Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1922-09-27
CLIMBS IN EDucAT1oNl
Has Risen from Third to Sixth Place
from Bottom in Hlttbracy.
(Andersdn Tribune.)


and now leads the Union in reducing
her percentage from s5.7 per cent in
1910 to 1871 per cent in 1920. This
result has been secured by vigor-
Gus fight. made by the State Depart
ment jof Education, assisted by the
illiteracy com -sion. The statistics
in this connection have only been
issued within the past few weeks.
In the matter Of white ilIteracy
the State has climbed from third
place from the bottom in 1910 to
sixth place in 1920, now ranking
above New Mexico, Louisiana; North
Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky.
In negro illiteracy the State ties with
Mississippi for third place. maintain
ing the same position as in 1910.
While this record testifies to the
good work which the publie-schools
and the schools for adults have been
doing, there Is yet much work to be
done before we can rank with many
Of our sister States. Iowa records
the lowest illiteracy-1.1 4 per cent
while Louisiana records the greatest
-21.9 per cent In nine States less
than 2 per cent Of the population
was illiterate, while in ten States,
South Carolina included, the per-
ccntage was 10 and oyer.
Pickens county now registers the
least illitcracy In South Carolina
1917 per cent. Greenville county Is
second, with II per cent, while the
county of Berkeley registers the
highest in illiterac" --3S.4 per cent,
with Jasper county the next highest,
with 33 per cent. The data for tho
county Of Greenville shows: Total
number Of illiterates, 7,179, or II
per cent. Number Of white litter
ates, 2,9S3, or 6.3 per cent Number
of negro illiteratos' 4'14S or 2s.7
per cent.
According to the 1920-21 report Of
the State superintendent Of Educa-
ton, 1880 pupils were enrolled in
the 42S schools during tho past year.
Eleven counties - Aiken, Anderson,
Cherokee, Colleton, Darlington, Pick
ems, Greenvillc, Greenwood, Rich
land, Spartanburg and York-enroll-
cd over 800 pupils. Spartanburg led
the State with an enrolment Of l.
$40. Anderson county came next with
933 pupils, while Greenville took a
third place with an enrolment Of 735
pupils. Only seven counties in the
State reported no work.
Practically two thousand pupils
were perfect in attendance. In the
first grade there were 4,130N pupils,
while 3,436 Of this number learned
to read. For instruction Of these pu-
Ills the State paid $3.S5 per white
pupil and $1.3G per negro pupil.
Some schools were in session dur
ing the entire year. During the win
ter the work was pushed among the
mill villages and in small towns, and
the summer months were largely de-
voted to the lay-by schools in coun-
try districts. The, teaching in the
mill villages and small towns was
done by day teachers at night, while
during the summer special teachers
were employed to devote their entire
time to the work. Schools we're usu-
ally taught In the public schools. al
though some were held in churches
and some in homes. Wherever a
group Of pupils and teacher could
meet, there school was taught.
The figures given for both State
and counties demonstrate tho worth
OF the adult school work. The fact
that two thousand pupils did not
miss session signifies the keen de-
sire OF the adult to acquire learning.
They came 10 school after hard
days work through winters cold and
summers heat and struggled good
naturedly over their lessons. Often
teacher or visitor would hear them
express genuine regret that they had
been deprived Of an education n
youth, but they re:oiced IN tho
rortunity now given to them by tho
State and were happy in the thought
that compulsory education now
makes 1t possible for children to
grow up with educational advantages
which they were denied. The great
est good which Is coming to the state
from, this work Is not to bo found in
the fact that many people are learn