Milford chronicle., 1919-03-14
EDUCATIONAL PROBLEMS ARE
DISCUSSED in MASS MEETING
Citizens of Milford Discuss Proposed Revision of School
Code Now Pending IN Legislature; Sentiment
Overwhelmingly in Favor of 1t

| Delaware seems at last to be slowly
waking to a realization of the fact
that her system of education is archaic,
inefficient and entirely unworthy of the
| State that has been first in so many of
| the things that have helped to make
America what it is today.
At a meeting Tuesday evening, the
! 1lth inst, at which DR.. G. Layton
/ Grier presided, Professor A. r. Spaid
OF the State Board of Education, Mr..
j. Hall Anderson of the Dover Board
and Mr.. John Shilling. Superintendent
of the Public Schools of Kent county,
spoke in the interest of the proposed
revision of the School Code now pend
ing before the Legislature at Dover
and known as Senate Bill No. 81
Professor Spaid in the course Of
stirring address. explained various
features of the bill. beginning with the
appointment by the Governor under
an Act of the General Assembly of
1917 of a Commission to investigate
our system of education throughout
the State as administered through our
Public Schools, and the subsequent
report of its findings, also the remedy
which it presented to the people of
Delaware today in the form of the pro-
posed legislation. at present under
discussion.
There was absolutely no chance of
misunderstanding the intent of the
revision ai9er it was explained so
clearly and the matter was put up to
the citizens of this community as it
exists today in a plain unvarnished
style. There was nothing much to be
proud of in our present system after
it had been presented in its true light. !
1t simply brought the people who have !
the interest of their children at heart |
face to face with the alternative of |
either continuing a system which !
places us 45th in rank of the As States |
of the Union in efficiency and Saith in |
the rank of illiteracy, or giving our |
children equal opportunity with those !
Of States like Massachusetts, Wiscon-
sin and New York
1t was pointed out that the State is
divided at present in 424 districts of |
varying size and inequality. That each
district is a law unto itself and recog-
nizes no higher authority save as it
so desires. That such a distribution
of authority among so many small
bodies of men absolutely and effective
ly prevents the following out of any
general plan for the ultimate ideals
hoped for by those at present response
bic for the education of our children.
but practically without proper author
ity to enforce rules to accomplish this
purpose.
Professor Spaid was followed by Mr.
Anderson who brought out additional
points of interest in the proposed plan.
Mr. Anderson stated that statistics
compiled by the U. S. Commissioner
Of Education showed that the earning
power of The people per capita was in
absolute proportion to the amount per
carita spent on the education of the
of every State in the Union.
it was not only matter of
dollars and cents, but that Delaware ;
had no right to compel its children to
enter the business world of today, {
where competition was keen, handicap !
ped by an education inferior to that
given by neighboring States. The
children of Delaware are entitled to
the best that money and brains can l
devise. and Judging from the size of {
the audience and the attention given I
the speakers. the will of the people {
If this community is already directed (
toward seeing that their children shall