The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-11-27
THE CITY SCHOOLS
Interesting Facts Concerning
Enrolment and Attendance.

Oack INTO the SCnOOlS WHO nave Ueel
tempted to leave on account Of thu
attractive offers of wages that have
come to them on account Of the scar
city Of labor, the following compare
tive table of the public schools Of thu
city of Sumter will be found interest
ing and suggestive. At the same
time last year there were in the white
public schools the following number
Primary and Grammar schools, 401
boys, 434 girls, total S35.
High schools, 107 boys, los girls;
total 212.
Grand total, sos boys, 539 girls; to-
tai LOAF.
Today there is the following total
enrolment in the white schools up
to the present time:
Primary and Grammar Schools, 421
bols, 429 girls, total $50.
High schools, 147 boys, 40 girls;
| total 287.
Grand total, 5es boys, $50 girls, to-
tai 1,137.
This report shows a rather remark
able, condition. There are in the
High Schools forty boys and thirty
five girls-making total Of seventy
five more than there were at this time
last year. This is especially crafty
ing as thees boys and girls could be
making good salaries if they cared
to stop school. Some Of the boys
made as high as three dollars a, day
during the period Of enforced mac
tivity incident to the closing of the
schols on account of the influenza ep-
idenlic.
In the High School there is the
following detailed enrolment:
First Year, boys, 43; girls, So; to-
tai, 101.
Second Year, boys, 40; girls, 27; to-
tai, rs.
Third Year, boys, 80; girls, 81; to-
tai. 61.
Fourth Year, boys, 25, girls, "a; to-
tai, 4e.
Total, boys, lat; total girls, 40
2S7.
This fine enrolment is exceedingly
gratifying and encouraging not only
to the schools, but to the whole COM
munity.
A careful compilation has been
made Of the recent influenza epi-
demic in its bearing upon the schools
of the city. There were the following
cases:
III the white schools, boys. 1877;
girls, 159; total, 356. -
In the colored schools (total en-
ro,lment 731), boys, As; girls, 6S;
total, 113.
Grand total, boys, 242; girls, 227-
4ss.
Of this number there were four
deaths. White schools: one girl Of
the Seventh grade and one boy OF
the First grade. The little boy did
not live in the city. In the colored
school, one girl in the Third grade
and one gir! in the Fourth grade.
In order to make up as nearly as
possible the loss of time and work
caused by the closing Of the schools
on account Of the influenza epidemic
it has been decided to eliminate all
holidays for the whole session with
the exception of Thanksgiving day.
which will be more generally and
thoroughly observed this year thar
history of America The schools will
close for only three days at Christ
mas and the session will end on the
18th of June In addition to the
of the Christmas recess
and the prolongation of the spring
session from the last of May to the
18th of June, great effort will be
made during the whole year to do
intensive work in order that whei
the session does close in June it may
be said truthfully that our pupils
have done just as much this year III
quantity and quality Of work as they
have ever done before.
1t was a matter OF great surprise
and qualification to the teachers tc
ascertain how little the pupils had
forgotten during the time that the
schools were closed. it has proved
a really interesting study in pedagogy
as the instruction given during the
first weeks Of the school session
seemed really to have been broadened
and deepened during this period OF
school inactivity.
The teachers are going to ask fo:
the most active and sympathetic CO.
operation Of the parents for the rest
of this year We have been pecu-
liarly blessed in Sumter in the very
constructive cooperation that most OF
the parents have always given. The
need, however, this year will be
greater than ever before. The
teachers are going to ask for careful
and sympathetic study at home each
Gay and for perfect attendance on
the part of every pupil unless such
attendance is prevented by some Sc
rious and unavoidable cause. These
are most extraordinary times. and II
is believed that all will unite in meet
| ing these unusual demands with
! cheerfulness and perfect sympathy.
Two reasons contributed largely to
the determination to curtail tho
Christmas holiday and thus shorter
the time of teaching in June. The
first consideration was the pupils
nh x-cico1 welfore r. js NOT believed