Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1845-1851, 1848-12-26
CONTINUED

ihe OIL had the honor 10 present 10 the Commit
zee on education, proposes TO change the school age
from and Il 10 D md l6 This change will not so
hurI affect the Of funds required II Will
the educational reputation of the Suite. According
TO The report Of the late rreusur OF State, out Of
35OOOO scholars only l29 500 we're attending school;
consequently, go SEQ children III Indiana were grow
ING up without the benefits of common school lnsruc
ton.--about 63 per cent If the school age had been
aud 10, the report would have shown nearly co per
cent i'm school.
There are comparatively few that attend school
over IL years of nge. The report of the Supernen-
dent of Common Schools of Connecticut FIR 1913, be-
fore me. shows S75l2 children between aud l6
years Of and attending school of all ages - 500,
OF which ITO only were over III. The report shows
about 81 per cent of those of school age attending
school. There were at the same time, ;3 1876 be-
tween l6 aud 81 not attending school, which would
reduce the number AT school 10 about 90 per cent.
The reports OF Massachusetts, New York. Rhode
Island and other States, do vary materially from
Connecticut 1t we establish the school age at D and
to We shall have 10 provide for nearly 2sOOoO schol-
ara. The number stated IN the last Sentinel was an
error. of my o,cn. and not the publishers.
Allowing the average 10 each district to b, 4b
scholars, we have 6,OS6 districts. Connecticut ave-
RACES SO scholars to district, Massachusetts 81, N.
York 62, Rhode Island 81, and Michigan %. sup
pose Ats for Indiana To be n fair average In 1919,
New York had 5763 school districts, and 3O2, 703
children between . md Ii years of age.
The school funds belonging to the State that can be
equally distributed annually amount To Ss39.26O 81
II two mills on the dollar be levied on property taxa
BILE for State purposes with the fund now at the dis
posnl Of the State the whole would amount to S299,
200 81, averaging to ench child 81 o. nearly, and
to each district $40 IT, This sum. if the proportion
OF female teachers employed were equal TO other
States, would keep open school IN each district OF
the State, four months ut least, without dollar Of
the congressional township fund.
Any law that does not give each township the right
to manage It's educational interests cannot either
be equal or efficient in its operations. The difference
IN the condition and ability To sustain free schools in
the respective townships of this State, Just
proportion To the value of the sixteenth section and
the prudent management of the money arising there
from. Let US apply the bill have submitted in lis
practical workings. TO single county. Suppose
county has 10 townships, and each township school
districts the present law provides school commits
sIoner 30 township trustees, and 21O district trus
tees, making 27l school officers in one county, beside
the Examiners, County Auditor, and Treasurer
propose to dispense with 27l of these officers by SUBJ
shutting Board of Education for each township, of
three PERSONS to be elected by the qualified voters of
the township. who shall have the entire cChto guar
danshIp and supervision of all the school interests
in the township. If there cannot be found in each
township three persons qualified take charge Of its
educational interests and act efficiently il would be
useless to look for twenty-seven.
SupposIng one township in the county has 800
annual income from its sixteenth section, another
$500, another 800, five others $50 each, and two
that have not dollar. The two townships that have
no funds pay equal amount of taxes. and nave
equal number of children to educate. Their sixteenth
sections may be unsaleable, their funds may have
been squandered. The tax proposed would give to
the first township, with It's fund. double the MEANS
for school purposes, that the last enjoys and in pro-
portion. This cannot help; and hence the neces-
siy for each township controlling It's school mat
tiers, voting how much it will tax itself TO sustain the
schools. after the public money shall have been
pended, and adapt It's own means TO It's necessi-
ties. Another reason why townships should regulate
their own school matters by Board of Education.
is,-the districts In some might be so changed
as TO equaze the number Of scholars, and better
commodate greater number of the inhabitants An.
other Is, may be absolutely necessary there
should be school district IN part of the township
that has but % scholars. and that district may pay
one-sixth of the taxes of the township; and there
may be another district TINT has rs scholars that
does not pay one-twelfth Of the taxes of the
ship. Now, is II just. that one Of these schools
should the expense of the State be kept open six
months, and the other but twoi
fro BE coxrrSuEDl w