The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1921-12-29
REPORT ON SCHOOLS.
in WILLIAMSBURG.
Mr.. d. L. LEWIS RECOMMENDS
NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS
IN OUR SYSTEM.

State Superintendent of Education by
State Inspector of schools, d. 1. Lewis,
on Williamsburg county schools, and
is worthy of careful perusal by every
citizen interested in the education OF
our children:
December 19, 1921.
Hon. j. E. Swearingen,
Dear Sir:
You will find below summary of
school conditions in Williamsburg
county, as seen by me during week
ended December II:
On December 13, in company with
the County Superintendent 1 visited
Carlisle, two-teacher school; Cades,
a three-teacher school; Rough Branch,
with two teachers; Singletary, with
one teacher; and Indiantown, school
of four teachers.
We found very good work in the
one and two-teacher schools-as good
as can be expected in schools OF
these types.
Unfortunately, some of the two
teacher schools are undertaking too
many grades. A ,two-teacher school
should undertake only eight grades.
The attempt to teach more grades
leads to neglect of some grade Oh
grades, usually the lower. The only
remedies for this situation are, con-
solidation of schools so as to form
schools of three, better four, or more,
teachers, in which schools the upper
grades can be well taught, and no
grades neglected; or, the sending of
all upper grade pupils to a high
school, provided high school can be
reached. Where one and two-teacher
schools are within reach of Kingstree,
Hemingway, GreeiyAlle, or any other
high school, the sending of all high
school pupils to these high schools
would be the proper thing to do.
They would get better training in
these high schools, and the seven
grades that remain in the local schools
would get much better training as
a result of the removal Of the high
school grades.
But many of the schools in VIII
Eamsburg are not within reach of
any high school. In this case, con-
solicitation, as suggested above should
be made. Wherever conditions ere
favorable, centralized high schools
should be established. Three or more
country school districts agree to main
tain a joint high school, to which all
the high school pupils of these dis
tricts are to 60. The first seven
grades remain in the schools just as
at present. The Central district, in
which the Centralized high school is
to be located, builds the schoolhouse,
or supplies the house if it already
has a good building. The Central
district should be willing to do this,
OF account of its advantage as to
location of high school. The CO.
operating districts "agree to send all
their high school pupils to the Cen
tral high school. In this way, no
school is done away with, the first
seven grades get more attention, and
the high school grades get the ad-
vantage of two-teachcr high school
This is not a consolidation of dis
tricts; each district maintains its in
E 1egrity. It is an affiliation, for the
purpose of securing the advantages
of high school for country boys
and girls.
It is the finest plan that has ever
been developed for the adequate high
school training Of all the country
boys and girls. the Legislature, rea-
lizing this, has agreed to give to such
a Centralized high school State aid
equal to twice the amount received
by a town or city high school Of the
same type, in order to encourage the
establishment, by country school dis
tricts, of such high schools.
Such country high schools receive
not less than $1,000 State high school
aid each year. The cooperating dis
tricts are entitled. 10 State aid just
as they already are-term extension,
rural graded, and squali1ing aid.
The ideal system of country schools
would have in each county such CEN
tralized high schools every ten miles
apart. This. would give to every am
bitious country boy and girl the op-
portunity to attend a hiEA school.
These centralized high schools should
have a nucleus Of 200 or 25o children