Evening journal., 1916-05-06
DR.. WAGNER Tells OF
State School needs
Minimum Attendance Low
and Standard Schools Are
Recommended
GET REVENUE FROM
FAIR TAX SYSTEM

Special TO THE EVENING JOURNAL.
NEWARK, Del. May 6-Dr. Charles
A. Wagner. State Commissioner of
Education, in an address before the
student body and members of The
faculty of Delaware College at chapel
exercises yesterday. told of the pub
lie school conditions in Delaware as
he has found them. lie pointed out
the numerous changes that are needed
FOR the bettermenEof the present CON
ditions and explained laws that Will
be suggested to the new legislature
by the State Board Of Education to
bring about these changes.
Dr Samuel c. Mitchell. president Of
Delaware College. and other college
officials, are in accord with Dr Wag-
ner. i'm his work 10 better the Della
ware schools and state that they will
assist him In the work in every pOssi-
Bile way. The college. as a matter Of
fact. is pleased to cooperate with The
State Department. as both are work
ing to the same end. namely. TO in
crease the school standards OF the
State. Dr. Wagner's address follows:
During the last three years. the
Commissioner Of Education has been
collecting information and facts
about the school conditions in This
state. This information and these
facts show that certain changes
should be made at once. Therefore
he State Board OF Education will pro-
pose laws to the next Delaware Legis-
lature. which. if enacted win institute
lhese changes. First viii the proposal
20 inaugurate a system of card re-
cords.
Card Record Of Pupils Work,
AT present only an accident or a
piece Of good fortunte makes IL possi-
BILE To learn a pupils record after he
has quit school Many young persons
who have graduated from a Delaware
High School. have tried in vain TO
secure copies Of their school records
for use In securing standing and
classification i'm some higher institu-
tion and thus suffered loss and dis
appointment. With such records In
each school. and a complete system of
transfers. from school to any other in
the State. and such change of schools
would entail no loss OF time or classi-
fication. In some localities about one
pupf in five changes schools during
the year, and in many cases the pu-
oil thus changing his school loses
whole year in standing and classified
ton. Could more reasons than the
two here given make the need any
plainer or more urgent2
Minimum Attendance Law.
"The present Compulsory Attend
ance law is an admitted failure. II
does not secure the results at which
n was aimed. The main features of
the proposed new law to take its place
are:
81. An enumeration Of the school
children Of the district just before
school begins in the fall. made by
the teacher. for pay, by actually visit
ing each home and recording each
child OF school age and its school con-
nections for the next year.
"2. Minimum attendance periods of
varying lengths for children OF dif-
ferent ages-the entire term for chill
dren between Z and - (or IL or 10),
Eve months for children, between 10
or II (or - and 16), children between
IA and 16 tor 1S), might be excused
or given working permits. II they have
completed the sixth Tor fifth) grade of
school work For the enforcement of
attendance there should be county
attendance officer, or officers, rather
than local officers.
Regulation OF Size Of Schools.
AT this time there are very few
schools in this State that are too
small, say with an enrolment Of un-
der 10 pupils. There are many schools
that have enrollments that are toe
large. say more than forty pupils "a
the room. Both Of these conditions
are wrong, and local committees are
not always watchful nor careful of
the best interests OF the children. and
do not try to improve such conditions
II the County School Commission OF
the State Board OF Education were
given authority to order changes at
such places so that the rights of the
children to proper education will be
maintained, the local committee might
make the changes suggested by the
A. n .sasl. q -