Evening journal., 1918-01-05
CHANGERS TO HELP
School Improvement
Consolidation Plan Meets
With Favor Of State Board
of Education
VOCATIONAL PLAN
TO BE ENDORSED
specIal o THE EvENING JounNAL.

DOVER, Del, Jan. Sat the recent
session Of the Delaware State Grange,
The following resolutions were present
ed and adopted relative to Delaware's
public school system. and ordered sent
to the State Board Of Education:
"Wfsereas. Il is generally admi5,ed that
the public school system Of Delaware
and other states where the district
unit prevails is very inefficient In pre-
pairing the rural youth for o life OF
usefulness and effective citizenship;
Whereas, AS Ions as we tenaciously
hold to 10, the greater number OF our
most prosperous and progressive Tar
mers will leave the farm, and move TO
Town in order TO provide modern
schools for their children, and
Whereas, Our antiquated methods OF
public school administration are pre-
venting the children Of the open coun-
try from receiving the benefits so free
ly offered by our State and national
governments. and
whereas, The general principle Of
Capitalization has proved so effective
not only in all successful business en-
terprises, but also In school affairs;
therefore be It
"Resolved. That the Delaware State
Grnsge put itself on record as favoring
consolidation Of the rural schools OF
the State as rapidly as It can be
brought about under the laws Of Del
aware and regulations Of the State
Board Of Education; and be II further
"Resolved, That the state Grange
support through its sympathy and
continued cooperation. Delaware Col
ieee. the Woman's College Of Delaware
and the State Board of Education in
their efforts to raise the standards and
10 improve the system Of admlnlstra-
tlon of the public schools Of our State.
Professor Wesley Webb, secretary Of
the state Grange yesterday received
reply from Professor A. r. Spaid, state
Commissioner Of Education, who is
secretary Of the State Board Of EdVca-
ton. the State board directing the reply
be sent TO the state Grange as approx
Ing Of the sympathy and cooperation
of the State Grange in the belterment
OF educational advantages of this state.
The letter In part, follows
'The State board wishes TO convey
lts thanks through you and the public
press TO the members and friends Of the
State Grange because it realizes that
the consolidation Of schools IS The vital
question to every person living In rural
sections Under the present system OBJ
tanning IN this state much money is be
ing wasted by attempting to give in
struction TO very small groups Of chill
iren in many Of the communities.
However, I wish TO say for your en-
'ouragement that a new factor has
some into our state. which viii nee
essarily compel O change In the admin
lstration Of our district schools. The
state Of Delaware has adopted the
smith-Hughes act for establishing vo-
.ational education and as this new law
crows in Importance. as lt VIII from
year TO year. 70 win be necessary for
the communities Go do away with
small schools and consolidate IN order
to get the federal funds under the
Smith Hughes act. Every dollar the
state Is willing 10 give for home eco
nomics. agriculture and trade and in
dustrial education. viii be matched by
the federal government under certain
conditions. One Of these IS. each com
munity shall mainiain classes OF O Ger
tain size At the beginning Of the year
1918. when we are attempting 20 place
vocational education In five or six of
our schools, and they are our largest
schools. we find 70 dinlcut 10 get
classes Of sufficient size TO eniitle
us % a share of our Smith-Huglcs
fund AZ the present time the State re-
ceives $4,000 from the federal govern
ment under the Smith-Hughes act; In
1919 this will increase 90 $4,000, and
In 1928 90 $4,000. but II we cannot
ind enough schools at present to use
this money which now amounts 90
$4,000, the State appropristins as much
as 10 receives from the Smith-Hu shes
fund. II is quite evident that 70 will be
Impossible for MS TO use the 100000
which will be available in 1923. unless
we consolidate "a number Of our small
schools. These centralized or consoli-
dated schools should cover large COM
munties In order 10 get a sufficient
number Of boys and girls OF a sufficient
age enrolled IN classes for the yoca-
tional work
"As soon as the state Board OF Edu-
cation Is able 10 have the bulletin.
containing the State plans for vocation
al education, printed. copies will be
tire State. This VIII give the erances
an opportunity TO discuss the Smith
Hughes law and also will make 10 pos
sible to take action in various COM
munities as TO The advissblity Of vot-
ing for consolidation sometime in the
spring The longer this Is put OF the
greater the danger is that we viii cdme
10 time when we viii 0nd ourselves
unprepared to meet ihe conditions laid
down by the Federal Board for Vota-
tional Education During the FIRST year
of vocational education the Federal
Board has promised to be lenient with
rs but warns US In the near future the
standards must be increased and con
dltions In the way Of equipment proper
buildings and community support must
be given or the federal board viii
withdraw its approval OF some OF our
weaker schools. No community can re-
fuse q proposition where 10 can match
a dollar coming TO IL as the money
from the federal government comes
under the Smith-Hughes act. 70 would
be folly for rs to lose out in any
community because tho voters might
fail 10 be willing 70 support this I'M
dertaking by matching dollar foR dollar
Of federal money.
1T is my opinion that the subject Of
consolidation should be discussed in a
number Of your Farmers Institutes.
which You are planning At the present
time. ! know that you are personally
in sympathy with this business-like
movement which is sweeping over the
country. II Is coming to be mora diff
ttItI IN