Smyrna times., 1900-11-28
PLANS SUGGESTED FOR
DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL
COUNTY CHILDREN SHOULD HAVE EQUAL
ADVANTAGES WITH THOSE OF TOWN.
Assistant Principal A.. S. Griffith of the
Smyrna High School Writes a paper In
the Interest of a Graded School.

Why is it that Delaware has not
such school in her public school sys-
tenn? Gov. Black of New York says:
"The interest felt in education makes
the development of the community?"
Then, if this be true, community that
is advancing must keep abreast with
the times; must keep in touch with
the tide of progress; must have it sails
set and ready to catch the breeze of
modern ideas. 1t must do away with
traditional methods and take up the
new, modern and recent lines of work.
The district high school is acknOw-
lodged by all educators as one of the
modern forces in education. Will |
Delaware adopt it? Other States have
done it and are doing it. Will Della
ware follow them and show that she is |
in touch with the modern ideas on
education or will she continue to work |
in the old, traditional rut? This is
question for the citizens of our State
to decide.
The advantage of such school are
numerous. At such school our chill
dren can receive the highest possible
public school education. An education
that will fit them for the highest duties
of citizenship. And what parent is
there that does not desire his boy or
girl to become a good citizen. Alas, l
am sorry to say there are too many
parents who do not care whether their
children becomes good or bad citizens.
In speaking of indifference of parents
to the welfare of their children, Supt.
Sabin of Iowa, has we'll said: cit
seems to me sometimes as if Gabriels
trumpet would meet signal failure
shonld he attempt to arouse the people
from their slumber to a realizing sense
Of what the welfare of their children
demands. If there are any people on
the globe who have occasion to inquire
of the watchman on the hill tops, what
of the night?' it is the American peo-
pie. If there is a government which
more than any other ought to concern
itself for the education of the young,
it is the American Republic. If there
is any nation on the footstool which, as
a means of self-preservation, ought to
provide for the complete, all-rounded
education of every child within its
borders, it is the American nation.
Every platform should speak, every
press should warn, every pulpit should
demonstrate against the prevailing in
difference of parents to the welfare of
their children"
Again such a school would induce
pupils to remain in school that they
might graduate at the end of the course
instead of stopping before their COM
mon school education is half com
pleted This is one of the causes why
so many of our voters are ignorant o.
the principles for which they are vot
ing. 1t is said that over one-half o.
the voters of the United States are
under thirty-fve years of age. MAJ
the young men realize that the highes
citizenship demands intellectual train
ing. He should be able to understand
the problems which seperate the par
ties, lest he become the tool of the un
scrupulous. Man may be good citiZel
and yet not be educated, but intelli
gence is necessary to the highest citi
zenship. Let us therefore do some
thing, make some sacrifice, ,endeavor il
someway to keep our children i
of. L
than the establishment of a distriC
high school. 1t would tend to elevat
the standard of average intelligenc
and to advance our people along th
lines of enterprise, culture and mol
ality.
Yo say, 1 know a district high schoC
would be an excellant thing; it woul
improve our children intellectually
morally and physically; it would aC
vance them in their social sphere an
would make better citizens of then
But it would cost so much, our take
would be so high.
Just stop and think a minute.
cities and towns where liberal educ
tional policy has long prevailed it
found that the tax rate is the loves
The Council of Trenton, N. j., r
Gently voted to erect high scho
building, and committee appoint'
to visit cities and towns for the pu
pose of learning the most modern al
desirable plans of obstruction, reports
the fact that an adequate provision +
public education is not only in the i
terest Of morality, enterprise and soci
advancement, but is also a measure
economy. Raise the standard of
telligence and you tend to increa