Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1915-06-23
INTERESTING PAPER.
A Partial Survey of White
Educational Condition in
Edgefield County by
Stanton Lott.

To one who had seen tue cOndl-
tions of schools and methods in this
county ten years ago.. the progress
that has been made is remarkable.
Then, very few schools were in ex-
istence in the county, and fewer
still were of the modern and
economical patterns. Methods were
poor, for the practice was TO teach
AZ one had been taught rather than
by the latest plans of the most pro-
gressive educators. Interest on the
part of both children and parents
was small, and seemed to be at a
stands,il. Now, due to unceasing
and untiring efforts of the excellent
work of the superintendent, Mr..
w. w. Fuller, the county as unit
is progressing with the greatest Of
speed. and promises to maintain
place with the foremost counties of
the state. Interest in the schools is
of the highest kind, and is one of
the foremost questions throughout
everv town and community. Each
patron boasts of his school, of what
il is doing and mostly of what it
will do in the future. Field Day
exercises have been held in the
county for two years, and the gen.
oral interest shown during these
events proves the progressive spirit
of the people toward the education
of their children. Numbers of new
and modern buildings have been
built both in the towns and the ru-
raj districts, and others have been
planned, and will be built as soon
as financial conditions :, will
permit. All sea that the pros
perity of the county depends ma
ly on the education of the youth
The number of new teachers
the county lis elegen anJ 5he avs
| age salary Of each is six hundre,
thisty-fve dollars, ten cents. The
average yearly salary for men teach
ers throughout the state is six hum
dred ten dollars, eighteen cents.
Thus Edgeield pays more than the
average to the men teachers. loo,
they are excellent teachers and are
doing their part toward the raising
Of the educational standard. The
number Of women teachers is seven
ty, with the average yearly salary
of two hundred sixty-nine dollars
twenty-four cents. The average
yearly salary for women teachers
throughout the state is three hun
dred twenty-five dollars, fifty one
cents, which is entirely too little.
The lady teachers of this county
are very efficient and are doing far
more work than they receive pay
for.
The average length of the session
4 in days for the county in towns is
one hundred forty-nine days. For
the state the average length is one
hundred sixty-five days.In the conn
try the average length of the session
is one hundred eleven days, and the
average for the state is one hundred
twenty days. The average for the
whole county is only one hundred
sixteen days, and that of the state
one hundred twenty-six days.
From these figures it is readily
seen that the sessions are entirely
too short. If the districts would add
a two mill extra tax, excepting the
regular school taxes the state would
help each school by giving for each
teacher the same amount gotten
from this extra levy up to one hun
dred dollars. Edgefeld has the
same right to this appropriation as
any other county, aud the state will
help her if sne helps herself.
The average amount expended
for pupils according to enrolment
throughout the county is only thir-
teen dollars five cents, while the
states average per pupil is fourteen
dollars ninety~four cents. Not only
is the amount spent by the state on
the average pupil too small, but the
amount spent by Edgefeld is less
still. By the special tax and the ap-
prc priation gotten from the legis-
lature by this tax this county will
have a much larger amount to spend
per capita.
The average number of pupils to
each school through the county is
for,y-three, and the average num-
Der in the schools throughout the
state is sixty.nine. tits to an advan-
tage to have more pupils to each
school provided there are more
teachers. The average teacher in
the county has twenty-seven pupils,
and the average teacher in the state