The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1922-09-21
CAROLINA'S ILLITERACY IS
SHARPLY CUT IN TEN YEARS

Columbia.-The following an
nouncemcnt has been issued by the
Department of Education:
The State Department of Educa-
tion, assisted by the Illiteracy com
mission, has made a vigorous fight
against the illiteracy which exists
in our state and now that the CEN
sus figures for 1920 have been pub
lished it is matter Of just pride that
South Carolina leads the Union in re-
ducing her percentage from 25.7 per
cent in 1910 to 1871 per cent in 1920.
In rank-among the states, South Caro-
lima still maintains the next to bot
tom place, ranking below every state
save Louisiana. In white illiteracy the
state has climbed from third place
from the bottom in 1910, to sixth
place from the bottom in 1920, now
ranking above New Mexico, Louisi-
ana, North Carolina, Tennessee and
kentucky. In negro illiteracy, the
state ties with Mississippi for third
place, maintaing the same position
of 1910. While this record testifes
to the work the public schools and
the schools for adults have been do
ing, there is yet much work to be
done before we can rank with MANY
OF our sister states. Iowa records the
lowest illiteracy, IL per cent. while
Louisiana records the greatest, 2l.9
per cent. In nine states less than
z per cent. of the population was
illiterate, while in ten states (South
Carolina included) the per cent was
10 and over.
Pickens county now registers the
least illiteracy in the state, 1O.7 per
cent. Greenville county comes sec
ond, with II per cent, while Berke-
ley registers the highest illiteracy,
3S.4 per cent, with Jasper county
next highest, 33 per cent.
According to the 192O-21 report
of the state superintendent of edu-
cation, IL, ,250 pupils were enrolled
in the 42S schools during the past
year.
Practically 1000 pupils were per-
feet in attendance. In the first
grade there were 4,13O pupils. while
3,436 of this number learned to
read. For instruction of these pu-
pills the state paid 1885 per white
pupil and $1.36 per negro pupil.
Some schools were in session
throughout the entire year. During
the winter the work was pushed
among the mill village and in small
towns, while the summer months
were largely devoted to the clay
by'' schools in the country districts
The teaching in the winter was prin-
cipally done by day teachers at night
while during the summer special
teachers were employed to devote
their entire time to the work. Schools
were usually taught in the public
schools, although some were held in
churches and some in homes. Wher-
ever group of pupils and a teach
er could meet, there school was
formed.
The figures just given for state
and county demonstrate the worth
of the adult work. The fact that
1000 pupils did not miss session
signifies the keen desire of the adult
to acquire learning. They came to
school after a hard days work
through winters cold and summers
heat and struggled good naturedly
over their lessons. Often a teacher or
visitor would hear them express
genuine regret that they had been de-
prived of education in youth but they
rejoiced in the opportunity now given
them by the state and were happy in
the thought that compulsory educa-
tion now makes it possible for chill
dren to grow up with educational
advantages. The greatest good which
is coming to the state from this work
is not to be found in the fact that
many people are learning to read and
write but that the adult pupils are
awaking to larger realization of
their duty to the community and
state. They no longer feel that they
never had chance, and further, their
example of attending school is causing
many persons with little educa-
ton to pull down their books, who, if
left to themselves, would have fallen