Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1913-08-06
MR.. SWEARTNGEN CON-
GRADUATES OCONEE
Points Out Where improvements Have Been Made
in Educational Matters-Oconee's Progress Has
Been Marked but Our Standard Still Far
Below the States Average in Per Capita
Expenditures for Education.

combine with it's nearest neighbor
much greater progress can be made
in educating the children.
The districts in the county now
maintaining rural graded schools
witA two or three teachers are dem
onstrating the advantages of local
taxation, State aid, and a longer
term. There are a score of communi-
ties in Oconee where the required
number Of pupils for rural graded
school can be enrolled. The trustees
and patrons of such districts are
sleeping on their opportunities by
refusing to take advantage Of State
aid in educating their children.
l note with regret the inadequate
term of the rural schools. The re-
port shows 35 schools with a term
of less than 100 days. In one COM
munity the term was 10 days; in two
others, it was 20 days, and in II
others it was less than GO days.
Every country school should run at
least six months, and the Legisla-
ture las provided the means to ac-
complish this end in every school
district where the taxpayers will
cooperate. 1t would be better if
every child could attend school at
least 140 days each year; but it is
| impossible to educate pupils who
spend less than 100 days in the class
room and 265 days elsewhere. These
conditions do not apply to the towns
and villages Of Oconee, because they
are found in purely agricultural dis
tricts, having only a white farm pop
ualtiOn. | am especially interested
in this problem because Oconee re-
ports a heavier white enrolment
than is shown in 81 counties, and is
surpassed in this respect only by
Spartanburg, Greenville, Anderson,
Richland, York and Orangeburg.
i1very white child in several coun-
ties may attend school 100 days dur
ing the year. Is 1t right or wise for
the parents and taxpayers of Oco-
! nee to give their children as little as
! 100 days? Yet more than half Of
! the country schools were run on this
basis during 1928.
| Four years ago the white enroll
ment was 1852; in 1911-12, it was
! 5,031, and in 1928 it was 5,292.
/ This healthy growth stands in mark
ed contrast to the loss in few coun-
/ ties. A gain of 261 pupils during the
/ last twelve months is entirely salts
! factory, although | am deeply inter-
ested in your estimate Of 500 white
children failing to enter school.
wish the teachers Of the county
would investigate this situation, and
would organize to enroll every boy
and girl during 1913-14.
The attendance figures challenge
attention. Oh the 5,z92 white boys
and girls, only l ,1O2 were in regular
attendance on town schools and only
1912 were regularly in the country
schools. This means that 2,248 boys
and girls attended school to little
advantage, although / cannot blame
| the children when the school term in
majority of the country districts
was too short to arouse and hold
their interest.
The high school enrolment for the
county Is reported at 200, barely 4
per cent Of the enrolment. Taking
| the United States as a whole, per
cent Of the school children belong to
the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh
grades. 1t Is almost a necessity for
| the average attendance and high
school enrolment of Oconee to be
| greatly improved if the boys and girls
are to compete for and enjoy the
pleasures and privileges of an edu-
Gated citizenship. ..
The average per capita expendi-
.ture per pupil was $S.05 for whites
and $1.53 for negroes. In 1911-12
similar averages for the State were:
White, $13.02; negro, $1.9S. 1t
seems, therefore, that the education
al investment for each child in Oco-
nee is still nearly SIS below the stand
ard for the State. Though this diff
ference is rapidly disappearing, is 1t
too much to hope that it may be re-
moved altogether within the next
four years?
In other counties many districts
are voting the maximum of mills
allowed for current school expenses.
With the large white population, and
the consequent heavy enrolment in