Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-10-26

the month of December, from the State
treasury out of the appropriation for
| the support of free high schools. to
each town paying tuition and making
return as aforesaid. n sum equal to one
half of the amount thus paid by such
town not exceeding two hundred and
fifty dollars.
Section 3. This act shall take effect
when approved"
Under the supervision of the chair
man of this committee, the law was
framed by Hon. w. c. Philbrook of
Waterville, Maine, and presented, and
the hearing before the committee on
education was presided over by this
gentleman. The law which had been
adopted in New Hampshire was
thought, on the whole, not to be well
adapted to the present conditions in the
State of Maine. and notifications were
made, at the suggestion of the Hon. w.
w. Stetson, LII. D., State superin-
tendent of schools, and agreed to by
representatives of this committee who
We're present at Augusta.
Professor Files of BoWdoin. President
Berry of Kent's Hill, and the chair
man of the committee spoke in favor of
the resolve before the committee on
legislation. The resolve was unani-
mously passed by this committee and
the Hon. Cyrus w. Davis of Waterville
introduced it into the house. It's va
rious readings in the House and Senate
evoked no criticism and it was unani-
mously passed and approved by his
Excellency Governor Hill on March
18th.
1t may be well to call attention to
several points in the law, as it is quite
possible that misunderstanding may
arise if this body does not well ap-
preciate it's scope and limitations.
The law does not forbid any pupil
from attending any secondary school in
tho State which he elects, if he prefers
it to the school in his own town; but in
order to have his tuition paid by the
town and State, under the provision OF
this bill, such Il pupil must be prepared
to pursue four years course of study
in the secondary school,
Ir does not contemplate providing
anything but secondary education, and
if the pupil from some town in which
there is no secondary school of stan
dard grade, attends q secondary school
of standard grade in some other COM
munity, and there pursues studies
which are below the grade of the sec
ondary school, he does not, under the
provision of this statute, have free tut
ton. I
At this point much confusion will
arise unless this statute is carefully
studied. 1t may be that this year not
a, In,
secondary schools under a misappre-
hension of the scope of the law; but
this difficulty will not long continue.
/ am informed that some of the small
er towns have had intense anxiety on
this very point and not understanding
the intention of the law, have felt it
impossible to protect their schools of
lower grade. Such law would, in the
judgment of your committee, be unfair
to the smaller town; but we believe
that this law is n great boon TO the
community which cannot afford to
support a secondary school of standard
grade.
In the application of this law. es-
pecially in its earlier stages, your COM
mittee clearly foresees that misunder-
standings may easily arrive, and would
call attention to various sections in the
Revised Statutes bearing upon this
main subject.
1t is very evident that some one,
aside from the principal of the school
to which the pupil goes, must deter
mine the pupils previous preparation,
and in some official way approve it. |
Section 81 of Chap. II Of the Revised
Statutes. as amended by Chap. 299 OF
the laws of 1884, in speaking of second |
airy schools, has the following: 1.-THE |
superintendent or experimenting school
committee having supervision thereof. |
shall make such examination of candi- |
dates for admission to said schools as
they consider necessary
And Section "a, in giving the condi- |
tons upon which students may be adj !
mitted to academies, says that pupils
shall! be admitted to these schools "un
der standard of scholarship to be eS-
tablished by such committee"
Section SO, in speaking of secondary
schools that have been established by
funds given by the trustees of the
academies, says, the experimenting
school committee or supervisor in sad
municipality shall determine the
qualifications necessary TO entitle any
applicants to enter or attend said free
high school, and no one shall attend it !
without the certificates of said officers
to that effect
Section 81 states, that management
of the schools shall devolve upon the
experimenting school committee and i
paragraph says, that said committee |
shall direct the general course of in !
struction Paragraph IL says, "the |
school committee shall determine what |
description OF scholars shall attend
each school, classify them and transfer |
them from school to school,"
Section SO states that, the town sup |
erintendent shall also furnish such 9th |
er information relating to the public |
schools as the said State Superintend- !
ent shall at any time require of him.
Section 104, paragraph !, prescribed
that the State Superintendent shall
advise and direct the town committees
in the discharge of their duties" In
paragraph s, it says, "be shall pre-
scribe the studies to be taught in the