Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-05-05

Five years under our present State
school system has, We think, convinced
most persons that have observed its
workings thoughtfully that the system Is
good In kind. only those who knew the
State schools before the appointment Of
Superintendent Groves and have known
them since he went into ofios ct the birth
of the revised system, can fully appre-
ciate the vast change for the better that
has taken place. This change ia specially
noticeable In the towns.
For many years most Delaware villages
Of 500 or 1000 inhabitants have had a
school pretentiously known as the
academy whereehildren we're popularity
supposed to acquire something more than
the ordinary school could impsrt. These
institutions Of ambitious title had in
most cases by process of decay become
of very little educational value, when
the improved school system came in to
save them from utter ruin. The name OF
but they are now as rule plain public
schools with better and better paid
teachers than they had i've years ago,and
having some attempt at graduation.
While this improvement has taken
| place in the village schools, those in
the country have not proated nearly
so much, and this we believe is specially
true Of Kent aud Sussex counties.
| The time to raise the country schools Of
Kent and sussex counties has now como,
and circumstances strongly favor that
| object. This school system has been
| greatly strengthened by the appointment
of an Assistant Superintendent. We
| 10 not know how Mr.. Groves will divide
the work with his assistant, but it is
likely that Mr.. Carpenter will in large
part superintend the schools OF Sussex,
his home county. This he is particularly
fitted 10 DO, since be has taught sucoess-
fully in various Sussex county schools,
Only one thing stands in the way OIL
the improvement OF schools in the lower
counties and that is low salaries. Super
iutendsnt Groves may raise his standard
Of examinations, as he must to secure
better teachers, but, if he raises thu
standard without being able TO offer bettei
salaries, no obs will come to be examined
and, ii the schools are open, they will b,
taught by teachers who do not hold Ger
tifcates from the Superintendent. A,
enlightened public sentiment will secur,
. larger appropriations for schools, anc
, | such enlightenment may be brough
4 | about in various ways. Mr. Groves Owl
| plan OF holding convention OF schoo
:. commissioners would doubtless have
i good effect, and much can be don
through the newspapers and b
n such organizations as local teachers
n institutes but such a change OF senti
g ment is Of slow growth. There is, how
Il ever, plan by which something may
n accomplished very soon. Many school
ir are kept up during nins or 10 months {
y the year on very narrow appropriation
n Let the commissioners Of such schools GU
!. tho school gear down to ak month.
:. apply the appropriation designed for
r. months 10 the shortened school year an
n. demand competent teachers. To illui
trate 1910 for nine months, or $50
~ month, is S4J per month for six month
- and the difference between $50 mont
-, and s45 a month is Ill. difference betw &c
a.. q good teacher and poor one, and ii
=. months under the AS teacher il incalcl
lably better than twice as long under
. man d woman that merely keel
:, "schDol.
an This plan is not practicable in vel
of many cases, for in some districts Ii
,, school year is already whitfield dow
i, almost to nothing, but a uniform :
a months term with competent, fairly pa
10 teacher is infinitely batter than long
~ term with one who teaches school As
n, drives oxen or fells .r.es--by ma
strength, .-... ...=.= T.. q.
a, W. look 70 Mr.. Carpenter 10 put ne
II life into ths country schools OF 5uss
- county ana W. believe that with lighter
m labors Superintendent Groves "
81 have tiiur 70 make a like improvement
~ the schools Of New Castle and Ken,
4