Evening journal., 1919-11-25
THANK P. S. DUpOhT
FOR JUDE REVIEW
Beacon College Students Ap-
plaud and Thank Friend
of Education
is BEST OF ALL
SCHOOL LAWS IN ONE

Educational advancement made pos
sible TO Delaware by the new State
school Code was outlined 10y Pierre :.
dupont before an enthusiastic assembly
OF students in the Beacon Business
Colleges. Tenth and King streets. this
morning. The school gave MIR. dupont
earnest attention, a rising vote OF
thanks. and the response of hearty ana
continued applause TO his appeal for
their influence in behalf OF the code.
The sentiment Of the students Of the
Beacon College was quite evidently IN
favor Of this progressive measure 10
lift Delaware from the low rank when
il occupies educationally
The distinguished visitor was intro
duced by President W. II. Beacon as
"a pOwder-Inaker by profession, road
maker. and an educati0n-Duilder.' Mr..
dupont held up a copy of the Delaware
State school Code. boy way OF intrOduc-
ing his topic. lie said:
In this pamphlet are all The school
laws Of Delaware IN one book, with the
exception of special school laws apply
ing 10 Wilmington This is an i'm
p0rtanl document because what The
schools Of Delaware shall be in The fu-
ture depends upon this code and iis
administration. When We make laws
We naturally. go 90 people who have
had experience. Nheh you study type
writing you do not begin by building
yourself a typewriter, YOU Use The
best make someone ei,e has built
When you begin the study OF short
hand. YOU DO not invent your own sys-
TEN; YOU use the best system arrang-
ed by an expert. 80 with school laws
An expert In school laws who had
studied the school laws Of the whole
United states was employed. lie drew
the best points from these laws, those
most suited 60 Delaware. and built up
"a school code. The Legislature Of 1917
appointed a commission upon new
code, but 20 took two years for this eX-
perts report
a week Of discussion. meetings In
twenty-five principal points Of the
state. were held at the request Of the
governor before the Legislature pass
ed the new code. When the Legislature
met 10 had the opinion OF these meet
incs. which either expressed themselves
favorably toward the code or in a few
Instances said nothing az all II heard
This expert Professor B3Chman, Of the
General Educational Board Of New
York, and the commission appointed.
70 heard experts and prominent citizens.
70 passed the code quite quickly.
why should we not take the old
lows? The old laws We're built up
through many years, and were patched
up bv carious legislatures until it took
an attorney. nearly, 20 understand
them.
Under the old laws, pupils did not
20 20 school The slate averaged little
better than One-half attendance The
buildings were inadequate and poor.
All grades and an subjects were taught
by one teacher in o One-rOOm school.
Under these conditions the pupils could
not recite nor study properly. The
grade OF education in Delaware was
very poor. The teachers were poorly
paid. and therefore we were unable 20
gain good teachers. not the fault Of the
law. perhaps Each district was a law
unto itself The local school commit
Tee dld not want 20 impose financial
burdens upon its neighbOrs. There
YVES q low taX-rate and the schools did
not have the books and equipfent they
should have had. The buildings be
came run down.
THE new code remedies that. The
state Board Of Education not only can.
but much carry out - definite things.
The state Commissioner OF Education,
"a salaried man appointed by the Sta.e
Board OF Education has the duty Of
carrying out the rules made by the
Board
In the three counties there are
county boards elected by The people
The state Board is appointed by the
Governor. They have superintend-
ents TO carry out their policies. The
state Board takes out Of the hands Of
The little districts a great deal Of the
power they had. they no longer out
line their own policy. 10 is under a
centralized control As IN this school. /
Professor Beacon outlines the policy
and his teachers carry 70 out. other
wise iherewould be confusion and no
body would learn much OF anything.
In the city Of Wilmington there are
t50O0 pupils-only 23,OOO or 1900 out
side of the city-but Wilmington does
not put a One-roOm school on every
other corner. The city builds large
schools with a room for each grade.
all under one central control.
1T Is no different in the state. The
only difference Is too long distance TO |
get the children 10 a few large build !
ings Twenty years ago. poor roads and
poor transportation made one-room
schools necessary. Now pupils can 10
quite conveniently a much longer dis !
tance and take more time 10 arrive at
better school. Under the new State
Code we should consolidate all except
three or four one-rOom schools. and
each grade have its own teacher. Under
the old system none OF the local dis
tricts was willing TO give up its build |
ing. The State Board has power 10
consolidate. but 10 does not force the
districts 70 goes to the local districts
20 persuade them. The board has
greater difficulty in meeting the wishes
Of those who want 10 consolidate than
in attending those who don't want TO.
Not for many years VIII the board be I'm