Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1919-01-23
OUR NEW SCHOOL CODE


There has been great deal of clara
oring for a new School Code 81 w.
Va, while it is true there are lame
places in our present school law and
points that need "doetoring." There
are great many objectional features
in the suggested new code. rad
ical change in selecting instead of e.
Letting our state Superintendent does
not as it is claimed eliminate the Of
fee from politics but makes it even
more political--what we need in w
Va. is more Of the voice of the people
and less of politicians. In this state
now there is a great deal more mon
| ey paid to appointive officers than e.
| lective ones A state Board of Edu-
cation with high salaries attached of
the same political color as the Cover
nor's so far as the majority is con-
cerned does not remove the state
Superintendent any farther from poli-
| tics than it has been heretofore, but
it does take power from the voters
of the state and vests it in a political
body, what is true in the case of the
state Supt., is also true with county
State Supt., is also true with County
politically strong one way or another
in many cases it makes it possible for
minority political party to control
the school affairs of county. To
keep politics out of school affairs in
the majority of cases is like driving
ducks from water to dry-land. Our
school system like many other sys-
TENS has been tainted at birth with
politics more or less.
The fact that this Board is to be
composed Of a majority of one polit-
cal party puts the unmistakeable
stamp of Politics on it, which cannot
be erased even by superior qualifica-
tions Of those who seek election.
THE TEXT BOOK LAW
Our present text book-law seems
to have been drafted by some Of the
interested publishing houses of the
country and the new suggestions bear
the same ear-marlSs. 1t is discrimin-
ating as it ID, and the new law would
be calculated to be even more SO.
Why should city of $500 population
or more be entitled to greater priv
ileges than a smaller community
States with such text book laws as
West Virginia becomes the battle
ground for publishers who reap rich
harvests from our system. Our con-
tract prices on texts carries at least
two middle mems profits. All sorts
Of misprints in books are dumped in-
to our state. Free text books only
makes the state paymaster and in
thousands Of cases viii put two books
where one would fill the bill. Why
not have a state commission write a
set Of text books for the state and the
state publish it's own text books
District Boards.
The investment Of District Boards
Of the county with such Unlimited pow
ers as this new law provides in the
hiring of teachers, consolidation and
discontinuance of schools takes all
power from localities which are spar
sely settled and forces many small
communities to abadon education en-
tirely or move to cities and towns,
thus depopulating rural communities
or destroying the rural school al
most entidely. Many remote commu-
l,,if xtrifh In rhs11ra,1 of
school age even now are deprived of
schools by law and the tax payers
while helping to educate other peo-
pies children cannot by law educate
their own. The system as suggested
will bear no ends Of the fruits Of fav-
oritism and is far removed from
Democratic forms of Government.
The publis roads Of w. Va will CON
tinue to be a menace to consolidation
Of schools for years to come and this
new law would usher this system in
to practice years before the state is
ready for it. 1t is much like build
ing house without foundation.
Teachers Certificates
In this part of the new code as well
as many other parts the advertise
ment of Normal schools, colleges and
Normal Training Departments are
far-fetched. Is 20 or rs years of
actual experience and success in
teaching is not given the face value
of six weeks course in some Of these
pet schools"
A real teacher cannot serve as
principal, or supervisor even though
he has taught score of years-and
cam make a good No one certificate
on uniform examination But a
young man who has passed" with
his class in "pet school" can shake
the nnlllnnsn thourh il, many casac ha