Smyrna times., 1919-02-12
The District Committees.

the proposed district to warrant the
building of a one room schOolhOuse and
the employment of one teacher? Now,
a school in the full sense of the term
is decidedly more than merely rec
tangular room and a teacher. No dis
trict, large or small, should be a sep
arate school unit unless it is large
enough to perform the functions of
separate educational unit, that is,
financially able, after contributing its
due proportion to financing the educa-
tiOnal program Of the state and cOun-
ty, to provide schools of a standard
elementary and high school grade,
with adequate grounds, buildings and
equipment, well trained teachers and
the requisite administrative direction
and control. On this basis not to eX-
ceed two or three of the largest towns
in any one of the three counties could
qualify as Il separate school district.
Popular Interest Slight.
No wonder that popular interest in
education is slight The annual dis
trict school meeting is, with occasional
exceptions, sparsely attended, unless
strong differences of opinion arise over
the choice of teacher or additional
school expenditures. Otherwise not
more than one in six voters is present.
Indeed, the usual number in the rural
districts is about ten, including the
three school officials. In one instance,
when the annual district meeting was
I,1 10
present a father and his sOn-in-law,
both members of the district school
committee. They elected a son of the
father to the committee as clerk and
then proceeded to employ the daughter
of the father-althOugh she had no
certificate-as teacher for the ensuing
year
The truth is the district system rep
resents pioneer conditions. 1t goes
back to the time when an isolated
group, desiring some sort of school
for its children, pooled its meager re-
sources in order to establish a neigh
oOrhOOd school. Increased wealth,
larger numbers, improved cOmmunica-
lion, more complicated educational re-
quirements render the district system
obsolete
The report recommends that the
county system, already outlined, should
replace the district system; district
school committees may still be utilized,
but with restricted powers.
The Delaware system, as just de-
scribed, has worked badly. This the
report shows by examining its results
under four heads: Teachers, Instruc-
ton, Buildings. Finance.
Teachers.
There are now in Delaware 734
teachers. On the basis of data OBJ
tanned it appears that 81 per cent. of
them hold the very lowest grade of
certificate issued. OF the teachers re-
porting, 81 are classified as high school
teachers. Only 43 per cent. of these
can be regarded as qualified to under
take high school instruction. The ele-
mentary teachers in Incorporated dis
tricts are even less well equipped.
Only % per cent. reach an acceptable
standard of training, while A per cent.
have not completed a high school
course. Teachers in the rural elemen-
tary schools make a still more unfavor-
able showing. In general, they are
products of rural schools, and of high
| schools which give one, two or three
year courses Only is, or 6 per cent,
of them have had full normal training
or its equivalent; IA per cent. have
never advanced beyond the grades, and
139 others, or 4S per cent, have had
only part of high school course. OF
the elementary teachers the cOlored
teachers appear to be relatively the
best prepared 40 out of 50 reporting
or 40 per cent, are normal school grad
yates or have had part or all of a col
lege course.
The teachers of Delaware are not
| only deficient in respect to training
they are in the main immature. OF
the 651 reporting, 152, or % per cent,
are under twenty-One years of age.
Nor is the number of older teachers
large; only q are fifty years of age
and older.
AS is generally true throughout the
| country, the teachers are mostly new
to the system. Good school work in
wolves a knowledge of community
needs. Newcomers are at a disadvan-
tage in this respect. OF the 651 teach
ers under consideration, 100, or % Der
cent, entered the system this year
Only 80 per cent. of the entire number
of those regarding whom we obtained
information have been in the system
hve years or more. Conditions NAV be
somewhat unusual at this time. but in
any case the annual loss is large. The
Number of new white teachers Onclud-
ing Wilmington in 1916-17 is stated to
have been 15S, 80 in the incorporated
and 123 in the rural districts. Again.
the tenure of teachers already i'm the
system is short and shifting of posi-
ton is common. While 100 of tbe
present teaching force are new. 245
hold new positions, 100 are in their
second year in the same position. and
bS in their third. Thus, within .kb,
| system there is constant fuv unfov