Milford chronicle., 1919-11-21
DELAWARE SCHOOL
FAULTS LAID BARE
fconcluded Irom first pagel

Concluded Irom urst pasel
The situation in Sussex county is
mite as critical. For example, al
Georgetown. Laurel and Seaiord me.
buildings are old. rambling wooden
rtructures which have been added 10
from time 10 time. Light and venuia-
tion are bad and the fire hazard ser
iOus."
m order 10 ascertain the degree Of
aualifcatiou OF the teachers through
out the State the experts sent ques-
tionnaires broadcast asking lnIorma-
ton about the teaching certihcates
held and the training and preparation
which the teachers had undergone.
Out OF 734 teachers, S3 made no re-
ply whatever OF tie Col who made
Eeturns only 20 per cent held normal
or college graduate certificates; 80
teachers held provisional certificates
and 35S held limite elementary certi-
icates-that is the lowest grade Of
certificates issued.
All Responsibility Evaded
Many OF the evils OF the old system
which certain interests are fighting to
retain are attributed by Drs. Flexner
and Bachman 10 the chaotic condition
under which Delaware's educational
institutions have been run in the past
The old laws provide for one board
upon another and one committee upon
another. untilsone hardly knows where
to place responsibility for anything.
10 Is a survival of the old school sys-
TEN OF the colonies, In which each lit
tie district ran It's affairs 10 suit it.
self
There were State educational Off
GERS with no authority and there were
county educational officers also with
no authority. In the end. the Only
person who had anything to say about
the affairs of a school was the mem
Der of the rural school board
There rural school officials were in
many cases utterly incompetent or in
different They were required by law
10 raise 500 annually by taxation foI
the support OF the school in their dis
trict. to which the State has been add
Ing $299. II they needed any more
than S399 a year to pay all the eX-
penses OF running their school, includ-
ing teachers salary, repairs, new
books, fuel. stoves and other incident
al items. they had to submit the matter
% a vote of the persons of their dis
trict And the persons OF the district
reports show, usually opposed any
proposed appropriation with bitterness:
because the money must come out OF
their own pockets. They made ID O
practice in most districts to select as
school board members men whom they
knew would not spend any money OF
improvements.
Educational Paralysis Found
The report of Drs. Flexner an'
Bachman on this point reads
Thus a popular referendum mus
be taken as 10 whether teacher
s..4ry shall De increased from $40 q
$50 per month. whether a heater shal
be purchased or a school house re
painted. The necessity of submitting
70 popular vote every detail OF schoo
management involving eXpenditur
results in educational paralysis. Her
and there the members of a dlstriC
committee carry on continuous can
paign among their neighbors fo
greater liberalty in school eXpend
ure. But most committees are con
tent to follow the line of least resist
ance-that is, they conduct the school
at minimum cost TO the taxpayers.
In these conditions, the investigator
found, interest in the schools fell
such an extent that the annual distriC
school meetings at which all voter
we're entitled to appear were rarel
attended BY more than ten persons
including the three members OF tn
board
-In one instance" the official repo
states, when the annual district NEE
ing was called to order, only two p'
irons were present. a father and n
son-ln-law, both members of the DIS
trict school committee. They electe
"a son Of the father to the committe
as clerk and then proceeded to emplo
the daughter Of the father, althoug
she had no certificate. as teacher tc
the ensuing year.
The amount of effort necessary |
carry a reform into effect under u
old system is characterized in the r.
port as prohibitiye and as an eXampl
ol the many difficulties which bes'
such a move a recent attempt to IN
prove the heating in the schoolroom
Is cited by the experts.
Heating Arrangements Obsolete
"The old means Of heating thes
rooms" they write sis by means OF a
open stove in the center of the room
While children sitting near the stoy
are too hot, those at a distance con
plain that they are freezing. A moe
ern heater insures a uniform temperi
H.. r-s- Of "a and NQT
tilates It as we'll There is no questio
Of the superiority of the heater TO IN
open stove, yet to introduce heater
into all of the one-rOom schools
Delaware it would be necessary nC
only 10 convince 225 dimerent seho'
committees, but also TO convince
majority of the voters of each distri'
for the question of purchased heatt
has to be submitted to the annual dL
trict meeting Faced by this impo!
sible task it is not surprising that th
county superintendents have lahore
for years 10 introduce heaters into tn
rural districts with only partial SUE
cess
Under centralized control, such @
Is provided for In the new school cod
the experts point out. the entire scho'
system Of the State might benefit b
improvements which go now to only
few fortunate districts. But this yer
thing. many residents of the rural dis
tricts say would be Interference wit
their own liberties" and right OF sci
government and is one Of the argl
ments raised by them in their plea
have the new school law torn froi
the statute books and the old on
which Drs. Flexner and Bachman hav
condemned re.nstated in its place.
WARWICK