The Republican journal., 1888-02-09
The District System.
BY C. L. SMITH.


welfare of the common school.
We are now in an age of progress, and brief
consideration of the events of the last quarter
of century will show great advancement in
science, art, invention and discovery. Has this
advancement been uniform and universal and
has its influence been felt in the public schools?
In answer to the question we can say that in
some States the advancement has been constan
and timely, but in Others no perceptible change
from the paths of the forefathers has yet been
made.
Laying aside the many things that may fairly
come up for discussion in relation to the school
system, let us take up that great and universal
educational Iniquity,' known as the ''DIs-
trict System"
That we may enter into an intelligent discus
sion of the system it will be advisable to go
back to its origin. In the latter part of the
last century the scattered situation of the in
habitants of the towns of the State of Massa-
ctusetts made it incOnvenient to collect the
children into one place for their instruction.
Accordingly an act, by which division might
bc made of the town into school districts, was
passed by the Legislature of 11S9
Ten years later the districts were made cor
porations and in 1S2. they We're authorized to
| elect prudential committees, or agents. The
district system was now in full and active Op-
| Grafton and in a few years its imperfection and
accompanying evils began to appear, and
| twenty-threG years later an act was passed d.
recting towns how to dispose of school prop
crty in case it was cxpedent to abolish the
! districts. An act of 1888 provided for the dis
continuance of the districts at the option of the
school committee. During the first session of
the Legislature of 1~l0 in act abolishing the
system was passed, but was repealed at the Sec
ond session in the same year \ second act
a,oishing the system was passed in 1869, but
was 50 modified by the Legislature of 1870 that
| it had no practical effect. \ final and unqua-
fled act aboli,hng the system was passed In
| 1SS2 and thus disappeared a system which had
proved a great obstacle to intelligent and uni
form progress.
Let US now consider, comparatively, the adj
vantage of the town and the disadvantage of
| the district system. Statistics of any State in
! the Union show that over one-half of the pu-
| pills attending school are to be found in the
ungraled district or suburban school. There
fore these schools should receive careful at
tention as the city or village schools
The first step after town was divided into
districts Was for the people Of each district to
call meeting and choose a person to act as pru-
dantial committee or agent. Experience has
| shown that the best men of the district We're
seldom found filling the office, but that it had
to 20 to Whomsoever would take it and that Of
ten the Office was made means of sef-gain
and a public injury. 1t was common practice
for that individual to employ brother, sister,
| uncle, aunt, cousin, or someone who would
board with OF in some way ai him to some de-
sired object.
The above condition of things must incyita-
bly, lead to the employment of teacher, In
many eases, who had 10 qualifications or fitness
for the work of a teacher Another element
of the district system which has Il tendency to
| produce inferior work Is that the school money
of the town is divided among the districts in
proportion to the number Of scholars therein.
Many districts have but a small amount of
money, hence to have school Of any length it
| becomes necessary to employ teacher who is
|
the suliI} has always been equal to and even
| exceeded the demand. There are two kinds of
| can,li,lateS for this class of schools, namely,
teachers who have had experience and are
without ability or those who are seeking
| ''placc to begin
Under the district system the school district
owns the school property that is, it must buy
| I,, LOT irflI tbn nd Epp
This imposes direct tax on each male citizen
in the district, and the smaller and poorer the
district the heavier the burden.
The tendency is to reduce the expenses to
the minimum. and to put off repairs as long as
possible If it he necessary to build new
school house large sum Of money has to be
raised at one time and the result Is a burden
some tax on many who have not the means to
pay il. Therefore scattered all over The coun-
try, wherever the district system may exist
will he found school houses out of repair, cold
and unfit for the purposes for which they are
intended.
The one remedy for all these evils is to ahol-
i>h the district system. blot out the district
lines, and have the school property owned and
controlled by the town.
Ii is Il peculiar coincidence that where the
district system is provided for by law, all ac-
companying statute, by which the town may
choose a supervisor instead of a committee is
to be found. Where this law has been. or is,
the tendency has been or is to elect super
visor rather than committee.
What is the result;
The purposes Of school supervision are to
select school teacher whose influence will
lead the pupil, to the formation of correct
habits; obedience, lnGU>try, order and neat
ness, poIitenc~s, truthtulue>> and good moral
| development, to lay out and direct the work of
the teacher, to furnish the proper facilities for
the school work and to see that the work is
properly and faithfully done
These duties are so related a, to lie INSOFAR
able. Under the district system such a union
does not generally exist and the prudential
committee and supervisor do not always work
in harmony.
state superintendent Luce, of Maine, having
seen the discord arising from the feature of the
district system and the great drawback it is to
intelligent progress and the best interests of
the schools, in his report of SSi says ITO secure
Vglant, prompt, intelligent, fearless and
| effective supervisor of the school, towns should
| be compelled to elect school committees con-
| sistng of three six or nine members they
may desire, instead of being allowed to choose
| supervisors a> they now may do, which COM
| mittees should serve without pay. These COM
mittees should be compelled to elect annually
an inspector of schools who should perform
| the regular routine duties of supervisor, and
who should he paid for his services reason
able compensation from the regular school
revenue
| 1t is quite prevalent for the idea of the aboi-
| ton of the district system and the consolila-
| ton of schools to become confused. Under the
| town system there are many schools as uE-
der the district system, but they become one
| mightymachine. every part working in harmony
with every other part; but where the districts
exist there are many modes of procedure
| as there are districts.
| TO recapitulate, the district system has been
| found to be the parent of the following evils
| First. Neglect of the rural schools.
| Second. Unequal length of schools through
| out the town.
| Third Poor school houses in many eases
| IV tho 1nSc Il 1;sfr