The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1916-12-12
Tells What Has Been Already Accom-.
plished and Tells OF Other
Things That Need to
BE Done

Things That Need to
Be Done.
Geo. ID. Brown, State supervisor OF
mill schools. has made his annual re-
port to ]. e. Swearingen, State su-
perintendent Of education. In his
report Mr.. Brown says:
Herewith is submitted a report OF
the activities Of the State supervisor
of mill schools for the scholastic year
beginning July 1. 1915, and ending
June 80, 1916. Discussion of the mill
school problem and reports of pro-
gress made are herein contained.
The legislature of South Carolina
In 1915 having created the office of
State supervisor of mill schools, and
the State superintendent of education
having chosen me to assume the du-
ties of the office, began work in that
position July 1, 1915. My first aues-
tion was: What and why are mill
schools? l was told that mill schools
arc schools attended by children from
cotton mill villages. have yet to dis,
cover why mill children should be
segregated from the other white
children of the State and enrolled in
different schools. 1t is gratifying to
state that this condition is decreas-
ing.
Type OF Schools.
Some mill schools are supported
both county and State appropriations
and employing the best teachers and
superintendents. Other mill schools
are supported in part by the public
school funds, which are supplement-
ed by funds from the mills. few
mill schools are owned and financed
entirely by the corporations owning
the mills, thus being private sci ools
without the pale of public schuOi Of
ficers. This last type of school is
MANAGED without regard to the
school laws of the State, notably in
the employment Of unCertihed and IN
competent teachers, in the non-adOp-
tion of uniform text books. and in
the use of buildings poorly lighted
and equipped Some of the best and
some of the poorest schools OF the
State are mill schools.
~ Aims of system.
Y "The aims of the mill supervisor
were: First, to >visit and study cOnti-
tions in the mill schools; second. to
interest mill authorities in the ad-
vantage OF having their schools be-
come part of the public school sys-
tenn of the State; third, to inspire
ings and more useful equipment;
fourth, to encourage community in
terest in the school through the dem
ocratic method of special school tax
voted by patrons and freeholders:
NTH, to improve the class room in
struction, and, sixth, to make every
mill village school a part OF the com
munity life, training boys and girls
for citizenship, manhood and woman
hood, and giving to adults a fuller
and broader opportunity TO master
the fundamentals of an education.
Mill Schools Problems.
"The greatest problem existing in
the mill school is the lack of COM
munity spirit and cooperation. This
inertia on the part of the patrons IL
due in a large measure to the fac,
that they have had no voice in the
schools. Many schools like other pro
perty in the district belong to the
corporation. Why, then, should pa,
irons raise money for school equip.
ment and class room instruction?
When, however, the mill operative is
called upon to vote yes or mo- on
the question of a special tax levy
for maintenance or for the erection
OF a school building, he begins to
at least consider the advisablity OF
having a better school The above
problem is being removed in many
places by enlisting the aid of cleo
tors in voting special taxes and bonds
tC be used in betterment OF school
conditions.
OvercrOwdcd Glasses.
mot less than fifty per cent OF the
mill children are found in the frst
and second grades. In a few instances
as many as one hundred children in
charge of one teacher were found in