The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-05-16
MAINE SCHOOLS.
Pertinent Criticism In the Report Of
Superintendent Luce.

AUGUSTA, May 15.-The annual report of
the State Superintendent of Schools for
1878, is out and from it the following is
cleaned: Whole number of scholars in the
State, 212. .156; decrease, 465. The number of
different scholars attending school during
the year was 144, ,25s; decrease, 1903; relative
per cent of the whole number attending to
the whole number in the State, 6s. The ex-
hibit here made is one to be regretted, for
while almost one in every three Of those en-
titled to school privileges is not in school
and almost one in five Of those who do not
attend is truant. There would seem to be
something wrong either in the schools, OF
the homes or both. The corrective to be ap-
piled is to abolish the district system; to
furnish text books at public expense; to
awaken parental interest where wanting;
and to meet parental greed by the penalties
of our efficient truant law, says Superinten-
dent Luce.
The average wages Of male teachers
per month. excluding board was
S3436; female, 1892, an increase OF SO
cents per month. On the whole, Mr.. Luce
says, the showing Is one Of substantial i'm
provement as regards teachers, but he thinks
there are too frequent changes in teachers,
ployed.
Four hundred and ffty-sixty towns report
as being well supplied with text books, an
increase OF 10, and Ala report a uniformity of
books, an increase of %, indicating marked
Improvement in the work done. In 2O7
schools there were changes In text books
during the year, decrease of A, which
is also an Improvement
The whole number of schools Is 4.793, an
increase of "a. OF these, 919 are graded, an
increase OF 50, and 1874 are ungraded, de-
crease Of 81. The superintendent views
with satisfaction the Increase in graded
schools. He ascribes this improvement to
the adoption OF the town system by many Of
The number of towns having the unit or
town system Is 113, increase Of II; number
OF school districts in the State, 1924 de-
crease OF 115; school houses in the State,
a.SSS reported In good condition. 3,l55, in
crease Of II built during the year, n, in
crease OF 13; estimated value of school prop
erty In the State, $3, ,32S, ,743, an increase of
Sl9, 726. The fact that about one-fourth of
tne houses cannot be regarded as in good
CONDITION Mr.. Luce thinks shameful state
Mr.. Luce holds that we are wasting in
stead OF fully utilizing our school money.
Aggregate the annual cost of at least 500
schools which are not needed, and of more
tnan as many which are nearly or quite
worthless because Of incompetent teachers;
tne value OF time wasted by needless chang
es of teachers from term to term the amount
OF pickings and perquisites in the form of
expenses and services of agents, and, the
waste from jobbery in furnishing wood and
board and making repairs, will foot up near
ly quarter of our expenditures. And such
wastes will continue as long as the system
OF school management of which they are
the legitimate offspring, is allowed to ex-
Speaking of the law of 1887 compelling all
children between the ages Of and Is years
10 attend school at least 16 weeks, the super
lntendent says there are many defects in it
and recommends that the law be so
amended that towns failing to appoint tru-
ant officers shall be debarred from drawing
school money so long as such failure contin-
ues that the directors of private and paro-
chial schools which are already attended by
over 1000 school children, shall be compelled
TO furnish satisfactory evidence that the
means Of education" offered in such schools
are equal to those of the common schools,
as now nothing can be done to enforce at
tendance until so much of the school year
has elapsed that the 16 weeks attendance
cannot be had in the remainder Of the school
year. The law should be changed so that
the 16 weeks should be of the first part of
the year; The authority of the truant offic-
ers should be enlarged.