Chester High School - Cestrian Yearbook (Chester, SC)

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Mr. Henry Lee Sneed Jr., superintendent Chester Area Schools, chats with Mr. Boyce Bunkhead, secretary, Chester City Schools, while Mr. Carlisle White, Chairman, Board of Trustees, talks with Mr. Richard Woods, un- other board member. ADMINISTRATION STUDENTS AND PATRONS, CHESTER HIGH SCHOOL.. Today as we survey our educational problems, we are most keenly aware of changing trends and crises in our school world. Daily we hear criticisms of our schools, our methods of education, our so-called frills, and crip-courses offered as electives. Teachers have been lambasted as self- seeking, inefiicient people who really do not have quite enough to do. Many analyses have been made of this trend of critical comment directed against the public schools today. Much of it has been expressed by well meaning and interested citizens. Many of them have failed to get all the facts and the true conditions before they have formed their opinions. Some of the adverse criticism has been well de- served and should, in the final analysis, be very construc- tive. No form of public education is without ilaws, and always there will be differences of opinion as to ultimate values and the long term results obtained from those val- ues. You, as graduates of this high school, should know that out of the graduating class o 1955, forty-two percent went to college. Of this forty-two percent who went to college, ten per cent did not take college preparatory work and yet this forty-two per cent passed eighty-six per cent of the college courses taken. Of the class of l956, thirty- eight per cent went to college. In this class of 1956 some students enrolled in college who had not taken college preparatory work and which Chester High School did not recommend. Again this class passed eighty-six per cent of college courses taken. The national average of high school graduates attending college is thirty-three per cent. I would remind you that there are those of you who will not go to college who have received benefit from your public schools and considering the elfort many of you put forth, you are well prepared to become citizens of this community, state, and nation. If any of you will take time to turn back the pages of history of public schools in this state, as well as in the United States, you will tind that slowly, ponderously, and often times very ineptly our schools have grown to encom- pass the great American dream-that of a high school edu- cation for every American citizen. This ideal of mass education in our public schools has presented educators with infinite problems. Because of a lack of money, in- adequate facilities, over crowded classrooms, and teacher shortages, our public schools have had to compromise very often. Naturally this results in conditions that bring criticism.

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A soon YEAR AT WHH HH ADMlSlTRATNl FAC LTYS AND CLASSES 1 Mn. Wylie, Petrus, J. G., Devon, Sammy and Billy folk over uses of the Readers' Guido. a Burrell work palienlly for her conference wrih Mr. Prall. Mr. Rosh's weaving class-Joan, Gloria, Healer, Suzanne, Willa, Bar bara, Sims Nancy and Midgie proudly display lhe r , - ir wo lx. 1 N I

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Mr. James Caldwell, Mr. Ben Wall, Mrs. Caroline M. Dawson, and Mr. Wilbur Runyan, our other four board members, relax for a moment during a meeting. CHANGES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE OF SLOW GROWTH.. School officials, administrators, and teachers agree most whole heartedly that we need improvement in many fields. We are agreed on many points, some of which are: that the great majority of students should study more, that there are those who select the easiest road to graduation, that many of them engage in too many outside activities, that some students are perfectly satisfiedjust to pass. These conditions are prevalent in every high school today. The vital question is-What can we do about them? Two groups are as vitally concerned with solving the dif- ficulties as school officials and teachers. They are parents and students. These must work together whole heartedly with teachers if we are to improve the educational stand- ards of our schools. In the matter of hard, earnest study and adequate preparation for class work, parents can play a vital role. Together with the teacher, they can inspire, encourage, and show the keen special interest needed to motivate higher qualities of work. Public school changes are of slow growth. Only through gradual trial and error methods do we evolve new ideals and new standards in education. Our hope is that with today's many critical problems, we will be able to gradually approach our goal-that which is for the best interests of the individual student, that which will most help the in- dividual to face his own future with responsibility, with courage, and with faith. Let us go forward working to- gether, -teachers, pupil, parents-to improve our schools, to strengthen the weak places, and to make our schools a vital, secure foundation for peach of earth and for our way of life. Dr. W. J. Henry, member of the Chester County Board of Education pre- sents to Chester City Chairman Emeritus W. A. Conkill a handsome bronze plaque for his fifty years service to our schools.