The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-03-05
BOARD OF EDUCATION
MAKES ANNUAL REPORT
EXTRACT OUTLINING PLAN AND
PURPOSES OF NEW EDU-
CATiONAL SYSTEM.

Herman j. Rossi of this city, secre-
tary of the state board OF education,
has just submitted the annual report
of the board to the governor The gen
eral plan of the present aauG,,, 2ftl
syS,em IS lnul,Al~a IA LAG Io4o"!..s
extract from the report:
THE greatest enemy of state educa-
tional institutions in practically all of
the western states has been local am
bition and local prejudice. This has
caused institutions To be located In
places that made the strongest pull in
stead Of where they could best serve
the state One western state has three
state schools within radius Of 2s
miles In one corner of the state. One
state has placed n great state school
within 10 miles of the great school If
another.
The local community inevitably
comes to regard the state institution
as Its property. especially for business
advantage. Legislative appropria lions
are then looked upon as perquisites
VI 'ic iucdlltS' lHeTc are notorious
instances Of institutions In certain
states obtaining far more than their
Just proportion Of educational funds
simply because the locality could make
effective demands upon the legislature.
Blood Thicker Than Water.
"On the other hand. the localities re-
mote from an particular school are too
often inclined to be suspicious and hos
tile; the most meritorous claims for
appropriations are not infrequently
denied by such conditions.
These facts do not involve any ne
cessary condemnation Of the individ-
uals or the communities concerned
They are the inevitable outcome of tho
system. Blood Is thicker than water,
and the normal man or woman, In or
out OF office, Is powerfully swayed by
local affiliations. Any member OF a
local board who did not fight to the last
for his particular institution would be
condemned or even hated by his neigh
bors and associates; and such criti-
cism Is likely to fall without much re-
gard to the true merits of the case.
For example. even II a board member
were convinced that certain appro-
priation asked for was not really JUS
titled. 1t would take almost superhu.
man courage to oppose 1t publicly
Must Concentrate Control.
1T Is a growing sense Of these evils
that has led number Of states to
provide some form Of single board to
control all educational Institutions.
But the real issue Is deeper than
any system. The new plan in Idaho is
designed to permit the state to handle
the educational problems in terms of
the whole state, always and every
where. The present board Is absolute
~ committed to this program 1t will
strive to discover the real will Of the
people Of Idaho concerning education
and will throw all its powers and en-
ergies to carry it into effect.
The essence Of the Idaho plan Is
that we should get together In the in
terests Of our schools and our chill
dren; that we should think educa ton
ally for the whole state and not for
any one institution or any one COM
or any one section. This means
more attention to education, and con-
slant vigilance. No American COM
large or small. will allow It's
schools to be jobbed' when It is awake;
but most people are too busy with 9TH
err affairs to give thoughtful attention
to the education Of their children"