from the Rabun County Historical Society
By Richard Cinquina
O
nly seven teachers had a tenth grade education. Schools lacked desks, books, charts and maps. Many children were unable to comprehend what they read. School buildings were in varying states of disrepair.
short school year. School terms were structured so as not to for “Foddering Time” when crops were harvested. No school was scheduled in the spring during planting season. School was not held during the winter months due to harsh weather.
the quality of education in every rural school in the state. The
other in Rabun Gap. Although they were called high schools, both taught students in lower grades as well as grades nine
Located four miles south of Tiger, the Old Tiger School, a school for white children, was representative of the county’s community schools.
were the norm. Industrial School, which later became Rabun Gap Nacoochee School; Clayton Academy, both a day and boarding school; and Bleckley Memorial Institute, a Baptist mission school.
Only seven of these teachers had a tenth grade education. One Rabun County teacher attended college. A graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta, she taught in one of the black schools. Teacher salaries were extremely low. The county school board spent on average about $5 a year on each pupil. Most of the schools limited education to grades one through seven or eight. Some schools had four or six grade levels. Only part of the classroom curriculum involved reading, writing and arithmetic. More time was devoted to practical skills. School activities included the Boys Corn Club and the Girls Canning Club. Education much beyond this was not considered useful.
As part of the state survey, tests were administered to determine the quality of instruction. The test results revealed that many students were unable to read with any degree of comprehension. Few knew basic math and writing skills were to work and the poor education of the teachers. Also contributing to limited education attainment was the
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furnished only with long benches. There were no desks, “very little” blackboard, and no maps, charts, pictures or books. Like many of Rabun’s schools, Old Tiger also doubled as a Baptist Church. Even so, it received $400 a year from the county school board and charged an annual tuition of $5 per pupil.
Chapel School for black children, located one mile from Rabun Gap. The survey said: “Pupils here read remarkably well and with thorough understanding…Children could write well and answer intelligently all questions that were asked. The methods of teaching were far above the average.” The
