Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-06-06
educational Column.
CONDUCTED BY GEO. L. WILLIAMS
COUNTY SUP'T OF SCHOOLS.
SCHOOL-BoCKs.

children is an item of small proper
tons the actual cost each year, in /
many instances, owing to the progress |
of the children and the destruction of |
the old books, being many dollars. In
some cases too, school boards are too |
apt to order frequent changes in the
textbooks used without any real ad-
vantage to the school. entailing large
expense upon the patrons, especially
upon those having large number Of
children of school age. For reasons
apparent to all such practice should be
deprecated.
"After adopting one set of school
and text books, the board are not to !
change the same within three years"
The law does not require that the list
Of books adopted should be changed
every three years, but it expressly |
prohibits changes until they have been
in use three years. It is desirable
that the school board In each district |
in this county should determine, by
resolution, what books shall be used. |
and then see to it that the books
adopted are introduced and used This
is essential to secure uniformity, that
the school may not be injured by hay
ing half a-dozen different classes in
arithmetic. geography or grammar, with
about one scholar in each class, as is |
the case IN a few districts we Nigh |
mention. Certain it is, that little
can be accomplished in a school where
such want of uniformity exists. The
teacher may be ever SO skillful and
yet without uniformity he is in the
position of general at the head of an
army carrying rifles, muskets, swords
and pitchforks.
How to provide cheaper school
books, is question which has been CON
siderahly agitated in this state during
the past three or four years. With
the opportunity provided each school
district for securing books cheaply UNI
der the law of 1875, we apprehend that
little if any more legislation is now re-
quired. Section |, of Chapter 315, of
the Laws of 1873, provides that The
qualified electors of any school dis
trict, or of any town in which the
township system Of school government
has been adopted, may, by legal vote,
and the board Of Aldermen or board
of trustees of any city or Incorporated
village may, by ordinance or resolution,
authorize the school board or board of |
school directors of such district, town
or village, to purchase textbooks for
use in the public schools, said text
books to be the property of the district
village or city so purchasing, and to
be loaned to pupils or otherwise fur
nisncd to them, under such conditions
and regulations as the aforesaid schoo
authorities may prescribe.
Under the provisions of this just
and equitable law, nearly two-thirds of
the school dist lets in this country are
now supplied with uniformity of text
books, and that, too, at a cost Of but
little more than one-half of the former
price. True, some districts have pur-
chased very poor set Of textbooks,
influenced mainly by unprincipled
agents of some of the publishing houses
who seem to have rushed lot of
almost worthless books upon the |
market, with the design, doubtless, of
meeting this new demand and of un-
der selling all competitors. Care is
necessary on the part of the boards
that a good set Of text books be pur-
chased, and we are expecting the
State Superintendent will issue cir
cular soon, recommending certain pub
locations to school boards. 4 portion !
OF the districts which have purchased
books under the law of 1875 loan them
to the pupils free, while others sell
them at the wholesale price for which
they were purchased So far as l
have been able to learn the plan of
purchase by districts works well and
effects a vast saving to the pntrons
and secures uniformity of books, and |
in districts where the books are loaned /
the pupils are all we'll supplied with
such books as they need, and hence
the attendance is better by reason of
none being obliged to stay away on
account of inability to purchase the
needed books.
Districts that have not adopted this
plan, should, by all means, at the next
annual meeting take the necessary
steps for doing SO.
The Waupaca Dist. Camp Meet