JUNE 1925
THE UNITED AMERICAN
Page Twenty-nine
Reducing Illiteracy Through Adult Education in the South
By WIL LOU GRAY, Supervisor Adult Schools, South Carolina
(Special for The United American)
school. He considers this school the greatest single blessing
ever given him by his State.
J N THE culture of cotton, South Carolina’s chief crop,
the month of August, known as “lay-by” time, is
the farmers’ vacation month, therefore, intensive cam
paigns for the establishment of schools for illiterates
and near-illiterates have been waged at this time for a
number of years. The campaign of 1924 reached a
high water mark when two hundred and forty of the
best teachers of the State went to the most isolated
communities for the purpose of giving to the unlettered
their belated chance. As a result 6,380 pupils regis
tered in 226 schools, 1,297 pupils did not miss a single
session during the entire month.
The various counties closed their campaigns with
a county commencement. The following from an or
ganizer shows the cooperation given:
We had a big commencement. The Court House was
crowded. One school with an enrollment of fifty-one came a
distance of forty-five miles to attend the exercises. Another
school with an enrollment of twenty-six was there almost to a
man. Many of the leading men and women of Chesterfield were
there to lend a helping hand and those helping hands were
gladly received and I haven’t seen one yet that wasn’t needed.
COLLEGES WELCOME ADULT PUPILS
Ip addition to the school in the country two colleges
were opened: Lander College, Greenwood, for girls and
women, and Erskine College, Due West, for boys and
men. These schools, called Opportunity Schools, were
SCHOOLS IN THE OPEN COUNTRY
Fourteen County Departments of Education cooper
ated with the State Department of Education in
putting on this campaign by employing skilled teachers
to organize their respective counties. These organizers
with their superintendents appointed the teachers, the
best in the State being available since this was vacation
time. Before reporting for work the organizers and
teachers were guests of Winthrop College, the State
College for women, for a week’s institute when, under
the direction of the State Supervisor of Adult Schools,
a thorough course in adult teaching was given. This
work enabled the teachers to go to their schools with
some technical training and a consciousness of its
purpose which made success inevitable.
The term was from four to six weeks. The time
for the daily session was determined by the pupils.
The course of study was the 3 R’s vitalized by every
day problems. As supplementary reading a special
newspaper, The Lay-by School Messenger, the gift of
a public spirited editor, was used. The teachers lived
in the various communities and, though remaining
there for only a short time, identified themselves with
all community activities. They attended church, sang
in the choir, visited the homes of all pupils who needed
to come to school, and often gave individual lessons
to pupils until their confidence was gained and they
were willing to enter school. The following excerpt
taken from a teacher’s letter gives a graphic idea of
the work and the response:
“I came to Old Hundred one month when I was seven years
old and sixty years after I came to the same school another
month.” The remark was made by one of my most interesting
pupils at the commencement exercises of my school. He then
told how in his youth he had been denied schooling because of
poor school facilities and because of the fact that at his father’s
death he had to pay off the mortgage on the farm. When a young
man he had helped build the first Old Hundred School and when
it was completed he asked to be allowed to go to school for a
few months by paying tuition. The idea of a married man going
to school appeared so ridiculous to the trustees that his request
was refused and it was not until this summer that his ambition
was realized. He made a bargain with me that he would come
three days and if he found he could learn he would be there
“very session. It was a revelation to him that an old man could
be taught to write his name, make figures and learn to read
several pages in a few days. Time was no item when home
work was to be done. He bought two readers and had learned
to read some twenty pages in both by the end of school. He
had no difficulty in learning to spell and did enjoy doing it.
He is studying at home now and looking forward to next year’s
enjoy reading the
Y OU Ladd WILL
& Tilton Booklet describ-
ing the departments and services
of this bank.
It was written to help you get
acquainted with the “Oldest Bank
in the Northwest,” — to make it
easy for you to use every depart
ment in this Bank.
Ask for Your Free Copy
LADD & TILTON
BANK
Oldest in the Northwest
Washington & Third
. Portland, Oregon
ASK YOUR DEALER
for the following brands
Manufactured in Portland
|
|
1
Mt. Hood Overalls
Mt. Hood Shirts
University Overcoats
University Mackinaws
Jenny & Joe Play suits
.
Columbi-Ann House Dresses
Columbi-Ann Ladies’ Night Gowns
A Warranty Bond with Every Garment
:
f
i
x
s
TdiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiumiiiiiiiiiiiiiuuiuiiimiiHiiuiituiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii,''
Place Your Orders With The United American Advertisers—and Tell Them Why