Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-04-29
Our Public Schools.

Our Public Schools.
| challenge any man to tell me. iudg-
ing from the acts of past Legislatures
from the various and contra currents
setting in the public thought, fully and
clearly, what we are aiming to achieve.
and hopefully promise to the present
and to future generations in the line of
educational preparation.
More than hundred years ago the
founders of our public school system
believed in and actually supported lib
eral education at public expense. They
were n sturdy race to whom the pursuit
of intellectual delights and attachments
meant infinitely more than the pursuit
of game with which the forests were
ahundantly supplied: who Were willing
to sacrifice of physical comforts. be
poor in pocket if they could but grow
rich in the spirit of intellectual and spir-
itual life. From this exalted intellectual
quality united with Il patriotism born in
blood, and inf1amed with a desire to
make this the best and strongest type
of elf-goVernment on earth emanated
no doubt, that section of our State con-
stitution which makes popular educa-
ton compulsory and liberal education
possible in State institutions.
While popular and universal educa ton
in a limited sense, is everywhere recog-
nized as the salt OF our State and nations
al life one of the strongest assurances
of safe and valuable citizenship, vet it
must be patent to ALL who have given
the matter even a cursory examination
that we have not even a well defined
compact economic system of public
entirely supported and controlled by
the State. The State assumes the right
to compel the education Of her children,
a matter of self-preSerVaton but
how much a citizen should know and
what he should be. to entitle him to full
and free suffrage, and TO ensure the
safety and perpetuity of our free insti-
tutions, have not been clearly defined
in our system of public education. How
far beyond the simple rudiments of
knowledge. and the principles of morality
required to be taught in our public
school, in the line of special training
for the business and work of life is
a mooted question. The first question
of what the State ought and must do for
the many, and the second question.
what can and will the State do for those.
the few who seek the highest efficiency
for life's work. ought to be discussed
and primarily foreshadowed by the best
political economists, educators, fnan-
ciers and legal authorities in combined
sentiment and finally become the voice
of the people expressed in organic law.
Today our public school system is mon
Erel, half state. half town The State
determines what moneys shall be raised
by both town and State, comforting the
power on the towns to raise more as
they see fit. The State determines what
shall be the length of the school year.
what studies shall be taught: the town
has the right through its superintendent
to add whatever in the line of mathemat-
zeal. physical or mental science, rhetoric
or languages as their taste or fancy may
dictate, to the neglect of the more i'm
portant common branches and to the
detriment of the school generally. The
State determines in what manner teach
ers shall be qualified. and the towns
determine in what degree. or how well
they shall he qualified. In the matter
of management and supervision of
schools our town superintendent are the
absolute authority, our State superin-
tend the advisory power. There is no
appeal to the higher power for the high
er power is the lower. In this wonder
fully complex system. this strange admix-
tufe of State and town authority, there
is neither unity of purpose, nor uni
formity of operation, Is it n marvel
that under this strangely mixed system
or no system-there is such tremendous
waste of money and brain developing OPP
portunity. Thirty-five per cent of our
school funds at least is thrown away ON
account of non-attendance. Twenty per
cent at least is wasted on poor teachers.
Ten per cent is lost by Inadequate and
inefficient supervision. Ten per cent at
least is lost for the lack of school con-
venicnces and appliances, leaving twenty
per cent of results, from one hundred
per cent of means
A few years ago our State Legislature
supplemented the common school sYs-
TEN with the free high school as an IN
SEPARATION and a means to higher scholar
ship reaching out TO the mass of pupils.
The idea though commendable in itself.
has never yet been developed into
thorough, progressive, uniform system.
1t has Il prccarious existence resting for
support IT'S it does in part upon towns
and in part upon the State. Towns and
III alf.sf1 Ia