The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-12-05

problem under consideration.
Penmanship should be taught aad
stressed in every school. The county
superintendent is urging this, but
not all the teachers are as yet teach
ing penmanship.
The art of questioning pupils
should be carefully studied by all
teachers. The questions of teachers
should be clear, logical and caiculat-
ed to make the pupils think. All ques-
tions should be so clear that teachers
will not have to repaet them in dit
erent form. Leading questions eX-
pecting only the answer "yes or
mo" should never be asked. In Civ
ing questions, insist that pupils pay
attention so that questions do not
have to be repeated. In the replies
of pupils, seldom allow more than one
trial. Expect and require good work
and good results from the pupils.
Perhaps the greatest weakness IN
the work of teachers is their failure
to prepare carefully beforehand all
the lessons they are to teach. Such
preparation will pave the way 1ol
nroper assignment and teaching OF
lessons. No teacher can be success
full without such lesson PREPARATION
Many teachers were observed who
had not prepared their work before
hand.
Some good reading was observed
on the part of pupils, showing that
reading was being we'll taught In
other cases, pupils were poor readers
showing that they had been promoted
without preparation, or were being
poorly taught, or both. Any teacher
that fails to teach her pupils to read
well. to get the thought and to be able
to give it, is failing in her work as a
teacher. Reading is the key that un-
locks the door to all knowledge
therefore it is the most important
school subject, and should be most
stressed by teachers.
The people of Newberry county
need to consolidate their one-teacher
schools into schools of three or more
teachers. Their children can never
be educated in one-teacher schools.
Out of SIS white schools, 2o are one
teacher schools. Newberry is far be-
hind in consolidation. With eonsol-
idation, new schoolhouses, more
teachers to the school, longer terms
and more regular attendance, New
berry would be in position to give her
children much better educational ad-
vantages.
The rural communities should not
allow their schools to go back as
result Of hard times. Country chill
dren do not have the educational op-
portunity that town and city chill
dren have, and to take from them the
little Opportunity they now nave
would ,5e doing them a great lnJus-
tice. There is only one time to edu-
cate children, and failure to give
them the advantage of good school
at that time means that they will go
through life uneducated, slaves to ig-
norance, prejudice and superstition
Many country communities in New
berry are dying; the schools are dy-
ing. and the country churches are dy-
ing. This is a bad sigs The coun-
try is the best place in the world to
rear boys and girls. They are taught
to work, they learn to carry respon-
sibility. and, when educated, they
make the very best men and women
Tbev take religion, Sunday school
and the church seriously. Religion
means something to them, and thelf
belief in religion makes sterling char-
acters. The hope of the state ana
the nation lies in these country boys
and girls, educated, taught to WORK
and carry responsibility, and taught
to reverence the church.
Let us build up our country schools
Let us try to hold our good country
people in the country. Let US revive
our country churches. Only in this
way shall we save our country from
the ruin and destruction that have
overtaken all nations of the past.
National education week should be
observed everywhere to arouse the
people to the tremendous Importance
of building up the rural. schools, the
rural communities, and the rural
churches.