The Portland daily press., 1893-01-21
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Petition Of the Maine Pedagogical
Society.

SnOulQ BE Granted
At it's recent meeting in Lewiston, the
Maine Pedagogical Society instructed it's
Council to petition the Legislature to
abolish the district system and establish
State Board of Education. AS these
are matters of vital interest to the people
the Council makes this public statement
of reasons for the changes proposed.
Reasons for the Abolition of the District
System
Under the district system schools are
in many casas extremely small. Because
small they are either expensive and in
efficient; or both expensive and ineffi-
Gent. The proportion of public money
spent for instruction is excessively small
Maine expends of its school money Is
per cent for buildings, sites, furniture.
libraries and and apparatus: 65 per cent.
for salaries of superintendent and teach
ers and % percent for other expenses.
This proportion of money spent for other
purposes is larger than in any northern
state except Pennsylvania. 1t is largely
due to the smallness of schools made
necessary by the maintenance of the dis
trict system.
The abolition of the district system
will tend to consolidate schools, to save
expense, and to increase the proportion
of money that can be devoted directly
to instruction.
Teppth of School Wear
The average length of the school year
in Maine is twenty-one weeks. In this
respect there is great inequality of school
privileges.
The abolition of the district system
will render school privileges in the rural
districts more ne rly equal to those Of
fered in the villages; and, with no in
crease of expense will raise the average
of the school year from twenty-one to
twenty-six weeks.
Employment of Teachers.
Under the district system teachers are
employed by agents who are frequently
incompetent to judge of the qualifica-
lions of teachers; to whom the teachers
have no proper responsibility; and on
whom nieces, cousins, neighbors and
friends are supposed to have a claim for
appointment.
The abolition of the district system
will place the appointment Of teachers
and responsibility for the conduct of the
school in the hands of the town COM
mittee, or of the supervisor appointed by
them; and will tend to substitute merit
for favoritism as the basis of the appoint
ment.
Salaries ofTeachers.
Under the district system salaries are
absurdly inadequate. The period OF
service is brief. The proportion of in
experienced teachers is excessive. Of
1915 different teachers employed in
Maine last year, 1O46 were without pre-
vious experience, and only 2343 contin-
ued in the same school for one year.
The average wages of men engaged in
teaching is $34 80 per month; of women
$1756 per month. The average time
which the teachers in Maine are en-
gagged in teaching is IA. II weeks.
The average salary per month of male
teachers is lower in Maine than in any
state north of Mason and Dixons line,
and the average salary per month of fe-
male teachers is lower than in any state
or territory in tn United States.
The abolition of the district system
will tend to raise the salary per month;
and by Increasing the length of terms
and encouraging continuity in teaching,
will still more increase the yearly pay of
teachers.
School Buildings and Apparatus.
Inferior buildings, inadequate appara-
tus, improper ventilation, demoralizing
outbuildings, are accompaniment of
many district schools, which nothing
less than the abolition of the district
system will remove.
Supervision.
In the double-headed district system,
where the teacher is hired by the agent
and approved by the committee, compe-
tent supervision is out of the question.
The abolition of the district system is
the first step toward the competent SUI
pervision of rural schools.
Course of Study.
Under the district system no syste-
matte and progressive course OF study is
intelligently planned and persistently ex-
ecuted.- In many schools the scholars
begin at the same place and go over the
same ground with each new teacher,
term after term.
Educators Unanimous III Favor of the
Change.
In reply to inquiries sent to persons in
terested in education in Maine 214 were
in favor of the abolition of the district
system; Is were opposed; and 10 were
doubtful. Outside of the state the opin-
ion of superintendent and teachers is
unanimous in favor of the abolition of
the system. Did space permit, the
council could present statements in favor
of the change from the leaders Of educa-
tional opinion in every state in which
the matter has been discussed, or the
change has been adopted.
There are favored districts which
maintain good schools under the district
system. They are few however; and in
these exceptional cases equally good
schools can be maintained under the
town system.
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