The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1878-06-07
The Public School Fees.
To tie Editor Of the 1EgiS


SIR; have noticed in the Baltimore papers
that the board of School Commissioners for that
city have repeatedly discussed the question of
the adjustment of book fees in the Public
Schools. Without having been aware that such
charges were unconstitutional, until the state
ment was made in the said Board, as reported in
the Baltimore Gazette for May Goth, | have en-
tertained the opinion that they were ocrong
We have established a system of free
schools" so-called, which compel the people to
patronze such teachers as may be provided for
them-gencraily very young and inexperienced
ladies, who have no intention of perfeciing
themselves in this difficult pursuit with a view
to its continuance beyond the present. if
patron sends two or three children, there is fee
OF from fifty cents 10 one dollar asked for each
about every two or three months. 1t appears that
my children are constantly bringing word from
the teacher that there is "another dollar due ~
And Mr.. - or Miss - (naming the
teacher) says that we must bring it this week."
These messages appear to be given to the child
rem IN very emphatic language. The rule is for
the school board to place the whole responsible
ty for collecting these fees upon the teacher; and
lie or she must ding dong' at the pupils and
their parents like a constable or Sheriff after
slippery debtor, or the amount is deducted from.
hS or her salary This is very unjust and many
teachers of renued scnsibilities sacrifice n con-
siderable portion of their meagre salaries rather
than assume the role of "colcctor.n
When was II school-boy there were no public
schools. Teachers of age and experience who
made teaching the occupation Of their lives, were
employed by the parents; and, in my case, never
more than three dollars per quarter (three full
months) was paid for tuition. And we had
the opportunity of going to school the year
round, with an intermission only of one or two
weeks at Christmas. Under the present free"
system the various charges for the pupils amount
to almost as much as under the pay system, and
the children only have the chance OF going to
school rather more than half the year. The in
teryal between the sessions, for acant of ,noney,
they say, being so long that, in the cases of the
younger pupils, they forget nearly all they learn
ed during the school months
The Public School system is obnoxious in
various respects, and docs not subserve the OBJ
jects claimed for it by its supporters; but it is
not our intention to discuss these phases of the
subject. What we wish to say at present is, if
we are to have free schools" let them be free
Don't call them free schools and then dog the
parents in public and in private, from one end of
the quarter to the other, for "a dollar" 1t is u
nuisance; 1t is an outrage. The people are taxed
for schools; those who have no children are tax
ed for this purpose in the same proportion as
those who have dozen; and yet, after paying
the various officers in the machinery of the
school system, and the great book contracts, &C.,
&C., there is no money left for the education of
thcpupils! "llamet' is actually left out of the
play! t
If the "system" is to he continued, we insis
that the schools shall be free and that they shall
be kept open at least 10months in the year. The
charges now made in the schools gives the par
ents us much trouble, and more annoyance than
did the usual tuition fees under the old SYSTEM
The complaints now are much greater than they
were IN former days Let the schools be free
Put on the tares sufficiently to pay this little bal
ance. The people would rather make up the de-
lciency by paying into the general tax fund than
be eternally "dunned" for book fees. These book
fees are in direct violation of the Constitution of
the State, as appears from the discussion before
mentioned in the Baltimore board. On that DC
cason, Mr.. Wcntz said 1.-THE constitution said
the schools should be free, and this fee the book
feel was imposed directly contrary to the consti-
tuition. 1t was not honest TO impose such tax
and if honest was mexpedent." Baltimore
Gazette, May 29)
Let the people rise up and repudate this dis
honesty. Then our children will no longer be
mortified and shamed by the constant cry of the
teacher, "bring money" bring money" when
money with them is not always attainable.
w. s. f.