The daily gazette., 1877-01-02
roouis.,ea nom xirss Pssel.

districts the school voters OF eacn
district were incorporated. with power
TO raise money by taxation, and were
invested with full control and respon-
sibility touching the maintenance Of a
school within their district, the State
encouraging the districts in their work
by Offering an annual dividend from
the school fund equal in amount TO
such sum as the school voters might
raise within the district. Certainly the
Free School Law of 1927 was for the
time great step made in the direction
of common school education. 1t was
system wisely adapted to the free and
Independent spirit of our people, and
was framed upon what is "a sound prin,
ciple of social progress-that a new
system, resting on the popular will,
should begin vita moderate require
ments so as to secure stability and q
gradual advance to q higher standard.
Fortunately, the large accession to the
School Fund in.1S37, by the appropria.
ton to tof the State shave of the surplus
revenue of the Federal Government,
made the fund quite adequate to the
necessities then felt; while the law OF
1927, to bringing the school voters to
share largely in the administration OF
their schools, gradually educated them
to appreciate and desire the improve
ments, which in due season, have since
followed. A steady Improvement was
traceable under the old law, not only in
the general grade OF common school in
struction, bur, what was hardly less i'm
portant, in the public sentiment, which,
though slow, was on that account the
a L L., k..a ,s
the result of experience and reflection.
This improvement was evinced especial
~ in and about the towns, by the tffort
to improve the schools by the consolid-
alton Of districts; and in 1861 a more
general advance was made by the law
Of that year which required the School
Committee in each district to raise by
taration certain sum for the School
OF the district irrespective Of the action
of the school voters, though leaving
them free to raise an additional sum.
The school law of 1927 was based on
the policy of devolving upon the people
the direct charge of ther schools, giving
them needful facilities in the wy OF
legal provisions, and affording them en-.
couragement and help by tine school
fund dividends. This was a sound pol.
icy and should never be surrendered
But what the old system lacked, and
perhaps, what 1t needed, time, exper-
ience and reflection to bring, was an
efficient general-supeIvision which
without excluding the people from the
administration of their school affairs
should give to the system greater unity
andvigor. This desiderdtun has been
well supplied by the act Of 1875, which
engraftsup the old system several most
valuable features.
THE SCHOOL LAW OF 1879.
It secures class of qualified teachers
to Je licensed by the State Superintend.
ent, from among whom the commission.
ers of the district may select. 1t con.
templates the adoption by the districts
of a uniform class OF text books approv.
ed by the State Board of Education. II
provides for an annual visitation of the
OF the school by State Superintendent
competent to judge of its condition anc
and necessities, and to advise and en-
courage the teachers. requiring alsc
from the teachers periodical reports oi
OF his school to the School Commissioner.
and through them to theSuperintendent
It also directs the holding of teachers
annually, in each county, at which
the superintendent and teachers are
'ls To the wants OF the schools, and she
discussion Of thelbest methods of instuc.
ton and other germane subjects. ] re-
gard this as not the least important OF
the features Of the new law.
BESIDES enlargng the information OF
the teachers 1T will create among them
an esprit de corps and keep alive Il pro.
tesslonal enthusiasm. These meetings
also being held annually in different
places within each county will go far ia
increase the interest of our people in the
schools, | IA happy to find in the re-
port OF the superintendent that these
annual lnstutes have thus far been at
tended with marked interest and success,
should not omit to notice as an ad.
dltional feature of the new law that O
more stable provision is made for the
support of the scoools by directing the
Commissioner to raise by taxation lar
ger sum than previously. being at least
SlOO IN the counties of New Castle and
Kent, and $50 in Sussex. 1t does not
appear taat dissatisfaction has.attended
TINS increase in the amount REQUIRED to
be raised by taxation in the districts.
1t seems to me, OH not a little reHoc-
lion, that the act Of 1875, in its main
features, fully supplements the old Free
'"h2noo4 system, and will, if fairly tried.
aG1ply to it the needed efficiency with
out .llfringing materially upon it, fl,nda-
imenta! policy Of giving to the people.
Snro:lgh the District Commissioners. The
charge u the schools. Some amend
hlents, oseFAed necessary to complete the
law IN details. will be suggested to YOU
n the leport oi the State superinten
dent, La addition 10 his sagrestions. /
Would advise that some consideration he
gwen to the subject Of improving the
scnooI houses in the country di4trisf.,
Aany 0f which appear from tae SUPER
.h.en1ents Report to be lily constructed
Sic@ntiiy furnished and uncomfortable.
IL might he sufficient az present to di.
TeGt the attention of the State Board of
hdHc'ti n TO this subject, with a view
to report at the no6t session az ~
Legislature az 70 the best non. % .
aw4E fnlng an i9terast Ia ,,a d;s,s Ans ota 4a
Improve in this Dire Mort by them TO
Beyond Sucs -1tlon'
nccessaryt> amendments as may be
present the proper working of the
tan Jaw, | recommend that the sys,
fs' De left undisturbed in its essentia
-dtures. Especially do ] desire earnest
ly to advise the Legislature and people
at large always to maintain the policy o
giving to the school voters in the dis
Lricts, through Commissioners chosen b,
tham q large hare n the administration