The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-11-11
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Discusses Proposed and Recent
Legislation and Comparative
Revenues.

DR.. Nathan c. Schaeffe-, State
Superintendent of Public Instruc-
ton, in his annual report, intimates
that an attempt to revive in the |
next Legislature the school code,
which was the centre of the bitter
est struggle of the last session, will |
be unavailiug. He seems to think |
that the weakness of the code plan |
is that it is impossible to provide |
lor the varying needs of the school |
districts throughout the State by
any general act.
The Superintendent sounds a
warning agains. running the prac
teal education fad into the ground,
and pokes a little fun at the advo.
Gates of agricultural teaching in the
schools. He approves the new EN-
ployment certificate law.
The much-discussed supremacy
of Pennsylvania in the matter of
money voted to the schools is
shown to be not altogether justified
by the facts, and a number of other
interesting matters are brought to
light in the report, important feat
ures of which follow:
"It will be wise for the friends
of educational progress to discuss
whether it is better to attempt to
legislate by complete code or by
the classes into which school dis
tricts have been or may be divided,
or by subjects or topics which re-
quire new legislation. To attempt
legislation by a complete code is
the ideal method, but it is not al
ways feasible because it masses all
the opponents into one body and
requires concessions to individual
districts which would otherwise he
unnecessary. To legislate by each
of the four classes into which
school districts have been or may
be divided permits the larger cities
TO get what they need without dis
turbing conditions in the rural dis
tricts. To legislate by subjects or
topics provokes least opposition,
and hence may be the most effec-
tive method in the end. Should any
act OF Assembly relating to a single
topic be declared unconstitutional,
it would not disturb the entire
school system.
"a complete code might simplify
and unity and harmonic details
which are now in contradiction.
For a time this would be very ad
vantageous, but in no long time
changes and amendments would be
made, involving a return to the
status i'll which our school laws are
now lound.
ct is generally agreed by our
leading educators that we need
notifications in the laws relating
to high schools, supervision of
schools, registration of teachers
certificates, medical inspection,
school holidays, truant schools and
normal schools.
Legislation of great Importance
to the schools was enacted at the
last session of the Legislature. The
issue OF employment certificates to
pupils who are between IA and I6
years of age will, after January I,
1910, be entirely in the hands of
those in charge of the schools. To
avoid the necessity of issuing two
certificates, one under the mining
act and the other under the factory
law, a special form of certificate
was prepared with the assistance
of the Deputy Attorney General,
The law requires that the cer-
tihcates issued by those in charge
of private academies and parochial
or denominational schools shall be
reported to the proper public school
authorities, hence full lists will be
open for inspection by those who
are anxious 10 prevent the illegal
employment of children.
1T will henceforth be less diff
cult to secure compliance with the
laws regulating compulsory attend
ance and employment certificates,
because the officials who are re-
sponsible for the schooling of the
child will henceforth issue the en-
ployment certificates to minors
between II and 10 years Of age.
STATE AID FOR SCHOOLS.
"Thc biennial school appropria-