Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-01-26
DELAwARE GAZETTE AND sTATE JoURNAIs-WILMI


Of organization, and in the formulation
of plans Of work.
This board is convinced that Its first
and most important duty is the col
lection and compilation of reliable facts
and figures showing the present condi-
tion OF our schools as a whole. 1t Is
manifest that no general good can be
secured to our schools until their needs
are thoroughly known and understood.
This knowledge may only be gained
through authenticated school data and
statistics. Such data and statistics,
however, the board finds to be de
plorably lacking. The result is sur
prising ignorance throughout the State
OF the condition Of our schools generally.
IL ia q fact tliRt In the great majority
Of the school districts, three fourths
OF the annual expense Is directly borne
BY the State through, the school divi-
dend. In many instances, the district
only expends s25 year Of the amount
raised by taxation. Under these con
ditions, IL is. but just that the State
should see that its money Is expended
for the best interests of its wards, the
children in our free schools That it
is not so expended is apparent from the
report of the superintendent of schools
for Sussex county. When 1t is realized
that SO many Of the districts in one
county alone are utterly unmindful of
the most elementary principles govern
ing the good health Of the children,
the absolute necessity Of better
knowledge Of school conditions must be
manifest. In yet other instances, the
overcrowded condition of some of the
school rooms would seem to indicate
that the State does not afford, in fact,
to all the children an opportunity to
gain common school education.
The, board finds an utter ashence of
reliable statistics throwing light upon
schools. For example, there is no GER
tain information as to the percentage Of
illiteracy among either the citizens of
this State or the children of school age,
nor whether such percentage is on the
increase or decrease; nor, further, as
to the percentage OF children not taking
advantage Of the free education offered
by the State.
Under these conditions, the present
board has compiled a series of blanks,
to be Immediately circulated through
out the State, which, when properly
filled in, will furnish, it is thought,
complete and accurate information
upon all points and matters necessary
for a thorough knowledge of school
needs. The present law would seem to
give ample power to the board to ask
for and secure this information in the
manner it has adopted, and the board
hopes that It's next report will be found
to embrace all needed information on
the subject in hand. a'
Another aim of the board is to raise,
gradually, the, standard Of qualifica-
tions for the teachers In our free
schools. Delaware still suffers the
great hardship Of having no State
Normal School toiqualify and test the
capabilities Of the, Instructors of her
children. In most instances, therefore,
school commissioners are compelled to
rely entirely upon the teachers certifi-
cate obtained on examination (never an
entirely satisfactory testl by the county
superintendent For this reason, the
board has, through one of its commit
tees, carefully examined all of the
questions given by the three superin-
tendents in every. examination of
teachers held since the passage of the
present school law. and made such
changes in and additions to those
questions as to 1t seemed proper. II
has, moreover, added botany and draw
ing to the list Of subjects upon which
teachers must be examined. In State
like Delaware, the great majority of
whose citizens 10 devoted to, or de-
pendent upon, agricultural pursuits,
the Importance Of nature work in our
free schools must be strikingly APP
parent, and drawing is. of necessity.
the ancillary to this work. The board
cannot compel the Introduction of these
two subjects in our schools, but 1T at
least can see that thestgaoher shall be
sioners shall realize their vast import
ance, Esi
Next to Capable teacher, the latest
and best text books are of the greatest
Importance TO o school, This State
furnishes books free to the pupils OF
her schools. tt is not only private
but also q public interest, therefore,
that these books should be the very
best. Nevertheless, when this board
began its labors under, the law, it
found the State list remarkable for its
inclusion of a great number of the
poorest out-of-date school books and for
its exclusion of very many of the best
and latest publications. At the time
of the passage OF the present school
law, the Board of Education then
existing was considering the addition
of supplemental list Of books, but,
owing to the fact that the law at that
time seemed to forbid such action, no
definite steps were taken. The present
board, by virtue of the provisions of
the new school law, has, it believes,
most materially improved the State list
by adding q large number Of text books
Of the most approved and recent pub
location. The fact that these additions
supply a long and keenly felt need in
our schools IL borne out by the action
of the local authorities In nearly, If
not all, Of the districts in the State
adopting these, new books for use in
their own schools
The Importance of this work of the
board will be better appreciated when
II is understood that new aud improved
books cost, in the main, no more than
the poor ones formerly on the list. In
other words. Delaware has, for years
been paying first-rate prices for second
the vital Importance Of this step to the
children of the State will be at once
apparent to any one even slightly
cognizant of the wonderful advance
during late years in text books. The
State list still contained, however,
many books which the hoard does not
approve. This class of books was suf-
fered to remain on the list, owing to
the fact of certain alleged contracts
entered into by former Boards of Edu-
cation with certain book companies,
which contracts have not yet expired.
When the time fixed by these supposed