The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1919-08-29
FOrCeful Facts
About Hawaii Schools

L. The type of public school ad
ministration throughout the mainland
has been steadily approaching that of
Hawaii's-that is, toward larger ad-
ministration units. The old-fashion-
ed school district as a unit is being
abolished and township or county
boards are taking its place. a bill
now before Congress has for one of
its objects the creation of a national
Department of Education with Il mem
Der of the Presidents cabinet as its
head-thc beginning of a national
educational system. Hawaii's ad-
ministrative system is the ideal to-
wards which educators throughout the
mainland are looking forward.
@. Every public school in Hawaii.
whether in the capital or the remotesf
hamlet, has a school year of identical
length about 100 days. On the main.
land, the school year is any where
from six months to ten months--121.5
days in Tennessee to 1886 in Rhode
Island. There is a wide variation in
each state.
8. Teachers with the same qualif-
cations and experience, are paid the
same salaries. whether they teach in
the city or in the most out-of-the-way
place in the Territory. There is a
wise regulation of the Department
that competent teachers in undesir-
able locations may be paid above
schedule"
4. Women are paid exactly the
same salaries as men with similar
qualifications and experience.
5. Teachers are paid for the twelve
months of the year. On the mainland,
except in the larger towns an cities,
they aIe paid only for the months
they teach. In Hawaii, teachers are
paid promptly at the end of each cal
cndar month.
G. I""chers' appointments, trans
fers, aid promotions are berg cJn-
trolled by one central board, ensures
the minimum opportunity for nepot-
ism, ana political influence.
Z. From the above statement, the
educational opportunities for all the
children OF Hawaii are more equitably
distributed than is the case in any
other part of the Union excepting
the District of Columbia).
8. One of the chief measures of a
school systems efficiency is the pro-
vision that the children of the state /
educational opportunities offered. The
compulsory school law of this Terri
tory (Which has been in force since
the organization of the education
system) is so well carried out that the
average percentage of attendance for
the Territory for the year ending De-
cember last was 94.57, the highest
rate of any state. The next highest
is Oregon, with an average percent
age of attendance of 91.S. Report of
Commissioner of Education, the lat
est).
Excel In Singing
8. Hawaii is notable for the eX-
cellence of its public school singing, |
and has been commended by distin-
guished educators from many part of
the world. The public school
chOruses of Hawaii rank with the
best mainland school choruses. This |
is the unanimous testimony of COM
petent and disinterested authorities.
In 1918 Professor Earhart of Pitts
burg concluded a report on "Music in
ment that Hawaii's public schools
offered a better course in music than
the schools of any other state.
A Mr.. Howell, a prominent educa-
tor of New Zealand, visited several of
the schools here, and, while he COM
mended what he saw of the work of
the schools generally, he stated EN-
phatically that the singing in the
public schools in Honolulu excelled
any he had even heard in any other
schools.
10. The school authorities of Ha-
wall have recognized the fact that the
educational system should be more
democratic, that is, that the school
work should be better adapted to the
mass of the children. Only a
small percentage of the pupils ever
reach the high school. A still small
er percentage are able, on account of
mental or financial reasons, to go on
to college. Many children are hand
minded" children and are not able to