The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1917-01-18
VISITED COUNTY SCHOOLS.
State Supervisor of Rural Schools
Hi ighly Commends County.

two DAYS in Bamberg county on an in
spection of the rural schools of the
county. In a report to the county
superintendent of education, Prof.
Gunter highly praises the school sys
tenn of the county. Under date Of
January -. he writes as follows:
For many months the State super
visor of rural schools had been look
ing forward to the time when he
should have the pleasure of visiting
some of the country schools of Bam-
berg county. The past week this op-
portunity came and two days in your
schools were greatly enjoyed. The
State supervisor would have been
glad to have a longer time to visit in
the county but two days in a small
county like Bamberg gave him as
good insight into the school situation
as a week in many other counties
would have given. Some OF the
schools Of Bamberg county have
made great progress in the past few
years. Schools of the type of Hun
ter's Chapel, Colston, and Oak Grove
are the kind to which country people
will have to look for thorough in
struction for their children. Such
schools in many other sections are
not possible on account of the spare
ness of white population.
The first day the State supervisor
visited the following schools: Mid
way, Hydiga, Sandy Run, Edisto, and
Hunters Chapel. Midway is small
one-teacher school with comfortable
school building and good work in
progress. With the small enrolment
and no pupils further advanced than
the present most advanced class it is
possible for the teacher to do thor
ough work in all the grades. Ad-
vanced instruction at Midway would
necessarily depend on larger school
and a larger teaching force.
"Hydiga is another one-teacher
school. The enrolment here is much
larger than at Midway and is, in fact,
approaching two-teacher needs. The
schoolhouse is not so comfortable as
some other schoolhouses in the coun-
ty and it occurred to the State super
visor of rural schools that the people
of the Hydiga community might early
plan for the erection of two-teacher
house looking to the early employ
ment of two teachers in the school.
Sandy Run was next visited. This
is very small one-teacher school not
far from the Colleton county line.
The school last year had total en-
rollment of only IL. Such an en-
rollment enables the teacher to i'm
part thorough instruction to every
pupil. High school work of an ad-
vanced type and pronounced school
spirit, however, are impossible in
such a school. The building at San
dy Run is not in keeping with the
demands of modern instruction. With
a small but modern building, comfort
ably furnished, the school at Sandy
Run would he in as satisfactory con-
dition as could be expected for one
teacher school.
"Edisto is a one-teacher school in
the same district with Sandy Run.
This school is fortunate in having a
college man of the community as
teacher. It has, therefore, a teacher
interested not only in the school but
interested in the community welfare.
At the same time, the school secures
home talent of preparation that
would be impossible if the teacher
had to be imported. Good school
work is being done at Edisto. The
building is not modern in design and
arrangement but is altogether COM
Portable schoolhouse.
Hunters Chapel was the next
school visited. This community had
the misfortune last year of losing a
splendid modern building by fire. The
foresight of some fire insurance and
some excellent community spirit have
made possible building that is larg-
er and better than the former house.
Their present building is thorough
ly modern, three-room structure, sub
stantial in construction and neat in
finish. 1t is adequate to the demands
OF any country school the size of Hun
ter's Chapel. This school is fortunate
in having some teachers that are at
home in the community. While in
terested in best serving the pupils of
the school, they are at the same time
interested in everything that helps
the community which is their home
and in which they live.
Effort was made to reach the