Daily Republican., 1881-03-11

school system oil the state was aineno
cd 90 far as TO provide for State su
perintsndent and q system Of exami'
nation as 10 the qualifications o.
teachers, it was felt at the time that
rreat advance had been made, and We
still think 80, bat now it seems tina!
public opinion ever restless Do
sires another change. There can be
no doubt that saving q State superin
tendent has been great benefit to the
educational interests of the State, II III
no other respect, in bringing the pub
lie schools and the State government
into closer rel ationship with each other,
where q more closer supsrv islon could
be exercised over the cause OF educa
tion than before, but whether the
change was exactly all that was need
cd at the time was matter OF doubt
when it was made. There is so much
room for improvement in our system of
public education that we are naturally
led to expect too much at once, and
hence objections are multiplying to the
state SUPPLEMENTARY and q CD snge IS
desired. The conclusion however must
mot be jumped At that these objections
are because the supervision Of the pub
lie schools has been inefi Jient, for it can
NO. be successfully denied that it hsf
done much good. The change noEde-
sired by many OF our best cilizeps is a
healthy one, backed up by the /strong
argument that if the Stats superin-
.sndsns has done SO musH good for tbs
cause Of education ip- the State. Why
not have three Saperintsndsnss. one
for each county, This We believe Is
the natu,e Of the change which is
meeting With favor at Dover, A su-
pssintepaent for each county would
certainly be great improvement over
having only one for the whole State
This was advocated by several of the
best educators and friends of edncs-
ton when the present change was made
bu. it was at that time considered too
much an advanced step to take. 1t is
certainly encouraging TO know that re-
form in education has advanced 80 fast
that now superintendent for each
county is popularity demanded. 1t is
generally conceded that Pennsylvsnia
has one OF the best syotems Of State
education known and there each county
however small in territory or populs-
ton has its own Superintendent, elect
Cd by the school committees Of the re-
spsctive townships: 1t would require
but short step in school reform to
adopt that policy in Delaware. There
are about hundred school districts in
New Castle County outside Of Whining
ton, each with q school committee OF
three. These committees shenld have
the power TO elect q county Superin
tsndent at certain set time, the cleo
ticr q =, held in the Levy Court room
- = ~ &
.or,s o,her convenient place sel~
"A for that purpoas. II three p .undr.d
nam make too large body then let the
clerk Of each district, who is elected b.
ths people every three years be The
usrson 70 vot, for county superintend
amt, Thu would reduce the humble
participating in the election too abou
oue hundred, q number not to grea
far such an important purpose. AL
this need not do away with the Stat
Superintendency. There would b
inst as much nesd of one then as now
snly his duties wonld be purely minis
tsrial. Instead then Of having on
man to traverse the State, exsmir
esaohers and visit some two hundre
and Fifty schools there would be thrt
vsrs0ns 10 do that work and at yer
littls more expense than it now COS
for one. Another beneficial chsDl
a,uld be made in the law by admittiI
women 10 the ballot in the election
ssAsol boards and committees, and
sourss We mean by that, that WON
shall also be elected members Of t
boards. This plan works we'll
Chester County and other places wh'
aaucssion is far in advance when co
zared with our own State. We do
snupose that the fatter change can
<Aeoted at the present time, but it
looming up in the not far distant
tuys as another step in educational
ssFm.
The abolition Of the State Super
asndeuoy as st present constituted
of course opposd by the present Sui
aussudsnt and his friends. 1t is v
natural that it would be, but in
kinds u public business private In
esss must always be subservient to
pubaio good. MIR. Groves has 50 fal
No know made very efficient Supei