Smyrna times., 1916-01-12
ROBERT D. HoFFECKER.
Eattor ana pnhiishar

DR.. wagner IS much concerned
over the injustice to our children re-
sulting from the present conditions
prevailing in Delsware's rural schools.
In a recent article contributed to the
Delaware State News, Of Dover. he
shows that there is an unproduetive
expenditure Of about So. 100 a school
month because of the failure Of chill
dren to attend regularly. and he also
asserts that pupils attending rural
schools are spending eight wears to
do the work Of six school years. thus
imposing a serious handicap on the
children Of our rural sections.
In the article DR.. Wagner says:
81. 0S5 school commissioners, mcre
or less, have appointed log male and
5O3 female teachers for the white
schools Of the State, and are paying
them S26. 600 a month to keep the
schools going; 265 colored school
commissioners. more or less. have ap-
pointed 18 male and 50 female
teachers to whom SO. 527 a month
must be paid to keep the colored
schools going. There are other
items of expense, whose total could
probably not be learned. as statistics
have never been brought into one
place under the co-ordinating hand
Of one authority. 1t also means that
10. 500 boys and 9.646 girls are en-
rolled in white schools and 2.461
boys and 1852 girls in colored
schools. Therefore. as "going
concern" there is an unproductive
expenditure Of about Sc. 100 per
school month, or S3O5 the school day
for teachers salaries. since the chill
dren are not 10 school to profit by the
instruction. Absolutely much more
than the sum stated is wasted, Of
course, because janitor service, con-
sumption Of fuel and other expenses
go right on. whether all or part of
the children are getting benefit. "No
private business or productive enter
prise could run on such a percentage
Of waste. II would be bankrupt in
a very short time II cannot possibly
be that parents want such results. Il
is unbelievable that they would be
satisfied if they knew. II must be
that they do not know or do not see
what these things mean. Therefore
this effort to inform them"
Discussing the results shown by
the examinations Of rural school
pupils for admission to town high
schools. DIR. Wagner continues: 'Ths
proper age at which TO take this ex
animation is either IL or u years o.
age. but only SO pupils we're Of thi
age, 1SS were over this age, which
is another way Of showing that on
rural schools carry their pupils throug
three or four grades after the sixth
and yet do not train OF develop theT
up to or beyond the Sixth Grade. O
those who passed, even though the
had completed one or more grade
after the Sixth. the passing mari
were not high enough 10 cause muC
qualification. On the age basis. Il
pupils who passed average Ia yea
of age. two full years older than th'
should be. The rural schools whii
these pupils attended are spendii
eight years to do the work of $
school years. This is the kind
schools these children must 90 to;
this is what the parents and the cor
munities want. of course they a
getting what they want. But in I
name Of childood. deprived Of its nj
ural rights and Of it's fair herital
someone should take a stand and I
mand that these rural schools
given a chanee to educate th'
children year by year, IS they
capable Of being educated. name
by gettg0g a years development,