The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1920-05-19
Wednesday, May 10, 1920.
BETTER SCHOOLS FOR ALL

The people are waking up to tine
fact that Abbeville County is far ir
the rear in the support OF the pub
lie schools. Here and there, all ovel
the state, the cause of education is
making headway, while in this coun'
ty little has been done in the past
Just now things look better. The Alb,
beville school district has increased
the local tax to twelve mills for the
support of the city schools. In addi-
ton a tax of two mills is levied and
collected annually to keep the build
ings in repair and to make enlarge
ments. In the Due West school dis
trict six mills additional are to be
levied, which will add greatly TO the
efficiency of the public school at that
place. Lowndesville has good school
and so has Donalds.>
In the country districts there are
signs of progress also. The Sharon
school district is to have an increas-
ed tax and other districts are TO do
the same. The amount OF taxes be-
ing voted in these districts, however,
is entirely inadequate. We noticed in
the Columbia dispatches this week
that in many counties practically
every school district is voting as
much as eight mills for the support
of it's schools and is thereby qualify
ing for state aid. TIE people in this
county should do the SAME We pay
our part CT the money appropriated
for the state aid for these schools,
and we should have it in return.
We should have our part Of the
money, not only because we contri-
butte to the fund, but because we are
in dire need of it to make our schools
what they should be. We had an ar
ticle in our last issue urging the boys
to secure a college education. We
believe in that. But the poys in the
country districts cannot secure a
college education unless they are
first prepared to enter college. Few,
if any, of the schools in the country
districts give sufficient instruction to
enable boy to enter the colleges. In
order to enter it is necessary that
he go two or three years to a pre-
paratory school. THIS should not be
50. A boy at the age when he goes to
a preparatory school should be at
home under parental authority.
But this cannot be the case as long
as The schools do not furnish the pre-
paratory courses. The necessary pre-
paration can only be mad by securing
good teachers and a sufficient num-
Der of them. In districts where there
are from twenty-five to tnirty-five
pupils one teacher cannot co the
work necessary. 1t is necessary,
therefore, either that the schools be
consolidated, or that two teachers be
employed in every district, one to
teach primary pupils and another to,
teach the high school subjects. The
work can be done in this way. Twen-
ty wears ago one teacher did it with
some degree of success, but the re-
uuirements are mere exacting now,
as they should be, and one :eacner
can no longer do the work. Two
should be employed in every school.
1t will take money 20 do this it is
true. Good teachers are demanding
GOOD salaries, and they will receive
what they demand. But the rural
sections are as able 10 pay them as
are the people in the towns. All they
need is to get the habit. We pay such
heavy taxes in the towns that we
soon learn to do so as part OF every
day affairs. And those Of US who take
time to think Of it know that the
money is we'll spent. 1t is well spent
not onlv in our own interest, but in