Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1918-11-27

grade with 27 The elimination shows
the progressive dropping out of chill
dren. The losses contitute an educa-
tional death roll which shows the nee
essity for compulsory attendance
law and for proper organization and
recognition of the county superin-
tendent's office. At least two-thirds
of the children entering the first
grade ought to complete the eight
grade. The man to bring this about
is the county superintendent of edu-
cation. The present custom of depre
ciating the county superintendent
office is one of the most damaging
injuries to the public schools.
The figures for the II grades are
given in SUGGESTIONS: First grade,
1882; second grade, S,915; third
grade, $3.50; fourth grade s, 1872;
fifth grade, 6,597; sixth grade, SAL;
seventh grade, 4,550; eighth grade,
3,S44; ninth grade, 2,219; tenth
grade. 1,010; 18th grade, 27.
In the 1870 State aided high schools
the total enrolment was 49,S40. In
40 counties acceptable high schools
were recognized by the State board
of education. In Jasper county Ridge
land did not secure the required high
school enrolment of rs in time
to be approved for State aid during
the scholastic year 1917.1S.
Seven Do Not Receive Help.
Charleston, Columbia, Spartan
burg, Greenville, Aiken, Cheraw and
Beaufort do not accept State high
school aid. In each of these districts
the assigned reason alleges that the
city schools prefer to charge tuition
to outside pupils rather than to ad-
nit these pupils free. The collections
from tuitions annually exceed the
maximum amount of State aid now
provided under the high school law.
These schools embrace the four
largest municipalities of the State.
They ought to have the most efficient
schools in the state because they pos
sess the largest amount of wealth
and the largest population. If some
thing could be done to make these
strong centers real educational CEN
ters for other counties the results
would certainly prove helpful to ru-
raj schools and to country children.
The State ought to provide enough
money to relieve the city school dis
trict of any added expense. This
could easily be accomplished by pay
ing monthly tuition charge of So
per child. A few high schools now en-
roll large number of outside boys
and girls and are burdened because
of the influx of these children. Unless
the situation is relieved, these over
burdened districts will be compelled
to forego the privilege of serving
these rural pupils.
Upper Grades Small.
It is interesting also to note the
progressive elimination Of children in
high schools, beginning with 1921
in the first grade the State aided
high schools end with 622 in the 18th
grade. The arger proportion of chill.
dren held throughout the successive
grades is certainly due to the longer
recitation periods, the better organl-
zation and the larger teaching force
in high schools. In fact the length of
the recitation periods and the num-
Der of daily recitations attempted by
teachers will be one of the best tests
of any school. The enrolment by
grades in high schools is as follows:
First grade, 1921; second grade,
6,7O9; third grade, 6,177; fourth
grade, 5,625; fifth grade, 4,S4S;
sixth grade, 4.O29; seventh grade,
1916; eighth grade, $3.50; ninth
grade, 2,343; tenth grade, 1925;
eleventh grade, 622.
II the figures for private high
schools and for non State aided high
schools could have been obtained
these grade enrollments might have
been increased throughout.
College students are usually re-
cruited from the pupils of rural grad
ed schools and of high schools.
These figures show exactly where
and how the colleges must recruit
their freshmen each year. If this con-
dition could be sympathetically and