Milford chronicle., 1919-09-12
PRO AND con ON SCHOOL CODE

CThe following letter is well worth
reading and thinking over. 1t is
new view TO many people who nave
lost their bearings on the education
question.-Editor.)
Harbeson, Del, Sept. s. 1919.
Editor Milford Chronicle: I
1 have read with interest your edi-
torial in the Chronicle Of September
5th regarding DR.. r. B. Hopkins open
letter and the new School Code.
The new School Code interests me,
as I am both taxpayer and father
of five small children. l am foreign
born. and we foreign-born people look
upon America as a model, civilized
country.
Our city schools in this country are
second to nOne-but our rural schools
in Delaware would perhaps serve as
model for a Zulu Of Zululand in
Africa. but not a model for any civ
ilized country.
Personally, ! speak read and write
in three languages, and understand
half a dozen of other dialects, but my
American born children can little
more than sign their names in English
God gave us five children, which are
lust so many millions value TO US, and
although I like Delaware and its peo-
pie but having the future of the chill
dren in mind, 1 was just on the point
of selling my farm and moving to
some other State with better schools
when this new School Code was pass
ed. l admit that | have not read the
law carefully, but anything that will
give our children better education has
my approval But will the new School
Code help our rural schools any? So
far l have seen only a radical change
in our school tax. A ten month school
term under old conditions in the old
houses will not give our children any
more education-if they are compelled
to walk two or three miles to school
for forty minutes of instruction.
/ will describe our rural school
building at Cave Neck, below Milton.
II is a low ceiling room, influenza and
pneumonia breeding, and for the chill
dren it has to house, it is no more
cOmmodious than a large dog house
for a kennel of puppies. There are in
this room most Of the time when school
is going on about forty children, with
three sitting in one seat, with only
one teacher trying her best to teach
seven or eight grades of scholars
ranging in age from the tender child
Of six TO those sixteen years old.
The average grade gets about forty
minutes of teaching, for which some
children have to walk to and from
the school house a distance of two and
a half miles in all kinds of weather.
In justice to our teacher, I must say
we have a very good teacher. who
takes a real interest in her pupils; but (
what can a teacher do with a room
filled with fifty pupils. studying in
grades from the first TO the eighth I
grades? While she is teaching one
grade, the other children are doing
anything but study their lessons.
If we are to have the same disease
breeding school buildings, the same
system calling for one teacher for
seven or eight grades of scholars for
the same day-if we are to have the
same shortage Of school boOks-then
all your high taxes, all your high sal
aried tax collectors, all your drastic
school laws, with truant officers at
every cross roads, will not bring to
our children one particle of benefit
If such conditions are to continue,
then our new School Code will be a
failure, as far as rural schools go, and
will benefit only a few high salaried
Office seekers.
Give us a shorter school term with
more teaching. A half days teaching
will do the children more good than
five days Of playing in the school
house. Above all, separate the three
higher grades from the lower grades,
or we will not only have illiterates,
but immorals as well. Boys Of four
teen and sixteen years are no school
mates for boys and girls Of six and
seven years. The language they hear
from the older boys is poison for their
young souls.
AS to child labor question. come
from zchechoslovakia, in Europe,
where the slogan Is Everything for
the child" but where every child has
some duty to perform. have seen
children five and six years old having
a flock Of geese to mind-and still
our people in my native land are the