Milford chronicle., 1910-12-02

I
depression that are apt to arise
from uncertainty of knowledge.
When all things are considered, there
is good grounds for the belief that
our schools will be brought to a
higher plane of usefulness. and | am
sure the ladies of the Wilmington
Century Club will not be discOur-
aged by the apparently slow pro-
gress with which they are being
worked out. Remember, that the
Delawarean is a very conservative
man, but when he is once convinced
that the old way is wrong, he moves
surely, if sometimes too slowly, to-
wards the better way. | don't know
but that after all when we study
school conditions in neighboring
States, the Delawareans way is bet
ter than some of the more yielding
methods that others have followed.
The rural schools of Delaware under
the old system, are very close to the
hearts Of the people, and if some
times they are crippled by ignorant
management, or by parsimoniOus
treatment, or by careless indiffer-
ence, they possess in potentiality the
things which we respect and which
make of the children useful citizens
of the Republic.
The schools have made much pro-
gress in the last ten years, as can be
seen by the better preparation with
which boys come to college. Each
succeeding year boys have entered
with fewer conditions, and how they
come to us ready to undertake the
work with every reason to feel that
they have the preparatory training
for higher education. The schools
have responded to our demands for
a higher standard, and now we can
easily ask a preparation such as all
colleges recognize as fitting for their
work.
The boys of Delaware have thus
an institution where they can go
after exhausting the educational re-
sources of the local schools, but un-
the girls have no such |
Our Republic is based |
IN an educated citizenship, but a
Itate that does not educate its girls |
alls far short of securing that en-
ightenment which makes the foun-
lations Of the government sure. l
believe if the State were to provide
or the education Of one sex alone,
t would do better to educate the
iris. A trained and educated
will bring up educated
hildren.
However, in this presence l shall
lot consume time in carrying Goals
0 New Castle" but shall at once
,rOceed to consider plans by which
he State may have a perfect system
+ schools from the Kindergarten up
D the college, open alike to the boys
nd girls of the commonwealth.
l. One plan is to open the classes
f Delaware College at once to the
iris who are qualified Ito do the
-ork of the institution. All gradu-
tes Of the high schools can thus be
Omitted. Assume no care nor re-
possibility for them, but admit
lem to the classes to recite, and let
lch as should live too far away
nd homes in the village. This
Ian of sO-called co-education was
at Delaware College
ION after its reorganization. and
as kept up till the summer Of 1884.
t that time the Board abolished
le plan, but permitted girls to at
nd until the class Of 1885 was
By this arrangement it
as practically a boy college which
United girls to its classes for rec
alton, but furnished nothing out
de in the way of Fairgrounds or
which are so necessary
the health of the student, and
ound which grow up all that af-
ction and enthusiasm which are
lown as college spirit. College
YES not only consist of class rooms
ID laboratories, but these together
th society halls, play grounds and Z
become so crowded
tn memories as to make ''college :
e" a genuine pleasure. Thus the
rls missed that association which
Is so useful to everyone and which
axes student life so rich in stimu-
ion of the whole being to higher
ing. College education comes as
uch from the clash of different
inds out of class hours as from the
ercises of the class room.
2. The founding of a separate col
,e for girls apart from Delaware
llege. has sometimes been sugges-
/, but as Delware is a very small
ate and her population outside OF
ilmington mostly rural, the ques-
N of expense must be considered,