St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1910-03-19
THE SCHOOL BOOK PROBLEM
An Effort Being Made to Change the
Existing Law and Make for School
Home Rules"

Baton Rough, La.-An entirely new
scheme for selecting the text books to
be used in he public schools of the state
will be the outcome of the inquiry by
the committee appointed to hear the
charges growing out of the selection of
school books for the next four years.
1.-THE committee that selected the
books is all right, but the system is
rotten" is the only Interpretation that
can be placed ON the report of the in.
vestigators
About the capital, and in educational
circles that gravitate to the capital,
the principal topic of discussion is the
best plan to adopt in the place of the
law that has been in force for the past
eight years.
There is growing feeling on the part
of laymen who are interested in the
subject, as well as educators, that the
solution of the difficulty lies in school
home rule"
In other words, let the authorities of
each school pick out the books that are
best suited to their particular needs.
The impossibility of text book COM
mission, covering the state in it's activi-
ties, selecting one series of books that
will be of equal merit in every school
ROOM. is one of the most important fac
tors in favor of the home rule idea
A decreased expenditure for books is
a second argument. The experience of
other states permitting local selection is
pointed at in this connection. Where
this rule is enforced, books are retained
in use as long as they meet the needs of
the teachers and the pupils, if that be
for ten years. They are not supplanted
by other books because the new ones
happen to have more extensive foot notes
or more exhaustive index, or because
of the fancy of some member of a COM
mission who has theoretical fancy for
some particular volume
It is believed, thirdly, that local Sc
lection will make for more harmony in
the school system as a whole. Under
the state uniformity plan, which now
seems thoroughly discredited, each
teacher and each pupil is compelled to use
one certain book, whether it fills local
requirements or not. If the teacher finds
she is not getting the best work out of
her pupils by the use of book, she
feels there is sure to be a reflection on
her ability as an instructor. Naturally,
she is indignant at state commission
that places her under such handicap.
By the use of books of her own selec-
ton, chosen from her personal expert
ence as to the needs of the children under
her, the service she renders her COM
munity might be doubly valuable.
In all the course of the investigation
into text book awards, no suspicion of
under influence has developed against
any member of the commission.
Enough was discovered, however, to
make certain radical changes in the
school book laws of the state. Gov
Sanders, ex-officio member and presi-
dent of the state board of education,
will insert in his message to the legis-
lature recommendations as to the
amendment of the law. Superintendent
Harris is working on set of recon-
mendations that he will present to the
general assembly. Other members of
the state board are equally opposed to
any further continuance of the state uni
formity law in its present shape.
As before indicated, however, there
is rapidly growing sentiment that the
entire state uniformity scheme is wrong.
Founded on dangerous and unjust ba-
sis, it is believed that any attempt to
improve it would leave it in just as bad,
if not worse, condition than it is at
present. The statement is freely made
by prominent educators that the only
thing to be done is to tear out the foun-
dations and erect an entirely new struc-
tural law; one that will give commune
ties the privilege of saying what they
want and what they are willing to buy
With the state uniformity law in its
present shape, doomed, the section Civ
ing preference to Louisiana-written
books will also 60. This mandate has
several times caused the introduction of
inferior books in the schools. In other
states, where similar law is in effect,
it has been charged that books unable
to obtain sale elsewhere were placed un-
der "a local name and Immediately taken
into the school courses.
The discussion of text books and
school affairs in Louisiana has aroused
the attention of much of the country.
and letters have been received here bv
the hundreds from educators all over the
United States, making suggestions for
the solution of the problems that con.
front the public. A great majority of
these communications advocate the COM
plete abandonment of the state uniform
ity plan and urge that the democratic
idea of local government of school affairs
be again permitted. It is the Judgment
expressed in these letters that better and
more successful schools are the inevita-
BILE result of placing some discretionary
powers in the hands of the teacher and
the local authorities.
School Teachers Well Treated.