Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1921-01-26

The report of Federal experts on
echool conditions in Wilmington. as
presented to the Citizens Survey Com
krittee. Monday night, makes very In
Seresting reading. IL points out many
glsring defects OF our school system,
md suggests improvements. But, in
rho main, IL IA not TO be said IL makes
many real revelations. The people
of Wilmington have known for years
Ahaf their public school system was
tsadly deficient. and have allowed con-
ditions to go on f,om bad to worse by
making no effort whatever to prepare
remedial measures and earnestly urge
khefr adoption.
The one great drawback, OF course,
has been a lack of money for the prop
~. MANAGEMENT OF our schools, es-
Ipecial1y In respect of maintenance of
property and failure to erect new
buildings I'm recent years. The serious
SHORTCOMINGS of this situation have
been noinsed out 20 our people time and
legain, and only in recent years were
spccial efforts directed towards improve
tnent. And these have been handicap
sped by lack of sufficient funds.
The commission recommends the
abandonment of the present system of
Ia Board Of Education composed of
,presideyit elected at large and one mem
Fiber from each Of the twelve wards OF
trhc city. This Improvement has been
lagitated for years. and Every Evening
fhss earnestly recommended this change
whenever the subject wac timely. But
public indifference operated every
time TO prevent the Inauguration of
this reform, which of itself would have
been accompanied by good and lasting
results.
Much Of the blame for the existing
deplorahle situation may be attributed
60 the public indifference that per-
mitted a continuance of the present
Board of Education, and to the failure
of the board even TO continue plans
for increased efficiency that had been
adopted years ago. For instance. it
has been more than thirty years since
tho charter Of the board was amended
so as to require the appropriation By
CITY Council, each year, OF $4,000 for
the erection Of a new school building,
this sum being sufficient for the purpose
lat. that time. The plan Of one new
yschool building a year was followed
for a while, when the Board Of Educa-
fion suspended new building operations
tfor four years, and then applied the
lthe prof [ of the new high school on
delaware avenue. How this scheme
s~esulted in confusion and in a financial
txsueie from which the board was ex-
eaicsted by the commendable assistance
pf two private citzens-by a resort.
however. that found no warrant in the
boards Charters well remembered.
So IL may be set down that the cause
~ nearly all the shortcomings that are
seo strikingly set forth in the Federal
lsurvey IS, frst of all, the lamentable
hack Of public interest displayed In the
lwelfare Of our schools, and the general
hneffioiency of successive Boards Of Ed
tsacation. hanpered as they have been
10y lack Of funds. Such an admins
fration, pursued year after year, could
mot fan OF producing evil results. The
ipVonder IS that the situation is not
tmuch worse.
What win be done in consequence Of
b<his summary manner OF calling the
sttention of the people 90 most i'm
portant public matter cannot now be
foretoid. It is probable the Citizens
iSurvey Committee will have bills pre-
| pared with the purpose Of carrying into
leffect some Of the recommendations Of
-ehe survey, but one-third OF the time
,4ailotted TO the present session Of the
Legislature has expired, and much time
will be required for this work of prep
aration, and for endeaycring TO have
the measures favorabIy passed upon at
Dover.
Also. and more important than all
! else, 1t is probable the sums Of money
estimated ir the survey as necessary
for providing the requisite school IA
ciiities will appal our people. already
harassed by burdensome taxation and
other evils of extraVagant and inef-
ficient administration. One plan sug-
gested by the survey covers a cost Of
about 5000 900. Another plan involves
an expenditure OF SIS. 225, 900. This
money would have to be raised by ad-
ditions to the bonded debt of the city.
The survey also recommends that
the Board Of Education should accept
the State School law--although not IN
III after the latter has been amended
an several respects so as 70 make such
a step far more advisable than II ap-.
pears at present-and this is a propo-
sitiOn that many Wilmington taxabies
land others interested in our public
schools would consider long before ex-
tending favor TO it. There is a general
disposition among our people to re-
tain complete control of the schools |
of the city, without surrendering any
part thereof to State control But,
with the present State law amended in
a. manner that would prove more as
suring to our people, this suggestion
may prove of value in the end. At any /
rate. il is worth considering. as is any 1
other proposition that might contain /
any promise of material benefit.
The survey strongly condemns the i