The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1915-10-19


supply the schools with college grad
yates. There were in the senior CLASS
of all the colleges whose graduates
ere entitled to teach without State
examination 794 students the past
session. Hardly more than one-third
os these will enter upon the work Of
hahing. Decidedly more than hail
of the women may do so, but only
small per cent. of the men. If ;hird
of these graduates should enter upoD
4 e work of te.,l ,ng, they would on
ly supply the need for additional
teachers in our State the coming ses-
sion. Las: year the number of teach
ers in the State increased by 221;
the year before by 205. If we are 10
secure teachers of scholarship for our
country schools within a reasonable !
period, we shall have to look to some
other source than our colleges.
FROM HIGH SCHOOLS.
The only other source from which .
we may hope to secure teachers of
training is the high school. The col .
leges will do their part in providing
prepared teachers for the high schools
work of the State. With the right
kind of encouragement and support .
we might reasonably exect to secure
teachers for the elementary school
from our high schools. No one can
teach what he does not know. Every
teacher ought to know more than
what he attempts to teach. 1t ought
to be so in South Carolina that every
teacher would be required to have at
least high school preparation in
scholarship before being permitted to
teach. With the growth in number
and efficiency of the high schools in
the past few years these schools can
furnish the elementary schools with
teachers, if the right kind of effort is
made.
Numerous other States have faced
his same problem in recent years
and many of these States have begun
solution of the problem The States
nat have made the most CONSPICUOUS
success in this direction are Mime
ia, Nebraska, Indiana and Ohio.
ONO has succeeded so we'll that with
next year that State will be able to
'nforce regulation requiring at least
one years professional training for
every country teacher in the State.
IN OTHER STATES.
Is 1t not time that we in South
Carolina were realizing the neces-
sity of training teachers for our rap
idly growing schools, and that we
were profiting by the experience of
other States. There are numbers
of high schools in South Carolina pre-
pared to do the work, if the proper
encouragement and support were Civ
IN. Could not the State department
If education select ten schools to
give teacher-training courses? Would
I not be good investment on the
part of the State to make an appro-
1riation Of 1000 to each of these
schools with which to employ an ey-
1ert to give a course in teacher train
ing each Of these schools? This ex
1ert could be selected by the State
department. of education, the county
superintendent of education and the
ocal board of trustees acting Joint
y. This would secure in the expert
person with local interest in the
community and helper to the coun-
ty superintendent OF education in
building country school system.
The State at present is spending a
vastly larger sum than this in grant
ng scholarships in the State presum-
rbly to secure prepared teachers for
he schools. A large number of the
| scholarship beneficiaries never teach
IN the State at all. II all taught In
the State for a number Of years, the
| number Of them would not be suHi-
cient to supply the increase in the
| States teaching force each year. The
sum of $4,000 invested next year In
teacher training courses in ten high
schools would yield, in my opinion,
larger returns to the State in teaching
talent than a like sum invested in
any other way.
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