Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-05-06

Special School Districts, 324 books on
Fire and Accident Prevention.
In many of the schools of the state
and also i'm the State College Tor
Colored Students there was such an
alarming fire risk that we distributed
isl chemical fire extinguishers for
emergency purposes.
Amerlcaniyation.
The Service Citizens took over the
Americanization work of the state
Council of Defense early in 1919 ana
financed IL alone. The Legislature mat
year appropriated $4,000 year TO be
expended by the State Board OF 1du-
cation for Amcricanization classes.
While this amount OF money seemed
generous for SO small a Stnte. 1t was
found 10 be inadequate To meet our
fun responsibility toward the non
English speaking people in our midst
II was barely sufficient to cover the
cost of night classes in Wilmington.
The Service Citizens spent in 1919, Wa
hS306 TO supplement the work being
done through the State and City Boards
of Education, and in 1920, sl7,OS2ll.
Before the fiscal year of 1920-2l
closed. the State Board of Education
found itself unable to continue it's
Americanization classes outside of VIII
mington for lack OF funds, and we were
happy 10 meet the emergency by pro
viding the additional money.
Training Teachers for Delaware Schools
In 1919 the state of Delaware had no
means of trimming it's own teachers. In
conjunction with the President Of Della
ware College and tho Dean Of the Wo-
mems College ot Delaware. we worked
ont i'm 1919 a plan for establishing
Teacher Training Department as a
part Of the Womeu's College. the pur-
pose being to give high school gradu-
ates n two years course which would
fit them either for the graded schools
or The rural schools Of the State. For
tho school year Of 1920 We paid over
To the college treasurer $7.750 and for
ia2O-at. S925O This department. was
successful from the very beginning: in
decd it's work was so obviously neces-
sary and beneficial that the General
Assembly of 1891 has provided for its
continuance hy an adequate appropria-
ton. and II thus becomes an integral
Part Of the University Of Delaware.
In order to make benefits 81 tho
teacher training course available 70
those who need IL most, the director of
the Service Citizens secured scholar
ships az $3.50 a year for thirty students
each year through the generosity 81
Pierre s. du Pont. Ircnee du Pont and
Iammot tu Pont
The addition of so or 60 girls 20 the
already crowded quarters ot the Wo-
mons College brought about serious
n hip
~ meet IL promptly We built two
emergency dormitorics On the campus
CAPABLE AZ accommodating twenty girls
each. with all the facilities which exist
in the other college buildings, and with
accommodations for member of the
faculty in each dormitory. w" also
enlarged the college dining hall and
built an addition % tho kitchen.
We made arrangements with the Uni
versitv authorities to release Miss Rich
from her regular duties and We placed
her in the State as an extension agent
for the teacher training department
Summer schools.
Two years ago we undertook tho work
of making our summer shools for teach
ors more attractive and moro cultural
bv bringing a series Of lecturers, speak
ers. preachers. musicians and other en-
tertainers to the sessions. This advcn-
ture proved SO popular that we think
il desirable 10 continue 4 in the sum
rner schools Of this year and an appro-
priatior Of S4,50O has been placed in our
budget for that purpose.
Survey Of Wilmington Schools.
In the fall Of 1920 Mayor Taylor of
-
make a survey Of the city. The conn
nlittce secured the services OF the Fed
oral Bureau Of Education under the di-
rect supervision Of Commissioner Clax-
ton. AS no money was available for
this work, we agreed 70 pay the entire
cost. which amounted TO $4,000. The
survey was so complete and revealed
such an inadequate system Of pubic
education for modern city that the
General Assembly Of 1921 accepted IT'S
recommendation embracing a new
school law for Wilmington. in which the
archaic ward system is abandoned in
favor OF board Of seven members elect
ed AT large.
We inauEurated an experiment m the
use Of the grafonola in rural schools
and every report that has reached US
has been 80 the effect that the use of
this instrument in the school has stimu-
lated attendance. aided discipline and
improved the class room work of the
pupils.
Census and Commencement Prizes.
Last year a census of school children
was taken. but was found to he incorrect
as more children reported in the fall 20
attend school than had been discovered
in the census. As il was imperative
that such a census be available to de
teTmine whether all children were COM
ing 10 school. transcript was made Of
the Federal Census for the school chill
dren of Delaware and we placed the
necessary $350 at the disposal of the
state Board OF Education.
Last spring Commissioner Spaid out
lined a plan for commencement projects
prizes being offered 10 the seniors III the
high schools OF the three counties for
the best essay on certain subjects relat-
ing to the historical or economic life of
Delaware. The money required for
these prizes was :245 and was given by
two Interested members of the Service
Citizens and the Delaware School Auxi-
iaTy Association.
School Operating Deficits.
During last May it came TO our atten-
tion that TWO of the counties and several
special districts in the State had oper-
ating deficits for their school year. In
several cases teachers had not received
their salaries for two or three months
past and there was danger that perhaps