Evening journal., 1919-02-07

in respect TO quality or instruction
the situation In the larger villages anC
towns IL better. Yet, the best that car
be said OF the elementary sylools oi
the larges villages and towns Is thai
they do a fair type OF old fashioned
formal, textbook work; the children
master the tools OF earning-readlng
writing and arlthmetic-and devote
some time 10 The study OF physiology
and hygiene, geography and history.
Bur even In these schools the lnstruc-
tIon Is formal and booklsh; II appears
almost entirely 10 the memory, little
or nothing being done to train the
senses, cultivate observation, or TO de-
velop the Imagination. High school
instruction Is Of the same bookisn
type. The situation IS complicated by
lrregularlty OF attendance. With at
tendance IN Delaware as II now Is. It
would take children OF the lncorpor-
ated districts on the average about 20
years. OF rural districts something
over IS years and colored children
about % years 10 complete a standard
elementary course. In consequence,
the average child IN Delaware actually
completes nothing like q ful element
airy course OF study.
Expenditures Too Low.
The expenditures. State and local, on
public education In Delaware are faI
too low 10 secure good facilities or
good teaching Even In the highest per
capita expenditure In any county or
district is, compared with what other
States do, really low. Delaware Duys
@ low and cheap brand Of education.
Probably not more than seven other
States spend so little on education as
Delaware. u Is, however, stlll true
that Delaware pays high for what It
gets. Indeed, II Is difficult 10 see how
a State could get less for its money.
State Funds.
The report calls attention to the diff
fculty Of obtaining accurate informa-
ton regarding income and expendl-
ture and 10 the inefficient manner In
which State funds are now distributed.
Instead OF bsslng the State dividend on
Lhe number Of teachers employed, Il
a distribution on the
basis Of children enrolled and IN at
II also urges a special State
for high schools There !
s." II states, "the very greatest need
)f adopting In Delaware a method OF |
lpportioning State funds which recog-
lizes the differing needs OF elementary
'chool and high school. State funds |
or elementary schools should be ep-
,ortioned to the several local school /
Inils on a double basis-the basis,
irst. OF the number OF children OF ele-
nentary school age enrolled, that is,
'etween six and fourteen years N age,
inclusive, and the basis. second. OF
chOol attendance. In recognizing the
lumber OF children TO be instructed
he State takes account Of the amount
I work that needs 90 be done; IN rec
gnizing actual school attendance, the
tate takes account OF the work really
ccomplished and at the same time
iimulates the community to keep its
lildren In school State aid 10 high
'hools should be granted on the basis
the cost-Of maintaining high schools
q given grade and rank. This aid
lould be given also with a view 10
ringing a high school education with
reach OF all children without tuition
)st to the parents. Now only a lin
ed number OF children from each
)unty may so attend" Inasmuch as
le county boards are elected by and
nenable to the people, the report rec
that county boards be vested
'ith power enough to finance efficient
,hools. Finally, it calls attention to
unique kind Of inequality that exists
J Delaware and In no other State.
elaware has really two school sys-
ms. Local taxes for white schools