Connecticut western news., 1909-02-11
CHANGES NEEDED
 IN CONN. SCHOOLS
FINDINGS OF SCHOOL COMMISSION
Poor BuiIdings-Poor Management Incompetent Teachers - Lack of
 Eguipment-Teachers Poorly Paid Suggestions for Better Conditions.

EguipfHent- ledCHeTS FoOTIy rdlO-
 Suggestions for Better Conditions.
 Tire commission appointed by the last General Assembly to investigate the school system of the state. with Senator Luther as chairman, submitted it's find ings to the General Assembly last week. The system of local management is de- clared to be grave injustice to the children of the state. This is due to the different ability of different communities to maintain suitable schools, partly due to indifference and incompetency on the part of local authorities and party due to petty and unworthy jealousies liable to exist between communities and in communities. The condition of school buildings in many smaller towns of the state are old, unclean, offering no proper shelter, poorly heated, unventilated, as sociated with old buildings offensive to the senses and sensibilities of the child and adult alike, buildings which would not be tolerated for an instant in the
 
 schools are poorly equipped and in many cases the children are without text looks.
 The report further says that many of the teachers in the schools are thoroughly unfit for their positions; such teachers are uneducated, without experience or knowledge of teaching. and without ambition or ability to improve. Wages paid to a large proportion of our teachers are distressingly small.
 The commission notes with pleasure the excellent condition of the schools Tn the cities and most of the boroughs and in those towns in which still persists effectively something of the New Eng land spirit of earlier days.
 The recommendation of the com mission are as follows:
 That after certain date the present district system be abolished; that town school committees be elected and that the towns be grouped so as to constitute territories for convenience in super vision.
 That territorial supervisors be elected or apo ned.
 That after a certain date no teacher } not approved by the state board of edu- cation shall be appointed to teach school in this state. e
 That the provisions of the average at tendance grant be extended so that in no town shall there be less than $25 ex- pended annually for each pupil in aver age att ten lance in providing for his edu- cation.
 That after certti date no school shall be maintained in any town in the state in which the average attendance shall fall below l2 pupils.
 That the means provided for transpor- tation of children to and from school must be approved by the territorial supervisors.
 That section 169 of the Connecticut School Laws be amended so that school houses and outbuildings must be main taiued ill a condition satisfactory to the territorial supervisor.
 That pupils may attend the school that is nearest their places of residence and in all such cases in which the nearest school is in an adjoining town the town in which they reside shall pay their pro rata tuition.
 That Section 3S be amended so that all public schools shall be maintained for at least 3S weeks in each year.
 That after a certain date the school committee in every town in which free textbooks are not supplied shall pur- chase textbooks and other supplies used in the public schools.
 That after a certain date the course of study in the rural schools shall in clude the elements to agriculture.
 That provisisn be made for instruc- ton in the academies and high schools of the state in the science and practice of common school teaching under a course to be prescribed by the state board of education.
 That no person that is related by blood or marriage to any member of a school committee of any town shall be employed as teacher by said committee except upon consent of two-thirds of the members thereof.
 That it shall be the duty of the princi- pal CT other person in charge of every public school having more than one hundred to instruct and train the. pupils by means of drills so that they may in a sudden emergency be able to leave the school building in the shortest possible time and without confusion and panic; and that such drills or rapid dismissals
 Continued on page 5.)