Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-03-02
classification entirely and as a resul

] lose conSluerdDle ume III ADJUSTING
themselves. This is especially true il
lower grades. If all children wher
entering school could be provided
with the same books, could cover the
same ground in the same efficient
manner, they >would always find a
place and proper class in almost any
school in the county to which they
might move. There would be practi.
cally no adjustment to make his work
go on smoothly. In addition much OF
the inefficient work would be elimin-
ated and loss of time would be
,;rought to minimum.
l believe one reason why our
schools have difficulty in. performing
their best work arises from lack of
general use of the same text books.
There are several places where the
adopted book cannot be obtained.
This necessitates waiting till parents
go to a neighboring town or the
books can be ordered by the local
1ealer. True, one which he has in
stock such as the town uses may be
purchased but that only makes the
teacher an extra class and destroys
the child's interest. So the child
waits and in order to get along sits
with some other pupil. BY SO doing
lie not only loses much time but
lakes it from the other as well. We
have good many of such cases
which could and would be avoided if
conditions were different.
There are some who feel that
;ounty uniformity would mean a
wholesale change of text books. Let
ne assure these people that such is
not the intention. The object is to
place the same books in all the
;chools with as few changessas pos
,sible and yet get q reduction in price
and good book that would be suit
tble for our schools. There is.
,ommon ground where all can meet
without working q great hardship to
ny one. We believe in this case
would be willing to meet the
majority especially when the good of
our school system would demand it.
The county uniform system would
open the matter of text books up to
onpetition which we do not now
lare. Even those now furnishing our
ext books have been, for years, plac-
ng the same books in other coun-
les twenty-five, per cent cheaper.
his is due to open competition with
ther firms and believe will cause
he same reduction in our own
'ounty when the matter comes. to be
ettled where competition may enter.
Let me sum up my reasons for ad-
'ocating county uniformity of text
looks. realize that all the difficult
les will not be removed or that our,
chools will not be made perfect
hereby, but many of the inconsist-
incies will be removed: many things
hat now hinder progress in our
chools will be taken away and the |
seneral good derived will warrant its
doption.
Our books would be cheaper. Peo
lie would know the prices and where
0 obtain them. The county would |
stablish proper repositories for
iandling the books in the most con-
senient places. There would be but |
ne price to all in the county in
>lace of five to six as we now have.
People moving to another district |
would not be compelled to buy new
fooks. Teachers could do more effec
i've work. An outline course Of stud,
ould be prepared by the County |
Superintendent, thus promoting more
iystematic work and establishing be
ser working conditions and give us
1etter classification of our schools.
To my mind these things are essen
ial to good schools and worthy of
most careful consideration.
We cannot afford to have any but
the best system and that system
worked out under the highest state
If efficiency. 1t is with the hope of
such conditions that am advocating
a uniform series of text books for the
schools of Delaware county.