Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-12-28
The COMMISSION
ON SCHOOL LAWS
CUMMINs SELECTS BOLTON,
BAILY AND SPRINGER
CHANGE SCHOOLS.

Des Moines, Dec. 26. Governor
Cummins has announced the appoint
ment of Professor Frederick e. Boil
ton of Iowa City, William H. Baly of
Des Moines and Arthur Springer of
Columbus Junction, as members of
the commission to recodify and revise
the school laws of the state. This
commission was created by the last
legislature and will report to the as
sembly in 1909
The creation of the commission was
recommended by State Superintend
ent Riggs. The law under which it has
being provides that 1t shall be com
posed of one educator and two prac
ticing attorneys. Professor Bolton is
one Of the most prominent educators
In the state. He is at the head of the
department of education of the state
university. Messrs. Baily and Springer
have been long in the practice of the
law and each has had more or less ex-
perience with school laws, as members
Of school boards and in other capac
tiles. The three have deep interest
In the welfare Of the schools
The law provides that the commits
sion shall meet at the capitol and or
ganize before Jan. l. 1908. The com
missioners will receive So per day
and actual expenses while in session
and be in session at their own pleas
ure. They may employ clerical assist
ance and the superintendent shall
print their report. The cost of the
modification is fixed at not to exceed
$4,000.
Many Important Duties.
| The law fixes the duty of the com
mission to be as follows: 1t shall
have power to rearrange, revise and
codify the existing laws relating to
the public schools and recommend adj
ditional needed legislation"
1t has been the opinion of the edu
Gators of the state that the commits
sion would devote it's attention chiefly
to the work Of defining the high
school in Iowa and determining the
character Of its work.
Under present statutes the high
school has no legal status in this
state. 1t has grown into its present
proportions in response to popular
demand of the higher educational in
| stitutions on the other. The courses
have been expanded more and more
until the high school has become
| college preparatory.
There now is a demand that the
| high school shall become the effective
agency for completing the education
Of children. 1t is the final school
which nine-tenths of the pupils of the
school attend.
sion will have before it the task of
devising the reconstruction of the
high school to meet the popular de-
| IND rs o1ro ttc 81 oho.
acter which will fit the girls and boys
whom never go to college, to earn
their living
Enlarge Rural Schools.
The second important problem be-
fore the commission will be the re-
construction of the rural school sys-
TEN.
| At present there is school house
every two miles in every direction.
That is practically the situation. The
result is that many schools are main
tanned in which there are only very
few pupils, and necessarily the work
is not Of character to give them the
full advantages which they should
have from the public school system.
1t has been proposed hitherto that
q new system be devised which Will
make the rural school district four
miles each way, or sixteen square
miles big and which would enable
the maintenance Of real graded
school in the country.
1t is argued by educators that the
children Of the farmers are entitled
to as good school accommodations
and facilities as are the boys ami
girls In town Under the present
system they do not enjoy them.
Possibly the commission will decide
to go into the question Of whether
change the system to afford better
school facilities in the country. And
1t is possible that the commission
may decide not to make recommends.
lions affecting the rural schools.
The school laws Of the state are a
patchwork of amendments, and the re-
codification will make them ntelligi
BILE. at least