die
tatoriaI power. ,355 +; Il.
81 Should the bill now before the
General Assem- bly,, which embodies
the recomnle at:ons Of the COM
mission, become a Law, it would cre-2
ate a most effective political as we'll
as educational machine in this State.
The bill would make the. State! Sup
.erintendent3 OF Education supreme.
Cooperating witn him would be. q
State Board ct I!ducation, I consisting
Of himself, the governor and not
exceeding seYsns persons to be ap-.
pointed every four years BY the gov
oTnor e upon his recommendation:
This; board would DO practically all
powerful inEthe educational work Of
the State. Thus forming an oil
garchy with dictatorial powers
B Under this. all powerful State
Board OF Education would be. a text
book commission, which would Sc.
lect the text books TO be used In all
the public schools Of the State, also
these men who would bsSknown as
division Super ;iisors, whose duty
would be to visit the schools Of the
State lend needed assistance to the:
State, Superintendent of Education,
and to examine all applicants for
certificates to teach and 5tolpass upon
their fitness to teach in the schools
of$the State. Each OF these officials
would get good salaries. lIts5j;.:
The State Board, which, as stated
above. lis appointed by the State:
Superintendent of Education, woulo
in turn appoint the County. Boards
Of Education? and the County Boards
in turn would appoint the trustees
ST 4 the various school districts Of
their respective B counties and also
appoint the County Superintendent
Of Education. 1t will be seen that
this plan works m ost beautifully t.
put the whole educational system Of
the State in the hands Of one man,
The State Super lntendent of Educa-
ton. He would be clothed with al
most dictatorial powers, and could
10 pretty much Z what he pleases.
with the educational Interest Of the
State. y.,; 81 u ass.s. $
These County Boards would also
be vested with authority to levy g.
special county tax Of not exceeding
,ne mill On the dollar. the proceeds
;oSbe used. IN providing expert school
libraries teachers in
;titutes and for kindred purposes
They would apportion the srhool
,unds. In their choice Of County
superintendent Of Edscatton the
County Board would not be limited
% their own county, but could choose
. man from alFy part Of the State,
Who would be elected for four years
it "a salary Of not less than 81, 00s
The people would have nothing to
10 with s,electing the County Super
ntendent OF Education or IeTying OF
his special tax tor expert. school
or anything else that 1t
night. strike the fancy of the pow
,rss that be to spend it for. This
ak is in addition to the taxes levied
or the paying of teachers and other
of 4the school as now con-
lucted. In, other words, the people
would have nothing to do with the
management Of the schools to which
hey send their children. All that
would be attended to by men ap-
pointed by the little oligarchy in Co
umbia. S.,l 3
Il This new school law will not only
AXE the management Of the schools
out Of the hands Of those most In
crested in them but will impose a
big tax onzthem to carry out the new
scheme. 1t is proposed to raise the
salary of the State Superintendent
,f Education toit$2, 500, thus max
ng him the best paid State officer.
Then the Division Supervisors are
. receive salary each. Of s1,500
and no County Superintendent Is to
receive less than $1,000 per annum.
It will take quite an increase In
taxes tc, pay all these salaries.
Instead OF this scheme divorclng
the school system from politics, as
some seem 10 think 1t would, 1t
would convert into huge and all
political and educational
machine, which might become very
dangerous and oppressive In the
hands Of an ambitious man. Look
at the power it would lodge In one
mans hands. The State Superin-
tendent appoints the State Board,
the State Board appoints the County
Boards and the three Division Sup
the County Boards ap-
point the County Superintendent and