Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-07-09
FIRST EDITION.
state Hoard OF Education.


THE SCHOOLS coNsIDERED- SOME MORE PECULIAR
ITIEs IN THE SUSSEX HYsTEM-THE EDUCATIONAL
OUTLOOK IN THE STATE.
The State Board of Elueatinn, consisting oil
Vim. II. Purnel, President of Delaware College
l. q. Grubb Secretary of State; DR.. Nathan
Pratt, State Auditor and James II. Groves
State Superintendent. held its first meeting, yes
terday, at the Clayton House, IN this city Al
the members were present and Mr.. Purnell, wht
is President of the Board By virtue of tho schoo
law, presided, and DIR. Pratt, constituted
Secretary by the Same authority, served in that
capacity.
The meeting WAS called for an informal dis
cussion as to what the State Board could and
would do, and there was a free interchange OF
opinion on these points. The only thing ac
complished however, was the sketching out Of
q series of blanks for teachers and school reg
lister for use in the schools. Another meeting
was appointed for the 18th of August,
to be held in this city, where tho subject Of an
uniform system of education will be considered
and an effort be made to adopt uniform sys-
tenn of text books for use in the schools. Some
opposition is anticipated in tue carrying ont of
this System, but the State Board is confident
that when once in operation the opposition will
be allayed. IL has been found chat there is con-
riderable prejudice against the new law simply
because OF the change, and in Sussex this preju-
dice IL quite strong, principally because Of the
dog tax. A conversation was overheard be-
tween Two belltlefnen III lflhJ county, INe Otlef
day, wherein one remarked that s'the last liber-
ty the poor man had had now been taken away
from him."
Superintendent Groves informs rs that he has
obtained enough teachers for the schools in New
Castle and Kent counties, and hopes to procure
at least hundred for Sussex for the next school
year. For this purpose he haH act apart Satur-
day in each week for examinations, and teach
ers and those desiring to become such may meet
him at Smyrna ON those days. He made sec
ond visit to Sussex II few days ago at tho request
OF some of the citizens and only returned ON
Wednesday night. According to tho Auditor 3
report for 1873 there in New Castle county
95 school districts and 9j schools i'll operation,
including thoee i'll Wilmington, New Castle and
Delaware City, but these are not under tho jul
risdiction of the State Board in Kent 1lS dis
tricts ard l02 schools in operation, and in Sus
sex 1863 districts and Isl schools in operation.
Tho probabilities are that fifty of tho Sussex
schools will remln closed A peculiarity
OF these school. is the arrangement OF their
terms. They have what they call "a summer
term-that is, the schools are open during
August, but close with the month and remain 20
until January, whom tho Winter term begins and
continues for three months. They thus have
their schools open four months only in the year.
Three-fourths of the schools are now in this
way, The Superintendent is powerless under
the law to alter the system, but he hopes to be
able to gradually educate the people up to bet
ter one.
An incident connected with Mr.. Groves travels
through the State, WAS his examination OF a
teacher in this county under whom he was a
pupil twenty-eiglt years ago. The gentleman
Is teacher of 40 years experience, and WAS
educated in Scotland. lie paeeed a very credita-
BILE examination.
THE worK OF coLoRED EDUCATION.
All the colored schools in tie state are now
closed, the last remaining cpen, five in number,
ending their sessions with the month of June.
1t iA not yet known what will be the condition of
the work, during tic next school year. The
principal fund on which the schools must de-
pend, apart from the voluntary eSertions Of the
colored people in eacli ncighborhood, will he the
taxes collected from culoled taxpayers, under
the law passed by tbe lGet Legislature. Tho
amount of theso it is feared. will not be large.
In New Castle county, tho assessment is stated
to he about sl503., and in Sussex 800 Kent
is not known but it may be as much as $1,000,
making a total Of !3200. 1t is feared, however,
that much Of this will hot be collected, and that
the amount realized for the schools will be
much less than the sum stated. The money is
to be paid over by tho County Treasurors to the
Treasurer of the Delaware AsHnciatipn for the
Moral Improvement and Education of the Col
ored People The Executive Committee of the
Association has issued the following circular:
To H.e Trustees If he Schools fer Colored Chill
drel in Hle State Of DpIapare;
The Executive Committee of tho Delaware AS
sociatiou for the Moral Improvement and Educa-
impress upon You, and through you upon the
colortd people of your respective neghborhoods,
the necessity of the vigorous continuance during
the coming season, of tho exertions which have
enabled you. during several years past with as-
distance from this Association, to keep open
schools for the education of colored children.
The act passed by the Legislature at its last
sesaion, to levy School Tax upon colored per-
suus, the pruceedoi bo paid oyof to this assooia-
ton for distribution, can only bring in very
pf M rDnlDnrpi
needs Of your schools
We can as vet form scarcely any estimate of
the amount it will produce, but it will probably
not bo more annually than tho Association has
expended for the assistance of your schools dur
ing each of the last few years. And it may be
that a considerable part even of this small
amount will not be received by our Treasurer
during tho coming school year.
Tho persons who have assisted to provide
money for this Association have not expected to
continue to contribute for any long time, many
have ceased or are ceasing to do SO, and others
feel 1t to be a heavy burden.
The depressed condition of business through
out tho country and especially in the nelghbor,
hood of Wilmington, increases the difficulty ana
the result is that the funds of the Association
are now nearly or quite exhausted.
We therefore wish to urge the colored people
of tho State, notwithstanding the small tax
which they will be called upon to pay--the pro-
ceeds OF which (with snch other funds as we
can obtain) we will endeavor properly to dlsttlb-
ute for the objects intended-not to decrease
their contributions, or lessen in any way their
exertions in aid of schools for their children, as
it appears to us that for the presant year, and
indeed until additional aid can be obtained from
the State, their support will depend mainly up
on tho same kind of exertions on the part OF the
colored people that they have heretofore used ;
which exertiuns have been cause or 6ratlhca-
cation to many abroad as well as in our own
State. AZ an evidence of self-helpfulness and in
telligent appreciation of tho benefits of Educa
ton.
Alfred Leo Q'residenDi Thomas Worreli, Jos.
A. Richardson, Howard NJ Jenkins, Charles W..
Rowland, Allen Gawthrop, Wm $. Hilles, Hen
nv c. Conrad, VIM. z. Bancroft,