The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1913-08-01
State Supt. of Education
Makes Digest of School
Reports From Union
County---AdvOcates Ger
tain Changes in Rural
Schools.
Columbia, S. c., July %, 1913.

Supt. I. H. Gore, Union, S. C.
Dear Sir: The checking over of
your annual report for the schools of
Union county during the scholastic
year 1912-1913 has been concluded,
and l take pleasure in writing you
briefly concerning educational con-
ditions and progress in the county.
Permit me to thank you most cor
daily for your promptness and dill
gence in making the report correct.
The collection and presentation of
these facts is no easy task. Without
your cooperation, it would have been
impossible for the State Superintend-
ent of Education to submit a full
and accurate report to the General
Assembly next January.
The report shows II white town
and 43 white county schools with an
enrolment of 4,385 pupils, taught by
1O3 teachers. 1t likewise shows 3
negro town and al country schools,
with an enrolment of 4,607 pupils,
taught by 5S teachers. The combin-
ed enrolment for both races was
1892. This is heavy, because the
population of the county according to
the census of 1910 was 29,911, and
=, these enrolment figures indicate
that nearly 80 per cent of the peo-
pie were in school ten days during
. the last twelve months.
!. The report for Union City schools
shows -an enrolment of 1893 whites
and 673 negroes, giving q. total of
2,37l. pupils, whereas the census OF
1910 gave. the city q population Of
5:e2s. II is probable, thai 4. consid-
'erable number of children from ad-
joining districts attend the city
schools, but it is unusual for AZ per
cent of the inhabitants of any COM
munity to be in school.
This years white enrolment shows
an increase of 436 over 19i1.12,
while the negro enrolment shows a
decrease of 124 during the same Il
months. This striking fact is all the
more noteworthy when the heavy eli
rollment for the year is taken into
consideration.
The efficiency of a school system
however, depends more on average
attendance than on enrolment. The
child out of school receives no ben
eft either from good teachers, or
from abundant school revenues.
The figures of the report show that
2,733 white pupils were in regular
62 per cent. The average attendance
in the City of Union is reported as
1902, fraction less than 60 per cent
The average attendance in country
districts was sc per cent of the en-
rollment. The facts, therefore, seem
to show that the rural children are
more regular in school attendance
than are the town boys and girls.
Yours is the only county in the state
where this condition has been
brought to my notice.
The average length of the school
term was 176 days in town, and 1T
days in country. The town session
is adequate, but the country term
needs close attention.
Eight white country schools had
the following terms: one 40 days,
three 60 days, one 80 days, and three
80 days. Ten other country schools
ran exactly 100 days. Still two
others ran only 1O5 days. 1t thus ap-
pears that 90 of the 43 white coun-
try schools had too short a term dur
ing the year.
Every country school should run
at least six months. A term of sew
en- months is desirable, and a term
Of eight months is ideal, but with
half the schools of Union county pre-
scnting this condition, it is possible
to secure satisfactory educational re-
suits?
Perhaps this is due in part to the
multiplication of schools in some dis.
trictS. In several districts, the trus.
tees maintain as many as six sepa.
rate schools for whites. Such a con.
dition weakens the resources of every
school by a division of interest, OF
pupils, and of money. Would it not
be better for County Board of Ed
ucation and the trustees to agree up
on one school for whites and one
school for negroes in each district
and then to further sub-divide the
county into additional school districts
If necessary? A large district will
Continud on page 5)