The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-21
SCHOOL Text Hooks.

SchOoi IeXt hooks.
It is to be hoped that the state school
book commission viii move slowly and
consider carefully the subject that has
been entrusted TO It before making its
report That report of course. viii not
be conclusive but it viii unquestionably
have great weight with the legislature;
therefore il should be as carefully weigh
cd as if the commission were vested with
penay powers.
Uniformity of text books for the whole
state would not be for the best interests
Of the schools unless there were also
uniformity of mental powers of all the
scholars, uniformity of ability of all the
teachers, and uniformity of duration and
progress of ali the schools. SO long as
there are differences in these latter men
toned quantities, there should also be
differences in the text books, to secure the
best results. There is consideration be-
yond and above the possible saving Of
few cents in the cost Of a school book.
What is wanted in the schools is a sys-
TEN of education that will best conduce
to the advancement of each individual in
stitution, and each individual in the in
stitution. And no one would contend that
text books suited to the rural school,
where the session lasts three months in
twelve would be equally suited to the
city school, where the session lasts nine
months in twelve. There are numerous
weighty reasons why there should be
difference of text books even at the ad-
ditional cost of a few cents to those who
have to pay for them.
If uniformity of text books were adopt
ed. it would be absolutely necessary to
select a schedule Of books suited to the
schools of the least intelligent and least
progressive communities in the rural
counties. Many Of these counties receive
from the state school funds far in excess
Of the amount of school taxes they pay
into the treasury, while the city counties
pay into the treasury school taxes far in
excess OF the sums they receive from the
state in school funds. In all fairness and
justice, would it be right to impair the
efficiency Of the city counties schools by
forcing them to adopt, over the protest of
the teachers and the local authorities,
needs, merely because that schedule
CHANGED to suit the rural schools in great
part supported by the taxpayers of the
city counties? If each county We're fore
ed to support its own schools there would
be less Of injustice in the proposition; but
to force the more populous counties TO
support their less fortunate neishbors, and
not only that, but to impair their own ed
ucational institutions in order to maintain
uniformity, would be rank injustice.
Clearly the matter of text books should
be left to the authorities of each county.
The governors commission the other
day set up a comparison of cost Of school
books and of the Georgia statutes, the
inference to be drawn from the COMPARE
son being that because the Georgia stat
utes, containing more than million
words, could be printed for about So,
school books ought to be bought at about
the same rate, according to the number
of words contained. The suggestion is I'M
worthy of the commission. There is no
similarity between the publications. In
the case of the statutes, the legislature
was the author and the members received
pay from the state for their work in per
diems. In so far as the volume, consid-
cred per Sc, is concerned the only ex-
pense was for printing and binding. In
the case of school books, the author, who
is worthy of his hire, has to be paid for
his work, and there are advertising bills,
agents commissions and other necessary
expenses, to be met 1t is very probable
that there IS room for a reduction in the
price of school books, but in making ar
gument in favor of reduction justice de-
mands that only fair comparisons be
made.