Evening journal., 1899-03-14
CHANGES Ia PUBLIC StHoOLS


tlAGsN ADNseOA1a2S THE SYSTEM
or GRABBING AND PROMOTING !
uUPatS
Eaaton, Md. March li-,Some radi-
ca. chan2ss wiz soon be Instituted in
the admin.suathn OF public school
matters in 1aBot county. One inn
p5rtant change advocated by Examiner
Alexander Chaplain IS in the system
of-gra0ng and Promoting pupils. The
system in. vogue now in Talbot and in
mo- OF the ther counties OF the state,
ara which HIS the sanction Of the
state Board of Education. is promotion
SION grade TO grade in an entirely
that ., when a pupil passes fr- m the
FIRST or any subsequent grade to the
nea. higher he ie passed in all branch
es OF study OF the grade he leaves and
cannot Ie promoted unit, he has pass
ed the requisite examination in every
esrdy in The grade or on general
average al the final examination.
Proftssr Chaplain proposes to have
sore frequent promotions on a differ
en7 plan while one pupn's general
average may be high enough to pro
mote HIM TO a higher grade, he may
be deficient in studies considered neces-
sary ones for graduation; on the other
hand. a pupil may have mastered the
essential branches and yet have failed
CT advancement because Of a low aver
age IN the non-essential branches and
yet have failed Of advancement be-
cause OF a Tow average in the non-es-
sential cnes. The new scheme is to di-
vide The stiidles into two ciasses-the
esop-by-step, such as grammar. arith-
meiic and language. through which
lhs child must go step by step in his
educational career, and the non-step-
.y-step, such as geography and his
tory. ..-..
A stir more radical change. and one
which will excite much discussion and
evoke probably great opposition when
il gets fully before the public has the
sanction Of the school board and will
,c tried for a year, anyhow That
proposition is TO do away with the
schools in the sparseiy settled districts
end have the children from those dis
ir.cis conveyed to the .arger school
sratres. omnibuses and other public
c,nveyances to be provided free for
bad weather or long distances. To
i.ustrate its application in Talbot
county. the schools in the country
around and near Easton, namely. Do
ver Peach Blossom, Rigby's Hay
.ands Kirkham and Railroad avenue
schools wiA be abolished and their pa
irons brought to Easton for instrlic-
,lcn St. M'chaefs win be the centre
Tor the sJh3o.s low at Mcdaniel. Pea
mock, Bozman and Neavitt. which will
pass into desuetude; Royal Oak for
the TO be discontinued schools at Dou-
be NILS and the Ferry The pupils
who now attend the schools at Three
Bridges. Lednums Corners, HiIs-
boro and skipton will. go to Skipeon:
Trappe win take the patrons OF the
Cambridge Ferry, Hambleton and Is.
land Creek schools; three VIII consoli-
date with Oxford. and one school al
Sherwood or on Poplar Island cout
take an the pupis Of the half dozer
schools now operating in that district
This will be done in the indereet o
both economy and efficiency. Tewel
schools mean better salaries. hencl
better teachers and. therefore. bette
teaching. President NJ b. Nichols. o
the schcol board, who has made a spe
cial study OF this matter. calculate,
that a minimum OF eighteen ura
schools can be conveniently abolished
with saving OF at least 500 for eacl
scboel year. Should this plan b
even partia:.y successful in Talbot, !
will interest the public school admin
instrators IN other counties