Milford chronicle., 1889-03-08
Reform Of School Laws
lErom Snsser LonrnaL Dcm.N

From SuSSer Journal, Dcnl.)
Indian River is said to lag behind all her
sister hundreds in the matter of public
schools Superintendent Ward says there
are only three or four respectable school
houses in the whole hundred. The old-fash-
ioned long bench, that relic of the by-gone
days when little attention was paid to the
physical comfort of the scholars, still holds
its own in Indian RiYer against the encroach-
ments of the modern desk, which makes
study almost pleasure TO the dullest pupils.
Even the teacher is compelled to sit upon
the bench with the scholars. Some of the
benches are out of repair and creak and
shake beneath the weight Of the scholars in
manner that calls up visions Of general
break down and its consequent confusion.
One district, No. 100, has been for years
without commissioners 1t 4as a clerk in
the person of Representative John A. Lingo
and be doubtless performs the duties of COM
missioners as well as clerk. Physiology and
hygiene are rarely taught. In eight schools
only three scholars were found who studied
these branches, making a little more than an
average of one scholar for every three
schools. Some of the districts did not open
school till the 18th Of November, while the
law requires them to open on the first Mon
day in October, on pain Of forfeiting the
next years appropriation These are some
of the complaints that the Superintendent
has to make against the schools of Indian
River hundred Against the teachers he has
uttered no word of criticism, but against the
general indifference ofthe people, manifested
in the poor school buildings, in the old-fash
ioned and inadequate school furniture, and
in the neglect to fulfill the requirements of
the law, he has much to say, and it is right
that he should say it, Indian River should
arouse from her lethargy.
Under our present unsatisfactory school
system, each district is in a measure respon-
sible for its own school advantages. True
it gets State aid, but that aid depends upon
the performance of certain acts by the dis
trict, and is supplemented by the aid that
the district extends to its own schools. If
there is any local pride in a district or a hun
dred, the schools Of that district or hundred
will be the first TO show it # we find the
schools of one hundred outstrippiug those of
another hundred, therefore it is because one
hundred IS richer than the other, or else be-
cause It has higher appreciation of the ad-
vantages Of education and a more healthy
public sentiment. We do not know which
Of these causes is lacking in Indian RIVER
that she should have such poor school advan-
tages. We do not believe, however that she
is so much poorer than the other hundreds.
We are quite certain that she can afford to
do away with the old school benches. We
know that 1t is not poverty that causes dis
trict I2o to do without school commissioners;
and even if the hundred is poor, it can obey
the law by opening its schools on the first
Monday in October.
If the lack of wealth IS the cause Of her
poor school houses, it is a terrible arraign-
ment Of our present school law. What we
want is uniformity. Delaware is small we
know, but she is too big to have an oasis
here and desert yonder Her public school
advantages, like the dews Of heaven, should
descend upon rich and Door alike. We can
not afford to have it said by the trayelers
through our county, this is Indian River, or
this is some other hundred, because Of its
poor school buildings.