Milford chronicle., 1915-06-04

anu III udhlnS Alllb lnSpCNlAOh III
], Kent County Commission was accom-
), panied by the County Superintendent
}. Prof. James E. Carroll, which hal
: been a custom for several years, anC
9 we were aided 0y his information a!
; 20 the general c.ncJions existing il
, tile district Thich ..'.i to do witt Il;
> punl.c schools. Niti the exception RI
5 four schools all in the County were
d visited and inspected with the results
r as set forth in the detailed report
] which follows.
, While there has been much improve
ment in school properties, and a more
! intelligent idea as to what the duties
, of the local school commissioner are
to his school, yet there is a long road
to travel before all the schools will
; have the advantage of men of liberal
ideas, or even with realizing sense of
the fact, that the children for whom
they are charged with the duty of pro-
yiding opportunity to get an educa-
ton, shall have ventilated school
rooms of such size that each child can
have at least fifty cubic feet of air
space and that the heating plants for
the school room can be made, and
should be made, the ventilating plant
as we'll We believe that the State
should require every school room to
be of the size required to afford this
space, and that the heating plants be
made to perform the duty of ventila-
ton. This is most important for the
/ health of the children, and that means
/ healthy homes and healthy people by
/ lessening the places where disease
can be bred and descimated through a
community. We need men for school
commissioners who realize that health
| is more important than the few dol
lars saved by lowering the standard
of the schools.
We have found too many incompet-
ent teachers in the schools. We do
not mean to say that the teachers are
not qualified from an educational |
standpoint to teach; but, they had |
not realized the fact they have the |
responsibility of the school property |
during the school year resting upon !
them, as well as the instructing of |
their pupils in the theories of educa- |
tion. They often appeared to have |
no realizing sense that the duties of
the teacher extends to influencing the |
children to respect property, to ac-
cept the fact that the school property
is the property of their parents, and
in time will become theirs for school
training. The inclination to have at
tractive and clean school yards, clean
water closets, clean floors, clean win
dOws and hOme-like surroundings can
be impaired by the active teacher who
is interested in the school, Kent
County has many who do this; but
there are too many who do not meas
ure up to it.
Tho tr-aa fl1a ar dursipor f11a cavara Iarrc Z
occupied in making the annual in
spectiOn this spring, was remarkable
for the absence OF rain, and we start
ed the work on March 29th, with all {
the members present. but the cold ]
winds caused a postponement until
the middle OF April, when it was TAX {
EN- up and finished in five days Mr. I
Hazel was unable to continue the I
work after the first day because of [
illness largely the result of riding in {
cold winds of March. We have given 9
at various times six days to special 4
visits to schools to locate sites and j
perform other duties required by law, Z
and in addition have held the regular S
meetings to transact the bus L
mess which came before the Commits Z
sion at the various hearings on petit "
ions for transfers, for new districts, C
and from other sources. f,
We have condemned one school as s.
lnfit for school purposes, and caused
/ number to make such changes as il
he sanitary conditions in our opinion al
made necessary. In all parts OF Kent ri
,ounty there is a respect for the sug- pl
'estions of the County School Com fc
mission, and manifest desire to bet pl
er conditions even in the most an bl
lent buildings, by complying with
uggested Improvements when point W
d out al
In just one or two instances there in
emain the ignorant, stubborn and it;
man as a School Com tn
Missioner and with such it is useless ne
, argue; compulsiOn to act in accord tn
18th the requirements of the State TT
oard of Education and the laws is an
ne only means of getting any i'm TT
rOvements in either the school build tn
lg or the educational advantages for or
he children, where Commissioners of so
lis class have control. sh
In many of the districts there was at
4 interest manifested by inquiry as an
when consolidation of the rural ov
stricts would be brought about; but. sh
ON the questions asked, it is appar- SCI
It that a campaign of education will Be
ave to be taken into the individual
hool districts, and be followed I'D wa
srsistently with argument, and de- Jol
Onstrations to refute the anti-con- dit
lidation people, who largely are be
Ose who fear that an increase in the fai
x for school purposes will follow a t
raj consolidation OF the schools. ed.
lch do not hesitate to make any pre-
atement; even reiterating exploded has
Dries regardless of the facts. wa
We feel that it would not be fair to 1t
i to make a special mention of the pal
nyrna Public Schools, and the man neV
T in which the Board of Education por
sponded to the suggestions of the GUS
unity School Commission as to re- sch
.dying some defects in their school n
ilding. The Board of Education, of Elv
lyrna, have expended several thous- this
! dollars to carry out the plan for buil
modern system of toilets, and in the
king other improvements to the gro
lding. They purpose purchasing sim
iitional land to add to their already NOR
ge athletic field, and this may pos and
Iy be accomplished before another erty
ool year passes. clea
7e submit the record of the inspec- but
Is, as they were recorded at the ditto