Evening journal., 1921-04-18


OF all school property except In the
special school districts where the
title is placed in the special school
district At the same time. the
property Is controlled in every in
stance. by the local school author
tiles
With the exception of the limita-
tions naturally due to State wide
revenue system and a State budget
system for schools. the operation as
we'll as the control OF the school sys-
tenn Is left to the local school author
ties. both In special school districts
and in school districts
Fourth The hxed standards
erected by tho now school law are
few. tho school year Of 100 days and
compulsory school attendance OF
az least 100 days being about the
only compulsory standards fixed by
the law. All other standards are
left 10 the state Board Of Educa-
tion.
SIN IMPORTANT MATTERS.
Six other important matters de-
termine the character of an efficient
system OF education. equally effect
i've among an classes and in the re-
motcst districts. Educators tell us
that everything depends upon how
these six matters are handled in a
school system. They arc:
/. Textbooks and Supplies.
.. Supervision OF Teaching and
Attendance.
3. High Schools for All children.
O.. Consolidation OF Schools.
G.. School Building Program.
We have studied the law as passed !.
we may now determine just how
these matters are cared for and are
reported as We find them In this
hurried survey.
I. TEXTBOOKS AND SUPPLIES.
Under the present law textbooks
and supplies are all free to the chill
dren. In each special school district
they are supplied by the Board of
| Education and are paid for my tho
/ moneys raised boy the tax levy. The
school books and supplies are freely
distributed 10 all children OF the To-
cal districts by the County Boards of
| Education and are provided for In
tho annual school budget and tar
levy.
Under the law Of 1921. textbooks
and supplies are free 20 all children
in the State and are distributed 10
the special school districts as In tn
law OF 1920. and In the local district
are provided by the state Board o
Education instead Of the Count
Boards OF Education. OF course
under the new system an such sun
81 plies are paid for out Of the Stat
School Budget.
The law makes a distinction be
tween school districts and specia
school districts Special school dis
tricts are 10 order and detormin
their own textbooks, limited only b.
| tho open list adopted by the Stat
! Board Of Education. and the loca
school districts requisition their text
books and supplies from the stat
Board OF Education. In many part
OF the State there is now hue AM
cry for uniform textbooks through
out the state Absolute uniformit,
is not desirable. The free and opel
list OF the new law and OF the pres
ent law seem preferable. but
would seem that the practical resul
OF the new law will be 20 bring
greater degree Of uniformity IN text
books matters.
.. SUPERVISION or TEACHTN'
AND ATTENDANCE.
Tho new law does not make an
specific provision for supervisor
and attendance officers. The open
minded layman. studying the law,
led TO the conclusion that In thi
particular special school districts ar
favored They are provided wit
superintendents who. under the Law
are directed to supervise the school
There IS no distinct provision for IN
supervision Of any schools not no
In special school districts. IL do,
not seem possible that the entiI
school system outside the specii
school districts in the three count,
Of this State can go without som
supervision. The superintendent
have gone. There is also a provisio
in the law for State supervision q
vocational education in accordanc
with the Smith-Hughes Nocatona
Education Act but this does no
provide FOR the supervision OF othe
lthan vocational studies.
II adequate provision is 10 b
made for the Office of the state Su
: perintendcnt OF Public Instruction.
seems clear that ne must be provide
with assistants who. in the place q
the county superintendents q
, schools. will adequately supervis
: the teaching and attendance Of tn
, state OF Delaware. Anything else wi
be a waste of money. The stat
-, would otherwise be spending S2,500
600 on education without being abb
90 inform itself or the next Legisl'
ture as TO how well their money
being spent and as TO whether
not the future citizens OF the sta
are being educated.
3. HIGH SCHOOLS FOR A
CHILDREN.
Under the law OF 1920. which
p, this particular was the same as d
y school Code. the requirements (
high schools were limited to nui
=, ber and qualification Of teacht
T., needed for any grade Of high scno
/. All schools are of two grades-fii
!, group and second group. The I'll
~ group high school provides 40
j, years of high school instruction; {
~ second group high school provid
o. two or three years Of high school
es struction. The teacher requireme
OF for the first group is a principal.
lg least three academic teachers al
ld three vocational teachers, making
e. total OF six teachers and a princip
or superintendent.