The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1915-04-06
.SUPT, WESSINGER'S
EXPLANATION
Discussing Field Day Results and
Other School Matters.

have repeatedly indulged in certain
statements affecting the schools of
the county, both rural and munich
pal, am constrained to explain the
educational status of the school stu
alton of Lancaster county that there
may remain no improper impression
in regard to the motives as we'll as
ends attained by the other towns and
country schools.
1. 1t is not just to classify the
mill school with the Lancaster Gen.
trail, the Heath Springs, and the Ker.
shaw school because Of the fact that
while Principal j. X. Connor's re-
port shows an enrolment of 157 it
embraces only the first four grades
against ten in the three above men
toned schools.
2. Referring, then, to units as a
standard, these three remaining
schools stand as follows: Kershaw.
1872; Lancaster 12.4, and Heath
Springs 10.6, according to the state
superintendent's report of 1914. On
page 1872 of the same report this
statement occurs: "a three-year
school ought to make credit of II
units" And further, "a three-year
school requiring more than IL units
OF any single set of pupils needs
close scrutiy." Kershaw, therefore,
makes 1.2 units too much; Lancaster
A, and Heath Springs falls short IA,
granting the possibility of two
teacher high school of accomplishing
the task. 1, therefore, do not sug-
gest that Heath Springs schedule for
an excessive amount of units, for /
am OF the firm conviction that this act
on the part of enterprising principals
Of the state has led to over-taxing
the efforts of the teachers and the
pupils for the sake of state rating
and bountifully reaping from state
aid
3. The three schools stand as fol-
lows in prizes and medals according
to information | have: Literary, Ian
caster z prizes and 2 silver medals;
3 prizes and gold med
ais; Heath Springs, prizes and
bronze medal In domestic art, do
mestic science and manual training,
Lancaster only entered Q and won 9:
Kcrshaw won (no information as
to entries) Heath Springs, % en-
tries and won IL Athletic medals.
Lancaster 5 to Heath Springs and
and Kershaw q; trophy cup, Kershaw
won over Heath Springs. The inter
pretation, then, of the above is that
Teath Springs was awarded over
If it's prizes in this handicraft de-
partment in which the Lancaster
schools did not enter much And
rurther, that in the literary prizes
Gnd medals, in athletic feats and tro-
WY cup, the school fell short
4. / can say for the Lancaster
graded school system that 1t partfc-
ipated in the events of Field Day
primarily for the welfare of the
schools of Lancaster county. This
imposed extra duties ON it's teachers
and pupils which they cheerfully did.
Among these the high school pupils
served lunch to the contestants of
tire county, and contributed their
slrare 70 the general expense fund,
which was supplemented by contribu-
tions from the town people Of Ian
caster and the Chamber of Com
uIerce, together with substantial aid
from the rural schools through Su-
perintendent LingIe.
5. Heath Springs was awarded 2I
prizes This approximates 21 dol
lars ir money, not one cent of which
was contributed by that school. ],
therefore. In the way OF friendly ad-
zee suggest that 1t catch the spirit
OF Dry Creek, Cane Creek, Dixie, An
tioch, Ferguson, Red Hill, Elgin,
CraigsviIle and other rural schools
in this method Of mutual assistance
and all schools united combat the
common foe-ignorance-ins of
Willing away time in self-faudation
OF what has been done when there is
such q vast amount to do.
CHALMERS F.. MESSENGER.