Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1912-12-11
WEDNESDAY, DEC. ii, 1912.
OUR EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS.

-.
During last month, when the Ma
Iional Farmers Congress was in ses-
sion in New Orleans resolutions were
adopted by that body that "a COM
mi;tee from the congress, composed
eof five members at large and one
member from each State, should be
appointed to investigate the question
of consolidating rural schools" The
proposed consolidation it Is believ-
a,d, would tend to greater efficiency
IN the schools and help to solve the
problem Of how to stop the drift
from the farm to the city.
Possibly no work in the field Of ed
ucation has contributed so largely to
Hhe upbuilding Of the public schools
of South Carolina-and especially in
ahe Piedmont section Of the State
AS the consolidation of rural schools
into centrally located high schools,
where facilities arc better, better
3eachers are secured, and where bet
der work can be done even when the
same teachers are employed.
Not long since State Superintend-
ent of Education Swcaringen called
upon the County Superintendent Of
Education for reports from actual
work accomplished through the me-
slium Of the consolidation Of rural
schools. These reports have been
sent in, and. should the committee
from the National Farmers Congress
investigate results in South Carolina,
they will find something indeed wor-
&hy Of reporting back to that body.
These reports are necessarily too
voluminous for us to attempt to re-
produce here, but we may take as
fair examples those sent in by the SUI
perintendents OF Education Of Andcr-
son and Oconee counties, from which
we quote those portions referring to
ahe question OF consolidation. In
Anderson the result is worthy Of
n'nl study. Tho Superintendent
Eli possibly the most notable
t.F.MmrS, Of the past Is months has
.HrvN lie consolidation Of twelve
81, ; into six. In five different
districts a consolidation Of two
schools into one has been effected In
Ehe other instance the consolidation
has been brought about by merging
iwo districts into one, and then con-
aSolidating the schools.
"One Of these consolidated schools
haS erected modern two-roOm
Unilding. costing $1,000; two others
hav" three-room buildings, costing
from 800 to $4,000; fourth has
a four-room building valued at over
$4,000; the two others have selected
fplans for a modern One-room build
ing and modern three-room build
ing, respectively. In each Of the
above instances very ordinary build
ings Of the one or two-room box car
type have been displaced. In each
instance the beginning OF the i'm
.provement has been the voting OF a
local school tax"
In Oconce we have made. possibly,
greater strides along these lines than
have been made in Anderson, and we
Jqnote more extensively from the re-
port OF Superintendent Hughs. He
says:
"As a result Of the extra taxes
aevied by the districts. there will have
been secured from the State, by Jan
nary lst, 1913, for weak and rural
graded schools, something over $S,-
100. Five high schools in the coun-
IS have been receiving nearly $4,000
q. year regularly. Six new buildings
nave been erected in the rural dis
-f'icts. aided by the State to the ex-
tent OF $1,000, and $3.50 by the
county.
Eight weak schools have been
consolidated into three two Of which
have modern threc-room houses with
three teachers. The idea Of consoli-
dation seems to be rather repugnant
TO the majo"'ty OF our people as yet,
and strong position was encount-
cred in the districts consolidated
But the County Board saw the need
and the work was done.
THE history Of the public schools
Of Oconce county during the last few
years has been one Of earnest endca-
Vor and steady progress. While they
are just beginning to awake, still
there is much hope for the future
from their recent achievements. Some
of tho things upon which such hopes
are based are as follows: Local
trustees are taking greater interest
in their schools as a direct result Of
- Trustees Association, which or
asanized in the fall OF 1909 Better
a4achers are being demanded and
5etter salaries offered, although we
are far below what we should be in
this respect yet. 1t was my ambition,
.on taking charge Of the Office in Jan
Gary, 1909, to see that every white
sschool in Oconee should run at least
ha tn hot