The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-01-07
FIELD AGENT SECURED
FOR RURAL SCHO0LS
TO DISCOVER SCHOOL HOUSE IN
COMMUNITY.
Miss Elizabeth Hawkins to Work
Among Rural Schools and Arouse
Interest.

County Superintendent Of Education
E H Aull, with the approval OF the
county board of education and the
State Superintendent OF education, has
to put field agent at work
the rural schools OF the county
for five months. Mis- Elizabeth Haw-
kins, who is at present teaching the
Fairview school, has been chosen for
this work, and will begin as soon as
a teacher arrives to relieve her.
The trustees of this school gave her
up with reluctance, as she was doing
good wolk there, but in view OF the
broader field to which she has been
called they yielded their personal prof
erence for the good Of the schools OF
the county. Miss Julia Maise, an eX-
perienced and successful teacher, will
relieve Miss Hawkins and Miss HaW-
kins will enter upon her work about
the fifteenth of the month.
In speaking of this work, County
of Education Aull said:
Il have had something Of this kind
in mind for several months, and am
Jad that we will be able to make the
experiment in this county. State Sup
erintendent of Education Swearingen
has agreed to appropriate from the
Peabody fund sufficient amount to
pay one-third of the salary, and the
other will be taken from the dispen-
sary fund which was given to this
county.
"As | have frequently stated, as
see the rural school problem, the first
thing to do before we can make ANY
progress in the development OF the
schools is to get the people interested,
or aroused to the conditions now exist
ing, and the necessity for something
10 be done, and then we can do some
thing, but so long as the present con-
dition of self-satisfaction obtains, 1t
is inpossible to accomplish anything
ior the Improvement of rural school
conditions
1T will be impossible for Miss Haw-
kins to visit all of the districts during
the present term, but where | shall
place her shall expect her to let the
people know that there is a school
house in their midst, and make an
effort to get them to make it the centre
of the community To organize tomato
clubs among the girls and corn clubs
among the boys and Improvement as
sociations amo.g the mothers, and to
wake up the fathers to their duty IN
helping and encouraging all these or
want to establish at
least one real country graded school
or high school by the consolidation OF
two or more one teacher schools and
| believe this can be done during the
next six months. At least, the effort
will be helpful, for we are all made
stronger by making an effort to do
things even if at first we do not sue
ceed.
After Miss Hawkins has been in
the specified time allotted
to that community, l want to have a
mass meeting at the school house OF
all the people in the community, and
| will spend the day with them, and
we will Try to have an old time revival
of school interest.
81 bespeak for Miss Hawkins and
her work the hearty cooperation OF
the teacher and the people OF the COM
munitv when she comes. This work
is being done successfully in other
counties, why not i'll Newberry.
q believe in compulsory educat!oh,
and have advocated it for many years,
but am satisfied that with present
conditions it would fail to accomplish
good results, until we first created
sentiment that was active for the Bet
terment of the school, We have first
GOT 70 let the people sse the need OF
doing something. If you will get III
touch with the school problem as |
have tried to do, and realize the M
difference of the people, you will agree
with NE that the present generation
is permitting-to put it miidly-"a
crime upon the rising generation. 1t
is not with intention Or malice, ! am
to believe, but because OF
indifefaaro a4d lack OF interest be-