Smyrna times., 1918-06-12
VACATION PLAN OUTLINED
FOR DELAWARE TEACHERS
STATE COMMISSION OF EDUCA-
TON SEES GOOD FOR SCHOOLS

oYstematizes Taking of Holidays to be
Better for Teachers and Pupils Alike
Contracts With This in View
Contracts with New Castle, Kent
and Sussex County teachers for next
year, says the Wilmington Evening
journal, will contain clauses giving
the holiday and institute arrangements
which have been approved by the
State Board of Education for the
schools exclusive of Wilmington city
schools. Schools which have a nine
months term, will be given both
Thursday and Friday at Thanksgiv-
ing. This will enable the teachers
to leave for the holiday on Wednesday
night, and have until Monday morning
free. At Christmas, the vacation will
be from Christmas Eve until the day
after New Years. The Easter vaca-
ton will continue from Good Friday
until Easter Monday. There will be
no holidays on special days, like
Columbus Day. Lincoln's and Wash
ington's birthdays. The annual in
stitute will be held during the summer
vacation instead of during school time.
Similar arrangements will hold good
for schools with seven months term
except for the Easter vacation. Teach
ers will not be given any vacation at
Easter because of it's being so near
the close of their school year.
Commissioner Tells of Advantages.
Arthur R. Spaid, State Commits
sioner of Educ alton, tells of many ad-
vantages from the new order of things.
When the annual institute for teach
ers came during the school session, it
broke up the routine work of the
schools at time when neighboring
vacation periods further demoralized
the working morale of the pupils.
The parents always criticized the
turning loose of the children at in
stitute time. The annual institute
IAAA6 VIII NC uClQ dL NEWdIk
Immediately at the close of the sum-
mer school. AS the State pays not
only the weeks salary, but the travel
ing expenses of the teachers attending
the institute, and $50 teachers were
enrolled in the summer school last
year, placing the institute, at the
close of the summer school is ex-
pected to benefit both State and teach
ers. Prof. Spaid says the plan will
save the States substantial amount
of expenses for travelling of the teach
ers and will be convenient for the
summer school students who will have
boarding places already settled for
the institute.
Plsn Would Equalize Vacations
The State commissioner says the
definite arrangement for vacations,
all schools alike, will equalize the
amount for all the teachers. In the
past some teachers have had consider
ably more holiday time than others.
1t is felt that Columbus Day, of the
other special days, will be best OBJ
served by exercises upon that day dur
ing the school session. In case like
Decoration Day the schools would be
permitted to arrange with their COM
inunities to take part in a parade,
without making the whole day a holi-
day. The new arrangement will per-
NIT the longer vacations at Thanksgiv-
ing, Christmas and Easter, by saving
time on special days, before this
made holidays, and still permit the
schools to close early in the summer.
To receive State aid the nine-month
schools are obliged to- teach 180 days
in the year. With the fourteen days
allowed for institute attendance, g
teacher in such a school will be paid
for $50 days if she has l76 actual
teaching days.