The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1916-12-12
GEORGE D. BROWN, STATE SUPERVISOR
MAKES HIS REPORT AS TO THE MILL SCHOOL, s

canaan ei"SS ioom rarity on ac-
count OF the overcrowded conditions
the children drop out Of school. II
is not necessary to touch on the ab-
solutely inferior teaching under such
conditions. The remedy for large
classes is simple enough-the en-
ployment OF additional teachers. The
mill authorities responded willingly
In many cases where overcrowded
classes were found, and such condi
uons were relieved by the services
of additional teachers.
Health and Sanitation.
In South Carolina when patrons
of towns, mill or rural schools gather
at the school and realize that they
may have better conditions through
the channel of special taxes. better
buildings will be the result. The mill
authorities do not have time to study
school architecture, their business is
to make the mills pay dividends. AS
result of the interest being given to
the successful operation of the ma
chinery and not to schools and chill
dren, many children to be taught are
crowded into unused tenant houses
with few small windows for ventila-
ton. The darkly painted walls and
unsecured floors are germ breeders
OF worst type. The close proximity
of people could cause immortality:
the crowded conditions on school
grounds. where children play without
supervision, would tend to evil sug-
gestions. The lack of sanitary tot.
! lets and carelessness in regard to
drinking water are evident in some
! OF the mill schools of the State
Need of kindergarten.
Z "A kindergartcn would be of grca:
help to small children in every mill
village in South Carolina. Wherr
the parents work in the mill the lit
tie children have long. proftless. if
not dangerous, hours both at home
and on the street Human beings
learn much during the first five years
of their lives. Manifestly. ii is wei,
for all children under six years ot
age in the mill village to be under
the guidance of trained kindergar-
ten teacher who works in the same
building and under the same super
vision as the day school teachers.
Failure to Hold Children.
"The fact that mill schools too of
ten fail to hold the children is due
to several causes. In some cases the
child of his own desire or from nee
cessity goes to work in the mill after
finishing perhaps the third or fourth
grade. In other cases the child
drops out of school on account OF
overcrowded conditions and the lacl
Of individual attention. 1t is a re
gretable fact that many children are
lost from mill schools for the lack of
interest on the part of the teacher
Too many teachers are in the mill
village only from o'clock in the
morning until . O'Clock in the after
noon, thus in the lives of the chill
dren very little. In many OF The
most progressive mill villages of the
State, such as Monaghan of Green
vile, Graniteville OF Aiken Pacolet
of Spartanburg, Ware Shoals OF
Greenwood, and PelZer of Anderson
the school authorities require the
teachers to live in the village. If tn
problems OF mill earnings, stories ot
machinery, and subjects kindred {,
the future lives of the children wer"
substituted for unessential material
in text books, the child-critic would
be more willing to prepare for work.
The supplementing of such text books
and readers would require teachers
who know the work and life of the
average mill operative. co-opera
tive club of the people themselves
should supply class room equipment.
readers and material suitable to in
terest and appeal to mill children
Would not a teacher-training course
for mill teachers be of benefit to the
mill schools and the mill children OF
South Carolina?
Possibilities in Mill Schools.
There is advantageous ground or
which to work in building up mill
schools. The villages furnish the
children and the corporations have
ha pnnnaU Tho chief Unrk in Snnpr-