The sun., 1919-10-31

dren. Such instances, however. were OK
trsnsly rare.
Conditions Present Problem.
In fact, so bad were school conditions
That when proper pressure was brought
70 bear to reform them, no one knew
where TO begin.
Gov Townsend had pledged himself
to better the educational system" II II
| could be called such, In his inaugural ad-
dress when he said:
impress on the future. our best service,
depends upon what we to-day do for our
schools. Our colleges. our State institu-
| tons. our charities. under State aid.
must all receive our considerable thought.
Without detracting from their force for
good, ask that this general assembly
stand out as the champion of the public
| school. Upon its development, more than
anything else, depends the Delaware of
tomorrow. We must no longer content
ourselves with past provisions. We must
do more. II Delaware expects to keep
In the line OF march of other States she
must at once take reckoning.
Our standing in the educational
world ia out of keeping with the dignity
Of our past. Better training must be
given to those boys and girls who are
unable to continue their studies through
n college course. They are to make VI
the rank and file OF our future citizen
ship.
''The new ideas of education, training
along the lines most useful to future
| prospective environment, are highly
gratifying. The work of our State Board
of Education Is most commendable
Their proposals as published in oui
4 M al,
aud serious thought But our stand
ards will never be raised, nor our sys
tenn materially improved until the rura
school teacher gets a salary approach
ling, ut least. the dignity of the worl
| In which she or he Is engaged.
with the teachers wage not equa
| TO that OF common labor, we cannot ex
pect those in charge of the work e
make the improvements we desire. NJ
man who has given thought to this dar,
pretend defence, The demands on tn,
citizen of tomorrow will be greater
than those on US to-day. II behoove.
us to make sure that our sons ant
daughters are equipped to- cope will
their generation. Better teachers witt
a salary in keeping with their calling
better buildings, practically consolida
tion. sanitation. ventilation, are demands
on our attention.
| Way for Supreme Duty.
i with these as accomplished facts W.
shall see the social centre Of every com
munfty At the public school. Their,
breathes the spirit Of American institu
tons. There In training is the citizen o.
tomorrow who will fill your place her,
to-day and mine.
II have no inclination to dictate tn,
ways and means but merely to point {,
this supreme duty. am sure the Stat,
board will submit interesting data upol
which TO effect legislation"
With the authority of the Legislature
Governor Townsend named five mel
members Of a commission to study tn
conditions of the schools and max
recommendations In order to revise tn
| old school laws. to develop an education
system suited to the conditions existin,
in the State. providing for an improve,
, and efficient administration of all FIRE
school matters and the training of
competent teaching force"
The members OF this commission wer
Caleb Il. Burchenal. John 8. Mullir
} Frank L. Grier. Joseph Frazier an
] Henry p. Scott. They soon found tn
task imposed to DO quite beyond thei
l powers. 1t was apparent to them tina
, the school system Of their State ha
sunk 20 low that It would take the YER
best experts Of the country to bring
up to date.
: These commissioners set out to loo
, for such expert aid and finally obtaine
r the services of DR.. Abraham Fiexner an
DR.. Frank p. Bachman. both Of the Ger
, eral Education Board Of New Yor
: State.
Doctors FIexner ana Bachman after
! thorough investigation made n repoi
! which was accompanied by a plan for
new school system.
This plan in turn went from the CON
| mission to the Legislature and becam
last winter the New School Coder Onl
| a few changes were made in II and thes
. lyxresnecessary TO prevent II from coz
Efir ting with certain peculiar old laws.
The new law was set forth in brinte
q booklet of ninety-two pages. while II
= old law had filled an enormous voium
The new law was SO expressed as to /
a ! easy OF Interpretation. The old la
q dated from 1876, with amendments upo
u amendments and contradictory and II
o consistent chapters.
Tax Increase Starts Fight.
e At the time Of its passage in the Legi
: lature there was little or no opposite
{ to this law. Antagonism began TO al
!: pear after It went into effect last Jun
4 when landowners saw that II wou
q slightly increase their taxes. Many
r them would have been perfectly confer
" II the UP to date schools could be IT.
= at al low q cost as the old-fashSont
barns that had been In use. When the
o found that this could not be done the
Q wanted the old system back.
h. One wealthy landowner who had sci
l. his own children out of the State 4
10 their education complained that now |
was wanted to pay for the schooling
other folks young ones" The arg
ment that teachers should be paid mo
n than a dollar a day did not appeal
!. this class at ali. And when It came
. tearing down the rotten. musty. unsan
!. tary old frame buildings that had be,
!, used as school houses another cry we
a up.
Just think of IT," one citizen howle
>. there's a school house what's been
= this place near q hundred years al
- they want to tear It down. Just thin
Of It.; they'd tear down my dear o
:. grandfather's school"
!. Others said that II the old schools hi
- been good enough for all of their a
= cestors since colonial days. and ali
good enough for them. they must
| good enough for their descendants. Al
:, move against one OF these nntiquat
!. structures was viewed as sacrilege.
!, New school books were viewed wi
= distrust lest they might inoculate I
| vouu0 with n desire To 'leaya 4