The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-04-12
For the Democratic Advocate.
Public Schools and Book Fees.

MEssRs. EDITORS Having seen so much
controversy in the columns of your excellent
paper emanating from your able correspon-
dents, concerning Book Fees | am con-
strained to ask the question: Are there not
more important and more interesting questions
pertaining to the laws of our public school
system that might be discussed, not only with
propriety but with a view of making some
beneficial changes therein?
Having asked this question it may become
me, with your permission, and as an initiatory
step to give some of my views upon the sub
ject matter in hand. The Book-Fee contro-
versy never amounted to but one of two alter
natives. Take away the book-fees and you
either cut down the salary of every teacherln
the county from SIS to $50 per year, or COM
pei the County Commissioners to raise by ad
ditional taxation an extra sum of from $500
to $4,000 per year. The Legislature thought
best to let well enough alone.
| have always been of the opinion that par
ents should furnish their own books for the
following reasons: When persons are COM
PEELED to pay certain tax for books they are
apt to think they ought to have more than
the child really needs, and neither the child
nor the parent is apt to take the same care of
them as if they belonged to them absolutely,
and consequently many more books are used
and torn up or wasted than ought to be.
When vacation comes the child gives up his
loaned or hired book and is without a book
for four and half months in the year.
When you buy your own books the child is
stimulated with the idea of owning something.
The child and parent will then see to it that
the books are properly cared for because they
are directly interested in them. They then
have the books at home as well as at school,
the whole year. A. fall set of text books suf-
icient to learn all the primary branches that
should be taught cost from S1.75 to $500 at
most, and with care ought to last several years,
therefore buying your own books would come
cheaper to everybody. | think that scholars
and teachers are confined too closely to text
books and too many are being used in our
primary schools In regard to what should
be taught in our primary schools | think the
ADVOCATE struck the key note some time since
in an editorial uponthe subject. Our Primary
School System if l am not in error, was
originally founded mainly for the hard work
ing and poorer classes who were not able to
send to colleges and high schools, and for
those who meyer aimed at what may now be
termed the branches QflHxEry, to enable each
and every child, rich or poor' to obtain good
common education, Therefore think when
the primary school teacher teaches his pupils
photography, reading, writing, arithmetic,
geography and English grammar, and would
add knowledge of domestic economy, and
above all morality, and teaches those branches
thoroughly, he has done his full duty, and the
industrious boy or girl so taught will have
laid foundation upon which it is easy to
build higher. ...-..
Again. 1t seems to ny mind to be Justice
that every man should be paid according to
the amount of services he renders, and l see
no reason why some teachers IN our county
should be compelled to teach three terms with
an average attendance of from 81 to 40 pupils
for S240, and others with an average attend
anee of from - to II p4pile for 500 Yet
from the last report such seems to be the case,
This fact would seem to suggest the propriety
of either consolidating some OF the smaller
schools or adopting the old system of paying
teachers somewhat in proportion to their
average attendance which would inspire them
to keep their schools up to the highest point.
If am not growing tedious | shall advert
TO one other matter that ! think should con-
Germ both tag Eayers and th9se interested in
education far more than the book fee. no.
tiee from the last report that the highest mum
Der of pupils enrolled in the state outside of
the city of Baltimore was 50, 239, and OF that
number the average attendance was only 3d.
719. Add to the enrolled number many
children throughout the counties that were
half of the children that should have the hen
eft of the enormous outlay for school instruc-
ton receive any benefit whatever, and this
lack of interest in education seems to be
growing. What should be done? Taxpayers
are compelled to pay school tax. Should not
the children in some mild way, or subject to
some limitations of circumstances, be COM
PEELED to receive the benefits thereof? 1t
seems that with all the facilities for learning
at the present day the general desiFe, tGF
were scarcely any advantages Thanking you
for your forbearance shall be happy to hear
from some CORRESPONDENT.