The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-01-17
RADICAL CHANGES
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sUG> o l>1N THE D i NEW 8 ', 8, ss,,lHooi
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Commission to States System
Reports 70 Legis Stature After: Year
{o,sl Hard Work. ;=55 Y:
Commission to-

Three amendments to- the cons:i-
tuition and important and far-reach--
| ing alterations in the present school
Law are recommended in the report
made TO the general assembly Friday
lbys the ".conm mission to examine and
revise the school law of the State
land to recommend changes In the
same, this report, with, the accom-
tpanying = bin, constituting perhaps
the most important document yet
lpresented to the 1912 legislature.
| s THE s.co commission was created by
joint resolution Of the general as
Isem bly,, approved February %, 1915,
the: suggestion for its creation, hay.
| ing been made in the annual report
forss19 90s Of Mr. J. E. swearingen,
State superintendent Of education.
It was directed to Carefully examine
and revise the common and high
sehoolSlaws of. the State, with power
to recomm end any changes in the ex-
Listing law by bill or otherwise, = and
was required to report to the next
session Of the general sembly. !"
In the resolution, it: was specified
that the following should be mem:
l;bers Of the commission: "The State
superintendent of education, the in
|spector: OF high schools, the president
Of one of 4 the State institutions Of
higher learning, one; person familiar
with graded and common school sys-
TENS, and one person learned In the
law Members not specifically des-
|ignated were to be appointed BY the
governor. AS organized for WORK,
the commission was composed of Mr..
j. e.. swearingen, State superintend-
ent OF education; Mt. w. Fl. Hand,
State Inspector OF high schools: Or:
d. B. Johnson, president of Winthrop
College; Mr. s. H Edmunds, super
intendent of Sthe Sumter city scho Dis,
and Mr.. Mendel L. Smith, attorney,
Of Camden. Mr.. Swearingen} was
chairman and Mr. Hand the secre-
tary. :9ss .i5' s.;
The com mission thus summarizes
it's Important RECOMMEND dations::f
1.-THE \. commission has endeavored
to make a practical and progressive
report. 1T has. sought to retain the
best features Of the present law and
to avoid radical or II reYol ionary;
changes : b as been compelled
however, to recommend some im-
portant and far-reaching alterations
in order that5the new; school law may
help to meet present needs and to
improve present conditions.
:4..1 An amendment to section q,
article II, and to section 24,Tarticle
III, Of the constitution, will remove
the obstacle thas prevents many Of
our, best man from serving as school
trustees. Though the constitution
forbids the holding Of two offices,
this provision has, BY common con-
sent, been widely disregarded. This
amendment seeks merely to Slegalize
service to education when rendered
lin connection with: other service to
the State. ..ss.;5 ~ 8. q,
....2. The State superintendent of
education is held responsible for the
acts OF the State Board of Education,
and, IN the opinion Of the commits
sion, he should have some voice in
selecting its members. It is, there
fore, recommended that section q,
article XI, of the constitution, be
amended so that henceforth the gov
ernor Shall appoint the State board
of ed ducation, upon the recommended
ton Of the State superintendent.
"3. The commission reconlme ends
the appointment of State board Of
examiners for teachers in order that
the present varying standards may
be. harmonized by the establishment
of uniform method in the e1ami-
nation and graduation OF applicants
to teach.
"4. The county board Of education
is given large powers in three impor-
tant respects: a. To levy special
county tax. b. To apportion public
school funds. C. To choose from eli
gible applicants the county superin-