Smyrna times., 1872-01-24
Delaware's Educational Facilities.

Gen John Eaton, jr, Commissioner of the
NATIONAL Bureau OF Education, will shortly
issue his annual report. The following extracts
relative to Delaware are from advanced proof
Sheets The Commissioner says:
'The absence of any State supervision Of
education, renders it impossible to give, as is
done In case of most of the other States. an
abstract OF the authorized reports showing the
condition OF the schools of the State.
Ihe only State report concerning educa-
ton is the account contained in the auditor ;
report, OF the amount of the State fund dis
tTlbuted to each district which amount is only
changed by an increase in the number of dis
trlcts, owing to the occasional division Of a
district and the consequent subdivision of the
fund between the districts"
The report contains note from Mr. |. Ed
wards Clarke, of the Bureau, who collected
most OF the data referring to Delaware. In
this note he says
With view to obtaining better under
standing of the school system of the State. I
have called upon Hon. Willard Hall, United
States district Judge, and send you his answers
to my inquiries from notes taken at the time,
and with Judge Halls permission that thew
may be used in the report
THE JUDGES STATEMENTS.
Judge Hall stated that the school system
was established about 1929 There has been
no material change in it since that time, except
in Wilmington.
| were there any superintendents
We had superintendents, but they were
not educated, and would not, or did not. work.
was superintendent here in Wilmington many
years There was no general State superin-
tendent, but it was intended that there
should be county superintendent for each
county. There are some Uery good scholars III
Was there any standard of qualification fol-
There was no standard of qualification fol
teachers
How were they chosen?
In each district the school committee haC
the whole charge Of all matters: teachers
school houses, &c. Sometimes they have {
pleasant school house, but sometimes the
schOohouse disgraces tie school. The teachers
were paid about 5 100 per year. and the schools
were kept generally about four or five months
When | was superintendent of this county
New Castle,) L made report annually.
has been very discouraging, uphill work il
the State, little attention being given to com
mon school education.
In speaking of the need and value of com
mon, free education, he said: "If they woulC
teach the children to read, write, and caculat,
little, they would be surprised to see how
much better citizens they would make. In thi
country we are educating ourselves Th,
newspapers are educating the community"
The report, after quoting Judge Hail. 5 state
ments, proceeds to say
: wv hen it is remembered that the Stat
system has remained unchanged for more thai
forty years, 1t will be seen that, though doubt
n less at the time OF its adoption it was as good
t system as was passed by any of the States, i
r would be strange indeed if it did not now admi
: OF any possibility OF improvement
4 The experience of other States in the en-
S ployment of a salaried State superintendent
whose exclusive business it is to care for tn
n schools, may perhaps be proftably needed
while the result of the experiment, as shown
| Wilmington. will furnish to the people of tn
e State an excellent opportunity for testing th
n plan.
Y According to the testimony of many con
J. petent citizens in various parts of the State
the present system works exactly as would b
:, anticipated. In intelligent neighborhOod
where an interest is taken by the residents, tn
r, schools are good, but in neighborhoods whel
e this condition does not exist, the sch oos al
said to be as poor as might be expected TT
e stream rises no higher than its source : an
e so, IN the very neghbOrhOOds where the in
g. proving influence of good district free Scho
Jt Is most needed, there ii is never found. 1t o
casionalIy happens that district votes no tax
q and there no school is held that year. Som
n times however, voluntary subscriptions a.
made and the school held for longer
shorter period.
;, MANY of the teachers in the rural distric
a. are declared to be unfit for the position, the
4 selection for the post depending only on Il
- - will OF the committee, who are often utter
- unht for their duties. The weakness of IL
Il system lies just here, and until some plan
I adopted by which all the teachers in the Sta
y shall be required to come up to a certain stan
g ard of scholarship and some public record
e lG made of all the schools, so that each comm
Vi nifty can compare its own school with those
other localities, and generous public spirit
. thus advanced, there is little prospect OF imm
rt diate change
u There are in the State many priva
N schools, and, in addition, many children a
ie sent to the schools Of other States to be ed
Us Gated. This class of persons do not, perhap
0. feel deep interest in the public schools
IS these districts, or take an active part in the
20 management, thus depriving them of the We
at influence on which the voluntary system d
d; pends.
'e '"The obvious fact that the community h
as an equal interest in the training of every chi
{, within its borders, without distinction of rae
~ color, or previous condition of servitude, seen
ne to be one of those truths which are very sic
~ in winning their way to general acceptanc,
ne and yet the fact that the relations of crime
n OF pauperlsm are SO intimately bound up vii
ne the general education and ignorance of col
n munity is so well determined that the ratio
e. criminals and paupers to the whole number
the residents OF given place can be accurate
calculated, on knowing the educational stati
e. tics of the whole population. 1t is ecOnom
/. to educate every child. School-houses take Il
ve place of poor-houses and prisons"