Milford chronicle., 1915-09-03

THE recent examinations held by
direction of the State Board of Education
of all pupils residing in rural or single
school districts, who desire to enter the
graded schools of the towns or other in
corporated schools, at the expense of the
State of Delaware, has shown a condition
of the rural schools, that those with
knowledge of the schools have long
recognized, but which the general public
did not realize existed, and that is, the
low standard of the rural schools of
Delaware in comparison with the schools
of the towns. Under the new laws, the
State Board Of Education directed that
all pupils desiring to enter graded schools
in all parts of Delaware from the rural
districts under the law which gives them
the privilege, and for which attendance
the State Treasurer is authorized to pay
the district they attend twenty cents each
day of actual attendance, must be exam
ined as to their qualification to enter the
6AaAN'A o-AAbOAos III OAnEA MOIu5r LuEN
must demonstrate that they have ad-
vanced to the full requirements of the
curriculum laid down for the rural school
children to acquire. before they can avail
themselves of the privilege of a graded |
school, and have the State pay the bills, |
and thereby free the parents from the |
expense of further educating the children,
other than the local school tax they are
to pay in the rural district.
1t must be remembered that this practice
Of sending half prepared children from
rural schools to the town schools has
been going in for years. and it has cost
The State treasury about twenty thous-
and dollars each year-seldom has it cost
ess. The children who have heretofore
attended the graded schools from rural
districts, are not debarred from attend
ng the same school again this year; but,
here can be no further entrance of
PUPILS from rural schools into town. or
Iraded schools, until they shall have
'assed the examinations prescribed,
howing that they have attained to the
tandard to qualify them to enter the q
raded schools. The parents of the
hildren who have failed to pass this ex-
can send their children to
nch schools as will eccept them on their
wn accord, but they will be compelled
} pay the tuition demanded for their at S
at the graded school they NAV !
tend, but the State of Delaware will
OF pay any attendance charges made on
lat childs behalf This shows that the o
lral schools have been steadily declin- S
g so far as the higher education of the D.,
iildren is concerned, and especially is
lis true when they reach the sixth grade. d
he conditions are general in all parts o.
the State. 1t is a well-known fact,
ider the old system, the average tax ii
lyer in a rural school district mot ALL b,
oclaimed that they did not desire any
tier schools than they have, because o.
e children could be sent to the graded a
wn schools, when they reached that m
ade, and that it would not cost them
ything for educating their children d
om that point on. Under the new con- h,
ton of affairs, the rural school must be to
pit up to the point where it can con-
ct the children with the graded schools ee eS
len they desire to enter, and the State on
Il be paying for exactly what the child
i are prepared to receive. Under the di
system. the money was in a large ,. ~
assure wasted, as the pupils were una Sl
/. to understand the instruction presen- mt
to them, by reason of not being proper ce
prepared in the rural schools. In Kent r..
lnty there were only eleven out of
v children who took the examinations mi
o were capable of making an average
and, even if the passing tn' ta'
mt were lowered to seventy, but six
ers would be added to the list. That he
clusively shows that the rural school ing
ruction in Delaware is far behind the
II or incorporated schools. The same
ditions now exist in New Castle and
sex counties, and this examination of Z
children makes public the facts which anC
ie interested in public school educa- 20
stated, that the rural schools of Del We, vyS
re need a complete revolution in ev- be